Sunday by Mike Poteet

A Sunday to Celebrate? If your congregation is singing ’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” in worship today, it isn’t alone. Many Protestant churches mark the last Sunday in as Reformation Sunday. Tradition holds that on , 1517, Luther nailed a copy of 95 Connecting theses (propositions for debate) challenging medieval church teaching Faith and Life and papal authority to a church door in , . Although volume 20, number 26 this fiercely dramatic scene probably never took place, Luther’s docu- october 26, 2014 ment is real, and it really did help spark the Protestant Reformation. Many Americans today don’t know much about Luther. In 2010, Session at a Glance the Pew Research Center found less than half of respondents (46 per- cent) could identify him and his significance. More Jews (70 per- Today many Protestants celebrate cent), atheists and agnostics (68 percent), and Mormons (61 percent) Reformation Sunday. What was the knew about him than did Protestants (47 percent). Reformation? What can we learn from it? How can the Reformation’s legacy This lack of knowledge may stem partly from Protestants’ dimin- help us grow in our faith? ished place in American society. In 2012, also according to Pew Research, Protestants made up 48 percent of the US population, los- ing their majority status of more than two centuries. Although Con- FaithLink is available by subscription via e-mail ([email protected]) gress remains majority Protestant, it is “far less so today than . . . or by downloading it from the Web 50 years ago, when nearly three-quarters of the members belonged to (www.cokesbury.com/faithlink). Protestant denominations.” Print in either color or black and white. Given ’s diminished prominence and many Protes- tants’ unfamiliarity with their tradition, does celebrating Reformation Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Sunday make sense?

Copyright © 2014 by Cokesbury. By Grace Through Faith Permission given to copy this page for use in class. Luther would likely have had no use for Reformation Sunday as an end in itself. He never intended to break with the Roman . It was Western Europe’s only church in his day (Eastern and Western divided in 1054), and he served it as a , priest, and professor of theology. Indeed, his devout faith and reli- gious zeal were precisely what drove him to conclude, as historian and theologian Dr. Alister McGrath writes, that “the church . . . had misunderstood the gospel, the essence of Christianity.” From 1513–16, as Luther studied and lectured on the Psalms and the Book of Romans, he experienced great anxiety about his salva- tion. He later wrote: “I had certainly wanted to understand Paul [in Romans] . . . But what prevented me . . . was . . . that one phrase . . . ‘the righteousness of God is revealed in it’ ” (Romans 1:17). “For I hated that phrase . . . which I had been taught to understand as the righteousness by which God is righteous, and punishes unrighteous sinners. Although I lived

Shutterstock.com a blameless life as a monk, I felt that I was a sinner . . . [and] could 1 volume 20, number 26 not believe that I had pleased [God] with my works. Far from loving that october 26, 2014 righteous God who punished sinners, I actually hated him. . . . I was in desperation to know what Paul meant.” Core Bible Luther ultimately experienced a breakthrough. No longer did he Passages believe sinful human beings must perform works in order to earn God’s Sola gratia (grace alone) was a forgiveness. Instead, he became convinced, as McGrath explains, “that key belief held by Protestant reform- God provides everything necessary for justification,” including the gifts of repentance and faith, “so that all the sinner needs to do is receive it. God is ers. Ephesians 2:1-10 is one of many active, and humans are passive, in justification. . . . God offers and gives; Scriptures proclaiming God’s amaz- men and women receive and rejoice.” Luther summarized this insight in ing grace. The writer––if not the apos- his teaching that sinners are justified, or saved, by grace through faith. tle Paul himself, then someone who shared his convictions––describes how The 95 Theses and Beyond dire our situation was: We were dead to God, trapped in sinful disobedience; Luther’s new understanding of Scripture’s teaching on salvation but God acted where we could not, fueled his criticism of Dominican preacher . Tetzel sold raising us to life with Christ. Salvation “” to raise funds for the restoration of St. Peter’s Basilica. He claimed to be selling relief from sufferings in purgatory not only for is God’s unmerited gift. We do good sinners still living but also for those who had died. A “jingle” attributed works in grateful response. to Tetzel claimed, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from In 2 Kings 22, we meet King purgatory springs.” Josiah, during whose reign the long- Many of Tetzel’s contemporaries criticized him for misrepresenting lost scroll of God’s Law (preserved for church doctrine, but Luther’s critique wielded the greatest influence. His us in Deuteronomy) was discovered 95 theses about indulgences stressed the supremacy of God’s grace over in the Jerusalem Temple. We also meet any credentials granted by the Pope: “Every true Christian, whether living one of Scripture’s few female prophets, or dead, has a share in all the benefits of Christ and the Church, for God Huldah, who authenticates the scroll has granted him these, even without letters of . . . . We should and announces God will judge the admonish Christians to follow Christ, their Head, through punishment, people unless they again obey the Law. death, and hell . . . set[ting] their trust on entering heaven through many God empowered Huldah and Josiah to tribulations rather than some false security and peace.” be reformers in ancient Judah, bring- The nascent technology of the helped Luther’s theses ing the community of God’s people find a wide audience. Luther followed the theses with sermons and other into closer conformity with God’s will pamphlets calling for reform. A papal envoy to Germany reported, “Noth- and Word. ing is sold here except the tracts of Luther.” While we give thanks for the faith- In 1521, Luther appeared before an official assembly (Diet) of the Holy ful reformers of the past, we must also Roman Empire in Worms, Germany. Faced with the threat of excommu- remember Jesus’ prayer that his fol- nication and given a final chance to recant his theses, Luther declared his lowers would be one, as he and the conscience captive to God’s Word. He is said to have proclaimed, “Here Father are one (John 17:21-22). As I stand; I can do no other. God help me.” much as we profess spiritual unity, our This moment, too, may not actually have been as dramatic as por- divisions still sometimes obscure our trayed in centuries of books, illustrations, movies––and Reformation Day witness that God sent Jesus into the sermons! Luther’s resolve did, however, unleash dramatic consequences world (17:23). Complete institutional for the church and society. “His iconoclasm, rebelliousness and demand unity of all Christians is unlikely, but for radical freedom,” writes religion scholar Karen Armstrong, “all dem- increased cooperation in worship and onstrate the pioneering ethos that would make the world anew.” mission is always possible. Reformation Ramifications One of the most obvious results of the Reformation was the emer- gence of many new Christian churches, each professing to preserve Copyright © 2014 by Cokesbury. Permission given to copy this page for use in class. the ancient, true faith. These churches asserted belief in one, holy, 2 volume 20, number 26 catholic (universal) church; however, they denied that this church was october 26, 2014 identical with the institutional Church of . And after they broke with Protestant–Catholic Rome, Protestants continued breaking with one another. Luther’s translation of the Bible into German also proved momen- Relations tous. Firmly believing Scripture to be the only authoritative source of doc- In 1961, Protestant theologian trine and practice (a conviction frequently summarized in the slogan sola Robert McAfee Brown described a Scriptura), Luther also believed that individual, ordinary Christians were Catholic–Protestant “impasse”: “On entitled to read and wrestle with the biblical text for themselves, as he had almost every level of relationship there done. The fact that the Bible has now been translated into over 2,000 dif- is irritation and ill will, if not active dis- ferent languages is a direct result of the Reformation. like.” The next year, however, the Sec- As author Gordon Thomasson points out, however, “Vernacular trans- ond Vatican Council opened. Among lations . . . unintentionally opened the Bible to an unlimited range of pri- other matters, it encouraged Catholics vate interpretations.” The value Protestants placed on an individual’s right “for the first time . . . to foster friendly of conscience contributed to modern conceptions of individual rights and relations with Orthodox and Protes- freedoms, but also challenged long-held senses of communal identity. tant Christians,” writes John O’Malley, Luther’s doctrine of “the priesthood of all believers”––the teaching that all professor of theology at Georgetown baptized Christians are called by God to serve one another and the world University, “as well as Jews and Mus- as priests—has frequently been misinterpreted as divinely granted license lims, and even to pray with them.” to be “a church unto [one]self,” as Peter Leithart writes. “Renouncing Five decades later, Protestants and Rome’s one Pope, Protestantism has created thousands.” Catholics have made more progress. Scottish journalist Harry Reid observes that many people regard the In 1999, the Lutheran World Federa- Reformation “as an unmitigated disaster which led to division and secu- tion and the Vatican published a joint larisation. Others regard it as the most positive movement in world history declaration affirming that “a consensus . . . that led to the opening of the minds of ordinary people and set them on basic truths of the doctrine of justi- fication exists between Lutherans and free from the forces of medieval darkness. . . . The Reformation divided, Catholics.” (In 2006, the World Meth- and it still divides.” odist Council, of which The is a member, also Always Being Reformed affirmed this agreement.) Last June, in Should congregations celebrate this chapter of Christian history? another joint document, Catholics and Dr. Stanley Hauerwas of Duke Divinity and Law Schools doesn’t think so: Lutherans mutually confessed guilt for “I do not like Reformation Sunday. . . . [It] does not name a happy event damaging the church’s unity. It also for the Church Catholic; on the contrary, it names failure.” For some Prot- acknowledges that most Christians estants and Catholics, Reformation Sunday represents how far we remain today, who live in the Global South, from realizing Jesus’ prayer that we might be one, as he and the Father are “do not easily see the confessional one (John 17:22). conflicts of the 16th century as their If, as Lutheran pastor Clint Schnekloth says, we use today to “congratu- own conflicts.” late ourselves for being of [Luther’s] line and lineage,” we do a disservice to As significant as joint theologi- the reformer’s memory and, more importantly, dishonor God. But we could cal statements and public observances instead remember and give thanks for the Reformation as––in the words of are, however, increased discussion, another Lutheran pastor, Scott Alan Johnson––a time “when the Spirit has fellowship, and cooperative minis- led the church kicking and screaming into a new reality.” We could pray that tries between Protestants and Catho- the Spirit will, as Jesus promised, continue guiding us into all truth (John lics––shared vacation Bible schools, 16:13), including fuller unity with our fellow believers. We could recom- emergency assistance ministries, and similar work––have likely done more mit ourselves to living out the classic Protestant motto, Ecclesia reformata to make Christian unity visible at the semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei––“The reformed church, always local level. being reformed according to the Word of God.” If we mark Reformation Sunday in the humble confession and joyful conviction that God, with amazing grace, is not done reforming the church Copyright © 2014 by Cokesbury. Permission given to copy this page for use in class. and the world, then another robust chorus of “A Mighty Fortress” may yet be justified. 3 volume 20, number 26 United Methodist Perspective october 26, 2014 The Methodist Church began as an 18th-century reform movement within the Church of England (which broke from Rome in 1534 for The Reformation’s reasons including but deeper than Henry VIII’s desire to marry Anne Social Consequences Boleyn). and his brother Charles were both Anglican mis- In medieval Europe, church and sionary priests whose spiritual experiences in May 1738––including state were not separated; princes deter- John’s key experience of feeling his heart “strangely warmed” while mined their people’s religious alle- hearing Luther’s preface to Romans read––contributed to their desire giance. Protestantism thus cast political to reform the church from within. Wesley and the early Methodists shadows. As Europe divided along Prot- also sought “to reform the nation . . . [and] spread scriptural holiness estant and Catholic lines, military con- over the land.” flict followed. The Thirty Years’ War John Wesley actually came to regard Luther with “deep ambiva- (1618–48) saw Sweden, France, Spain, lence,” according to historian Jerry Walls. In a 1787 sermon, Wesley and fighting one another, mostly asked, “Who has wrote more ably than Martin Luther on justification in Germany. “The fallout reshaped the by faith alone? And who was more ignorant of the doctrine of sancti- religious and political map of central fication, or more confused in his conceptions of it?” Europe,” says The Reader’s Guide to Military History, “setting the stage for Although “Catholics and Methodists never divided from one the old centralized Roman Catholic another,” as Methodist-Catholic Dialogues (2001) states, The United empire to give way to a community of Methodist Church is a Protestant communion, holding in common with sovereign states” under the terms of other Protestants several key Reformation convictions: “a recognition the . According to of the authority of Scripture in matters of faith, the confession that our former secretary-general of the United justification as sinners is by grace through faith, and the sober realiza- Nations Kofi Annan, the Peace of West- tion that the church is in need of continual reformation and renewal” phalia’s enshrinement of the concept (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2012, ¶102). of the sovereign state “is seen by his- torians as the moment that Europe left the Middle Ages and entered modern Helpful Links times. . . . The Westphalian system • “The Reformation” –– http://www.history.com/topics/reformation –– . . . became the model for relationships the History Channel’s page of articles and videos about Luther and between countries not just in Europe but the Protestant Reformation across our planet.” • Martin Luther: The Reluctant Revolutionary (http://www.pbs.org/ Other social legacies of the Refor- empires/martinluther/) and Martin Luther: Driven to Defiance mation range from the music of Johann (http://video.pbs.org/video/1379546586/) –– two PBS video biogra- Sebastian Bach––a Lutheran composer, phies about the reformer he initialed most of his manuscript • “Luther 2017: Five Hundred Years of Reformation” –– scores with the letters “SDG” for the http://www.luther2017.com/en –– information about Luther’s life Protestant slogan Soli Deo Gloria, “To and career as a reformer, as well as news about commemorations of God alone be glory”––to what sociolo- the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation gist Max Weber called the “Protestant ethic,” an emphasis on hard work, fru- gality, and efficiency stemming from Mike Poteet is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church some Calvinist ideas about worldly (USA) and a member of the Presbytery of Philadelphia. success as a sign of God’s favor. “It is impossible,” writes Martin E. Marty FaithLink: Connecting Faith and Life is a weekly, topical study and an official resource for The for the Encyclopedia Britannica, “to United Methodist Church approved by the General Board of Discipleship and published weekly by Cokesbury, separate Protestantism from the general The United Methodist Publishing House; 201 Eighth Avenue, South; P.O. Box 801; Nashville, Tennessee 37202-0801. Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Common Eng- history of the North Atlantic nations, lish Bible, copyrighted © 2011 Common English Bible, and are used by permission. Permission is granted to photocopy pages 1–4 of this resource for use in FaithLink study groups. All Web addresses were correct especially those in North America.” and operational at the time of publication. Fax comments to FaithLink, 615-749-6512, or send e-mail to [email protected]. For Copyright © 2014 by Cokesbury. fax problems, fax FREE to 800-445-8189. For e-mail problems, send e-mail to Cokes_Serv@umpublishing. Permission given to copy this page for use in class. org. To order, call 800-672-1789, or visit our website at www.cokesbury.com/faithlink. 4 volume 20, number 26 october 26, 2014 OPEN the Session Pray Together Holy and merciful God, you are always calling us to fresh understand- ings of your truth, deeper faithfulness to your commandments, and new action as your priestly people. In this time of study and reflection, may your Spirit lead us to give thanks for how you have used your church in the past, and to catch glimpses of how you are shaping us for service today and in the future. All this we pray in the name of our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Read or Sing “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” Have participants read aloud or sing the first two verses of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (The United Methodist Hymnal, 110). Ask: What words, phrases, or images from this hymn grab your attention the most? Why? What memories or other associations, if any, do you have with this hymn? Reformation EXPLORE the Topic Read “A Sunday to Celebrate?” Sunday Read or review this section of the essay. Lead participants in brain- storming a list of everything they know about Martin Luther. Invite par- ticipants to share what meaning they assign to the statistics cited in this How can the Reforma- section. Establish whether your congregation is observing Reformation tion’s legacy help us Sunday and what reasons may have gone into that decision (if neces- grow in our faith? sary, consult staff or other leadership before the session). Ask: Does celebrating Reformation Sunday make sense in Protestants’ context today? Why or why not?

Paraphrase Luther’s Theology Read or review highlights of “By Grace Through Faith.” Read aloud the excerpt from Luther. Invite participants to paraphrase Luther’s theo- CREATE Your logical breakthrough in their own words. Ask: How familiar is the lan- Teaching Plan guage of “justification by grace through faith” to you? How would you explain this belief to someone who has never encountered it, without Keeping in mind your using Luther’s language? (You might recruit two participants to roleplay group members and such a situation.) your group time, Study Ephesians 2:1-10 choose from among Have participants locate Ephesians 2:1-10 in their Bibles. Ask: What the OPEN, EXPLORE, changes do you see described in this Scripture? What are the divine and and CLOSE activities human responsibilities for these changes? How does Luther’s theology of or from “Teaching justification reflect the content of this passage? Alternatives” to plan Read “The 95 Theses and Beyond” the session. Read or review highlights of this section. (Optional: Have partici- pants read aloud portions of Luther’s 95 theses from a website such as http://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html.) Ask: Why do you think Tetzel’s

Copyright © 2014 by Cokesbury. 5 indulgence sales offended Luther? How do you think Christians today act volume 20, number 26 in ways that deny God’s free grace? october 26, 2014 Read About King Josiah and Huldah Have participants locate Second Kings in their Bibles. Recruit vol- Teaching unteers to read aloud 22:8–23:3 as a narrator, Hilkiah, Shaphan, Josiah, Alternatives and Huldah. Ask: How did the rediscovery of the Law result in reform in • Show the Chuck Knows Church ancient Judah? Where do you see the need for reform in the church and/or episode “Protestant Reformation” our society today? What would you reform? (http://tiny.cc/e91pnx) at the begin- ning of the session. Identify Reformation Legacies • Arrange for a showing to your group or Form two teams of participants. Have the first team read or review congregation of the 2003 film Luther “Reformation Ramifications” in the essay section. Have the other read or (PG-13; details at http://tiny.cc/y51pnx). review the sidebar “The Reformation’s Social Consequences.” Give each Discuss whether and how the film group time to list as many results of the Reformation in church and soci- changes viewers’ impressions of and ety, respectively, as they can; tell them they need not limit themselves to ideas about Martin Luther. those identified inFaithLink . (Optional: Let participants look through • If possible, arrange for your group to newspapers and magazines for news items that illustrate these Reforma- attend a Christian education class at tion legacies.) After allowing sufficient time, have each team report to the a local Roman Catholic church, and whole group. Ask: What value do you see in everyone knowing about the vice versa. After both visits have taken Reformation? place, share a meal and discuss differ- ences and similarities in the way your Discuss “Protestant–Catholic Relations” two congregations educate and equip Read or review this sidebar. Ask: What has been your personal expe- Christians for faithful discipleship. rience, if any, of relations between Protestants and Roman Catholics? In your opinion, have relations between Catholics and Protestants improved in recent decades? Why or why not? What more could Protestants and Catho- lics do to make Jesus’ prayer for his followers’ unity a visible reality?

Read “Always Being Reformed” Read or review this section of the essay. Invite participants to think and talk about ways the congregation could mark Reformation Sunday that would reflect the insights they have gained in this discussion (or invite them to evaluate current observances in light of the session). CLOSE the Session Next Week in Write Your Own Theses FaithLink Encourage participants to write one or two original theses identifying a concern they have about church or society today. Have them tape their theses ISIS to your classroom’s door. Incorporate these concerns into your closing prayer. Many are deeply troubled by the horrific violence demonstrated by Pray Together ISIS. What is ISIS? What issues are Lord Jesus Christ, reform us, reshape us as your faithful followers. at stake as we seek ways to address Strengthen us, in your Spirit, to hear and speak your Word with boldness their actions? How does our faith and to serve our neighbors with compassion. May the world see our good help us sort through these issues? works and give glory not to us but to God, your Father and ours, in heaven. And in your mercy, bring us in the end to where you are, as you have promised. Amen. Copyright © 2014 by Cokesbury. 6