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Reformation: Luther at the Diet of Worms

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Reformation: Luther at the Diet of Worms Voice of Grace We are called to proclaim the Word and celebrate the sacraments. We gather in Christian community for nurture and support. We are sent out in service to others. Reformation: Luther At The Diet of Worms Luther at the Diet of Worms, by Anton von Werner, 1877 First of all, what is a Diet? Here we are not talking about a diet such as Weight-Watchers or Atkins: A Diet is a deliber- ative assembly; a gathering of members of any kind of collective who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. The Diet of Worms relating to Luther was April 16 to 18, 1521. On April 16, he was told to appear the following day at 4 p.m. On April 17, he was asked if a collection of 25 books were his and if he was ready to revoke their heresies. Luther requested more time for a proper answer, so he was given until the next day at 4 p.m. On April 18, Luther presented himself before the Diet. When the same questions were put to him, he answered, “They are all mine, but as for the second question, they are not all of one sort.” He went on to place the writings into three categories: (1) Works which were well received by even his enemies: those he would not reject. (2) Books which attacked the abuses, lies and desolation of the Christian world and the papacy: those, Luther believed, could not safely be rejected without encouraging abuses to continue. “If I now recant these, then, I would be doing nothing but strength- ening tyranny.” (3) Attacks on individuals: he apologized for the harsh tone of these writings but did not reject the substance of what he taught in them; if he could be shown from the Scriptures that he was in error, Luther continued, he would reject them. He concluded by saying, “Since your majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns or teeth. Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason (I do not believe in the authority of either popes or councils by themselves, for it is plain that they have often erred and contradicted each other) in those Scriptures that I see page 2 Worship 10:30 a.m. October 2017 Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org Worms from page 1 stood before the Emperor and princes of the Holy Roman Empire, before cardinals and bishops of the Church of have presented, for my conscience is captive to the Word Rome and uttered the words: “I will not recant.” He left of God; I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go Worms an outlaw, condemned and finally excommuni- against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand; I cated by the Roman Church. can do no other. God help me. Amen.” In rejecting Luther the Catholic Church lost one of its most faithful sons. In his book, Obedient Rebels: Before I Forget Catholic Substance and Protestant Principle in Luther’s Reformation, the eminent scholar, Jaroslav Pelikan, by George Hanson writes: “Martin Luther was the first Protestant; yet, he Luther – What I Have Learned was more Catholic than many of his Roman Catholic Martin Luther the Reformer is one of the most extraordinary opponents.” This paradox lies at the very center of persons in history and has left a deeper impression of his Luther’s Reformation. Today some excellent scholarship presence in the modern world than any other except Columbus. on Luther is coming from Catholic writers. Luther may (Ralph Waldo Emerson well be the person who will bring about reunion. Time A worthy assessment of Luther, but I would put Christ at will tell. This reminds me of something I did years ago – the head of the list. before Vatican II. At the time, I was living in Iceland. One night in late December a group of us went to the Catholic After considerable Cathedral in Reykjavik. The priest was very gracious in research and the accu- showing us around the church. He finally took us up to mulation of many the choir loft where there was a rather large and magnifi- books on Luther and cent organ. He invited us to play it if we wished. This the Reformation, what “cocky” Lutheran sat down at the organ, pulled out all the have I learned? Luther stops and immediately played Luther’s great hymn, “A “invaded my home” and Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The priest was not amused. I wondered where to Today this magnificent hymn is sung and appreciated in put all the books. Did Catholic churches. I know any more than I did before? I have a I learned that Luther suffered periods of depression, Lutheran background. his anfechtaugen. At times Luther felt that God had My mother’s heritage included over 200 Lutheran pastors, abandoned him. In one of his greatest writings, The including a few bishops, one of whom served in that office Heidleberg Disputation (1518), Luther comes to terms for 56 years, publishing the Bible in Icelandic (1585) with suffering and the “soul’s dark night.” God is found and firmly establishing Lutheranism in Iceland. Another in suffering. Here emerges his famous “Theology of the ancestor went to Wittenberg and studied with Luther. But Cross.” For me and many others, it is one of the greatest when I began this study, I really didn’t know too much and most profound theological statements in history. I about Luther. have concluded that Luther is the greatest theologian in history since Paul the Apostle. Little by little, I am I quickly learned that Luther was a complex man; and learning more about Law and the Gospel, The Two Luther remains somewhat of an enigma, elusive and Kingdoms, Justification, Faith, the Church, etc. sometimes contradictory. I started out saying that Luther was a complex man and The Reformation began with a soul’s search for God and sometimes contradictory. But on some things he was the subsequent struggles of a tormented soul within the firm and unchanging. If he felt that something was not walls of an Augustinian monastery. Finally, Martin Luther right he would attack his opponent like a vicious Pitbull found God in Jesus Christ. “The just shall live by faith.” dog, sinking his teeth in and never letting go. He was, Luther didn’t discover anything new. It was there all the on the other hand, a devoted husband and father, as well time - especially in Romans - his favorite book. Simply as a sincere friend. His Table Talk shows a loving and put, it was: We are justified by grace through faith. kind Luther. The Reformation needed a strong leader and One thing for certain, Luther was fearless. He knew Luther was that man. Sola Scripture. Scripture Alone. His what had happened to Hus and others. He felt that this, whole defense was the Holy Bible. True, he was deeply too, would be his destiny. A martyr’s death. The greatest influenced by Saint Augustine. But above any writing was moment in modern history is Luther’s defense in 1521 Scripture - in the well-known words of Luther: “Verbum at the Diet of Worms. Armed only with the Word of God Dei infallible” (the infallible Word of God). He also felt and the Holy Spirit, the peasants’ son from Eisleben that everyone should have access to the Bible in their see page 3 Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 2 Forget from page 2 In my ordinary secondary school (O level 2007-2009) I native language. His translation of the Bible (1534) has struggled a lot concerning the fact that I had to catch up no equal and has influenced the faith and language of on a lot of academic work in a very short time, as I was Germany for centuries. stuck before due to financial issues, but all in all, God was on my side. I excelled with First Grade and joined Solus Christus. Only Christ. Jesus Christ was the center of advanced secondary school (A level 2010-2011). For the Luther’s life. He was also the center of Luther’s theology. first time while in high school, I realized that for every In the entire Old Testament he saw Jesus Christ and hence choice we make, we have to face the consequences. I a Christ-centered interpretation of this part of the Bible, had a passion for science subjects and I had to make and of the New Testament, of course. In the classic film ends meet that is in four subjects (physics, chemistry, on Luther made some fifty years ago, Luther is shown an biology and mathematics and also Ebenezer, I excelled impressive collection of relics owned by Duke Frederick. and after many applications joined Kampala International Luther is not impressed. The question is put to Luther: University for a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of “ What will you give the people if these relics are taken Surgery. It has been my time here in university that I real- away?” Luther quickly responds: “JESUS CHRIST!” The ized that if God had not been on my side, I would have son of German peasants opened to the world the trea- been swallowed up. Many of my friends and colleagues sures of the Bible. The one who came to God as a beggar have dropped out not only for financial reasons but also and teaches us to do likewise, shows us the way to Jesus in discipline issues, impatience to finish 5 and 1/2 years Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
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