Friday, November 09, 2007

Why Celebrate?

Some people celebrate Reformation Day. I don't.

I think it is a day for mourning and being depressed. The whole thing is quite sad.

It's sad that the Roman Catholic Church, or "Western Church", if you will, could not accept we are saved by God's grace alone through faith alone, and that faith being a work of God and not of man.

And for those who are now separated from the Roman Catholic Church, was this really a good thing?

When one looks at what has happened to "the Protestant world" since then, it should make one cry.

It has become every man for himself, in a way, just like the Romans said it would be.

We have the Lutheran Confessions, but since everyone else also has the scriptures now, it can all be twisted around. And it has been.

Witness all the Protestant factions, cults, TV ministers, church growthers, and liberalism that has, I dare say, resulted directly from the Reformation.

Now, I am thankful that we don't live in a world under the rule of a ruthless and maniacal pope. But sometimes when I look at what has happened to Christianity since the Reformation, it makes me feel bad.

So forgive me for not thinking it a day to celebrate.

7 comments:

  1. As a newer confessional lutheran, I have to admit that I find the whole service kind of weird. I mean, I am 100% for everything we do in the service, but strung all together it feels like one long and weird ode to Martin Luther. I've never admitted this before. Will I be kicked out of the club now?

    I should do a point by point critique of the service, as long as everyone promises NOT to show our pastors!

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  2. TK!

    Thank God someone else said it. I've been thinking this for a long time, also.

    Yes, this whole "Luther thing" in the service that day makes me shudder. And there is a reason for it- something is not right with it.

    Please, please, oh please, do a critique of Sunday's service! And have it posted by Monday, if you will.

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  3. Reformation as we Lutherans understand it is not a bad or sad thing. So I reject the premise that we should not celebrate.

    However... the focus shouldn't be about Martin Luther. It should be about Christ.

    This reflects the heart of the problem we have with deviant liturgies, whether we call them contemorary or folk services (or soemthing else), the problom is when it becomes about something other than Christ. That Devil, he is a sneaky fellow.

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  4. Spellcheck, then post... sorry.

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