On the Way to Wonder

Tomorrow, October 31 is the second largest commercial holiday in the United States, second only to Christmas.  Where did this holiday originate?           The Celts perhaps 2000 years before Christ, celebrated Samhain on November 1 as their New Year’s day, end of harvest, and beginning of the dark time of the year.  It was considered a “thin place” or time when the boundary between the seen and unseen could be crossed.  The ghosts of dead people could visit the living.  Large bonfires were built and sacrifices offered to appease these spirits.  By 43 CE Romans had overtaken the British Isles but they too had celebrations that became incorporated with the Samhain celebration of the Celts.  Pomona, of the Romans, celebrated the passing of the dead.   The symbol of the goddess Pomona was the apple (bobbing for apples?). Those two celebrations combined. In 609 CE Pope Boneface IV declared May 19 as the day for the celebration of the lives of martyrs.  This date was moved to November 1.  By the 9^th century All Saints Days was firmly established as November 1.  The “eve of All Saints Day” or Halloween was October 31.  Costumes were worn in these celebrations to hide from the spirits of the dead who were believed to roam around seeking “treats” or threatening “tricks.”

         On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the Wittenberg church door calling for public debate.   He opposed the belief that the dead could return to life and seek help in their after life.  He opposed indulgences as acts of good deeds to help the dead spend fewer years in purgatory.  He opposed the authority of the Pope in selling indulgences.  We looked this week at “Grace alone.”  We are saved by God’s grace because he is good not because we become good.  “Faith alone” is our avenue of relating to God directly and not having to go through in-between places or saints.  “Word alone,” scripture, is the ultimate authority and not councils and traditions that have contradicted each other.  And ultimately “Christ alone” for salvation as there is no other name whereby we must be saved.   The newly invented printing press spread Luther’s challenges and so the Protestant Reformation is dated to October 31, 1517.

         As Christians we do not believe we need to wear costumes to hide from evil.  We do not believe deceased ancestors return to play tricks on us.  We do believe evil was defeated on the cross.  And we certainly believe in welcoming the children in our neighborhood and getting to know people.  We need not fear for we know Christ is alive and that is not a trick.  It is a treat!  Blessings.

In Athens (Acts 17:16-34), Apostle Paul met with the Epicureans (people who lived by their pleasures – eat, drink and make merry for tomorrow we die ) and the Stoics (people who rely heavily on logic).  These men took Paul to their center and wanted to hear his religious views.  Paul noted that there were many gods and idols is their town, even one to the “unknown god.”  Today we too have many gods, things we trust and in many ways worship – education/intelligence in all its forms and pleasure.  We want our lives to be fulfilled and lived to its potential – for all.  We call it equality and the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  The problem is that life is not fair.  We have the rich and we have the poor.  The other problem is that there is the “unknown God,” the creator who made everything.  We cannot see this being but we suspect from life that the being exists.  Jesus Christ came claiming to be the embodiment of that God, revealing that God to us.

         In Luther’s time, it was believed that there was a kind of spiritual hierarchy.  The saints, because of their religious lives had more merit than the ordinary person and so if prayed to could intercede for a beloved departed.  I have heard it explained that even as I ask a friend to pray for me, if saints are alive in heaven, I can ask them to intercede for me also. It kinda makes sense for prayer but not for salvation, The saints died but it is only Christ who walked through death who demonstrated real power in all areas of life and death.  Protestants only recognize Christ’s death on the cross as salvatory.  “There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)”

         Luther confronted this hierarchy of values.  He believed we, like the thief on the cross, had direct access to God and we did not need to go through a saint.  Nor did he believe the Pope received special messages from God.  This was revolutionary.  Christ alone reveals the real nature of a God who walks with us, understand us, and has the power to walk us through death to new life.  In Star Wars the good guys bless each other by saying, “The Force be with you!”  Christians say, “The Lord bless you!”

         Let us finish this week with one more acronym:

         C __________________________________

         H __________________________________

         R __________________________________

         I ___________________________________

         S __________________________________

         T ___________________________________

We are gifted, graced, not because we are good but because God is good.  Grace alone.  We unwrap that gift through faith as we trust and accept the grace offered.  It is not our works but our faith in Christ that is critical.  Faith alone.  How do we know this?  We as mere mortals are limited by our humanity, our understanding of history and eternal principles.  We have heard about grace and experienced changes through faith, but if we look up the list of churches, synagogues and mosques in our town we will know that the “voices of authority” are many and confusing.

         In Luther’s time the Pope was the ultimate authority but he lived in a different country, spoke a different language and sometimes agreed and sometimes disagreed with the Popes who went before him.  In Luther’s famous trial at the Diet of Worms when he was asked to recant and reject his writings and questioning of the religious system, he is famously quoted as saying

         “Since your most serene majesty and your high mightinesses require of me a simple, clear and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is as clear as noonday that they have fallen into error and even into glaring inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced  by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God’s word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise; God help me! Amen.”

         Luther believed in putting the Word of God into the hands of the ordinary people and so translated the Bible into German.  He started confirmation classes for children and maintained that traditions and councils must base arguments on Scripture.  Suddenly the individual was empowered to read scripture and have direct access to God.  It is true that many flavors of Christianity have arisen from this freedom.  Not all Protestants agree on scripture interpretations but they do agree on the authority of scripture.

         2 Timothy 3:16 assures us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may bethoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Our acrostic today focuses on how scripture has us find our way.

         W ______________________________

         O _______________________________

         R _______________________________

         D _______________________________

Blessings.  Enjoy “God”s Word” by Amy Grant.

So how does belief become faith?  I may believe that someone is the President of the United States, but that does not mean I have faith in all the proposed policies debated over news broadcasts each evening.  Believing is not having faith.  Ephesians 2:8 shares, “By grace we are saved through faith..”  In Luther’s day indulgences were a big thing.  Indulgences were pieces of paper sold by roving priests like Tetzel that, if bought, guaranteed the forgiveness of a certain number of years in Purgatory.

         “The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a          “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of      heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and          friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031).”

Luther challenged this belief, creating a rift between Catholicism and Protestantism.  Both believe in Christ, have similar Bibles, and actually have much in common.  Faith alone says that it is not because of an amount of my faith or because of my purification that I can draw near to God but because of trusting in Christ’s work on the cross, that we are saved.  Faith alone is all that is needed to be in relationship with God.  There does not need to be further purification.  We are saint and sinner.

         A Biblical story that exemplifies the Protestant’s stand is the two thieves on the cross, Luke 23: 39-42.  Both men believed Jesus was on the cross.  Both seemed to believe that Jesus was a good guy.  Neither had access to theological training and they appeared to be ordinary people.  As the one thief  is dying, he turns to Jesus and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  There is no big theological understanding but he pleads for mercy and to be where ever Jesus is going to be.   Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Faith puts one’s life where one’s beliefs are.  I can agree that it is a chair but when I sit on it, I exhibit faith that it will hold me.  I can believe Jesus is a great person but when I trust him to guide my life and future, that’s faith.

         Many of us struggle with guilt over pass failures and in many subtle ways try to deserve God’s grace.  On the other hand, we may cast a critical glance at another and silently judge that their actions make them unworthy of God’s love.  It is not our actions but Christ’s actions that is important.  Faith alone is the means of receiving grace – salvation. 

         Today spend a moment forming an acrostic from faith.

         F ________________________________

         A ________________________________

         I ________________________________

         T _______________________________

         H _______________________________

Blessings as you trust in that relationship.

We all know how life works.  The student who gets all the right answers, gets the most rewards.  The best looking young woman becomes Miss …..  The person with money for sure must have the easiest life.  We believe that.  In the Middle Ages there was a hierarchy of value also.  God is at the top, then angels, then people but more specifically men and then women, then living creatures, then living plants and at the bottom of the list was the rock or inanimate objects.  We struggle with this hierarchy of value even today.  We see it in our battles with racism, with pay inequalities, and other more subtle prejudices like dealing with people with disabilities or poverty.  The subtle message is that we get what we deserve.

         “By grace we are saved…” starts out Ephesians 2:8-10.  The “grace” of Christianity directly confronts the hierarchies of life.  We say “the ground is level at the foot of the cross;” meaning we are all sinners and no one is more deserving than any other to receive the goodies of life or eternity. 

         The all time favorite hymn “Amazing Grace” was penned by John Newton in 1772.  Newton was born of a Catholic trained shipping father and a nonconformist mother.  At a young age he was orphaned and raised by his mother’s friends.  Newton had many near death experiences but it was not until the middle of a violent storm at sea that he turned to faith.  He is famous for having been involved in slave trade though is thought to have treated his slaves well as he believed that was the Biblical directive that justified ownership.  Later in life, under the influence of Wilberforce, Newton fought against slavery.

         Newton understood that there was nothing “good” or deserving about his life that merited salvation for himself.  He saw himself a “wretch”, “lost,” and “blind.”  By grace he was saved, God reached out to him.  He did not crawl up to God, earning favor, by doing acts of faith or giving large gifts or doing great deeds.  He knew he was saved by grace alone, “sola gratia.”  We sometimes make grace into an acronym: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expensive.  Perhaps you can think of other words that go with grace to describe the miracle of salvation:

         G ____________________

         A ____________________

         C ____________________

         E ____________________

And so we say, “thank you!”  Blessings.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, It is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)”

         When I think of the Reformation and Martin Luther, I think of this Bible verse.  The reformation that we officially say started Oct. 31, 1517 when Luther nailed 95 theses or statements to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, started a process where theologians and ordinary people began to articulate the premises, the foundations, of their faith.  Four or five “solae (only)” became central to the understanding of Protestantism and how it varied from Catholicism.  I want to look at these “Solae” this week and to reflect on the core of our faith.

         Before we delve into these foundation beliefs, it  might do us well to think about what is foundational as we think about our faith.  Is there something about my faith that I would be willing to die for?  Our military people are willing to put their lives on the line for the freedoms we cherish dearly as written in the Declaration of Independence: all should have the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  The spiritual revolution of the 1500s we call the Reformation said all people have the rights of: scripture, faith, grace, and Christ.  These led to an individualism and belief in the value of each person regardless of race, creed, or intelligence. We cherish our rights to become, to think for ourselves, and to thrive.  Many of our social tensions right now are wrapped up in how we understand these rights and how we balance the needs of the many with the rights of the individual.

         So take a moment and write down one freedom that you value and then the implications that come from that value for your life and the choices you make.  Spend a moment to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for that freedom.  Which “sola” would you trace that freedom to: Scripture, grace, faith or Christ?  Blessings.

This week we focused on the famous Reformation hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” written by Martin Luther around 1529.  On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, 95 theses or complaints.  It was a way for calling for a public forum to discuss these issues.  The printing press was newly invented and so these 95 statements went to press.  Catholicism was the dominant Christian version of faith and to question the Pope was radical.  These statements crystalized into four basic “alone” statements that came to symbolize the Protestant Reformation.

• Faith alone (no need to buy indulgences)
• Christ alone (no need to go through the saints to God)
• Word alone  (Scripture over tradition for truth)
• Grace alone (salvation is gift, not earned)

We will look at these four pillars of Protestantism next week and ponder how they strengthen our faith walk.

         Spend a few minutes today reflecting on these four points – the role of faith, the role of Christ, the role of Scripture, and the importance of grace.  Then listen to a Mighty Fortress. 

         Luther went on to translate the Bible into German, the people’s language in his area and we are recipients of that movement.  Many of us are gifted to be able to read the Word in our mother tongue.  We have much to be thankful for as we head into this next week.  Perhaps you could name now one thing for each of the four areas.  I love my confirmation verse Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Thank you Lord for that Scripture! Do you have a favorite scripture verse, a favorite faith memory, a memory of grace unexpected and what is one word you would use to describe who Christ is to you?  Blessings.

Psalm 31: 19-24

“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”

19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.

22 In my alarm I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight!’ Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!  The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

In the second stanza of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, Martin Luther laments that life would be a disaster if we were left to our own resources as there is an “ancient foe who seeks to work us woe.”  The legions of evil would defeat people for “on earth is not his equal.”  David in Psalm 31 equally felt that he was cut off from God by the evil that confronted him as he ran from King Saul.  David realizes that God has prepared good for his followers though.  God hides us, preserves and keeps us safe as God is our refuge and our fortress in times of trouble.  David does not say we will not have trouble but during those times when we feel cut off from God by our problems, we can “be strong and take heart” and hope in the Lord, not the powers of this world.

     Perhaps we feel cut off from God by our troubles.  Often we feel that way.  That is a lie.  God is preparing good things.  He is present and it is he who keeps us safe, not our money, our talents, or our government.  So what does safety

• Look like ?______________________________
• Feel like? ______________________________
• Smell like? ____________________________
• Sound like ? ____________________________
• And taste like? __________________________

Thank the Lord for each of these sensations that remind you are secure!

2.  Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be loosing

were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing. 

You ask who that may be? 

Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name,

from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.”

As we approach Oct. 31, we are focusing on this great Reformation hymn written by Martin Luther.  We’ve looked at Psalm 46 which inspired the hymn but Psalm 31 carries a similar fortress theme.  It is a psalm of King David.

         1. “In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame;  deliver me in your righteousness.

         2. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

         3. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

         4. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

         5. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.”

The word “refuge” is written three times and “fortress” twice.  In Swahili the word for refugee is “mkimbizi” or a person who has been forced to run.  Certainly refugees are people “running from” evil and “running to” safety.  Maybe I am not a political refugee but this psalm understands some of the things I run from.  I run from shame (v.1)  I run from deaf ears that do not hear me, from loss of voice (v.2)  I run from chaos and aimlessness (v.3).  I may be running from social or financial traps (v.4).  And I run to the hands of God who is faithful (v.5).

         The second stanza of “A Mighty Fortress” focuses on our helplessness in many of our life’s problems.  Perhaps we call it “control issues” because we feel like we are in control so little.  We are hounded to buy insurance for all sorts of things that are going to catch us.  But Luther reminds us that we cannot depend on our own strength but must run from self to “the Man of God’s own choosing,” Christ Jesus.

         So of the conditions that plague people – shame, invisibility, confusion or lack of direction, and feeling trapped – what might you be seeking refuge from today?  We can run to Jesus who does not change and who is a rock to stand on, a refuge to hide in.  Thank you, Lord.