Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, that day back in 1517 when Martin Luther stomped up to the Wittenberg church door and nailed up his 95 Theses. It’s a big day for us; used to be, at any rate. I don’t suppose Roman Catholics pay much attention to it, but then I wouldn’t expect them to, considering things.
My friend and Catholic priest (one can be both) Jay Scott Newman lectured in October 2002 during a Lutheran conference on Christian sexuality held at my Kansas City congregation. He was then serving Divine Redeemer in North Charleston, South Carolina, where my in-laws are parishioners. They introduced us; that’s how we got to know one another. Since the conference ended on a Saturday, I suggested he stay over and preach that Sunday. He readily agreed. That’s when I told him, by the way it’s Reformation Sunday. He muttered something I didn’t quite catch; whatever it was I’m certain it was entirely appropriate to the provocation. But, yes, he’d still do it.
I was glad, overjoyed in fact. Not only is Newman a very good preacher but it isn’t easy anymore preaching a Reformation Day sermon that touts the triumph of Lutheran reason over Roman superstition, mired in the swamp of indulgences and the like.
When I was a new pastor in 1980 I recall a much older pastor speaking wistfully of the good old days. That was when a Reformation Day preacher could trash the pope, condemn work’s righteousness, pity those poor guys with their pathetic statues, and then easily move on over to the glory of Luther’s rediscovery of salvation-by-grace-through-faith-in-Christ-apart-from-works-of-the-Law.
We could all go home feeling very good about being Lutheran. When we heard the parable about the Pharisee and tax collector praying in the Temple, well, let’s just say with all the fiery Reformation Day sermons ringing in our ears we were pretty sure who was who in that scheme of things. We never got quite as low as a Jack Chick tract, but I do recall a certain smugness that went along with being Lutheran. My pastor friend, he just didn’t know what to preach anymore.
Neither do I. Nowadays, the pope just isn’t quite the antichrist he once was. Lutherans are in an identity crisis over the whore of Babylon. There are probably a few holdouts among conservative Lutheran churches, but for the rest of us Reformation Day isn’t nearly as much fun as in days gone by.
So, you bet, back to 2002, if I could get out of preaching a Reformation Day sermon I had no reluctance in suckering Newman into doing the job for me. He manned up and preached without notes. I cannot recall a word he actually spoke. But I remember the effect of his sermon, and it left many of us chastened. He made the reality and pain of separation and division real, visibly and painfully real when he could not receive the Eucharist from our altar.
The last time I attended a mass in his North Charleston parish before he took up other duties, at the conclusion of distribution before the post-communion prayer he left the chancel and came to my pew. I stood and we embraced. That was all. But it was quite a lot as I remember it.
There was a period in recent Lutheran history following Vatican II when, for a small moment, some of us believed Lutherans and Roman Catholics would, could, heal the breach of the sixteenth century. There was a confessional revival of sorts as we scoured our Book of Concord for its Catholic sources. But the moment passed and, I think, will not come again. Some Lutherans opted for Biblicism and others decided to join the big-time Protestant mainline, what is left of it anyway. If there ever is to be another Reformation by Lutherans, returning Lutherans to their catholic if not Catholic roots, likely it must begin elsewhere than among the ruins we have made of Wittenberg.
October 31st, 2010 | 12:05 am
Thanks for this post..
October 31st, 2010 | 5:36 am
I don’t even remember there being a Reformation Sunday in my Lutheran Church growing up. However, I remember that we were friends with all at church. Only in my adult years, on the mission field, have I learned to appreciate the courage of Luther, and the honor he gave Jesus Christ, over the papacy of his time. There is nothing that can replace a fervent love for the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, and not of works, which is the still held tenant of the Roman Catholic church. Praise God for deliverance from such a heretical teaching of indulgances, works, and the Scriptures being only read by the clergy, and not by the common laity around the world. Today, a Catholic would firmly defend the right of laity to read the Bible each family for them selves and in their own native language. If there shall be any Catholics in heaven, they are welcome at my table, for they will have abandoned works salvation, and have come to Christ as we all must — by faith alone, and according to the Scriptures, rather than by ceremony or by the vane philosophies of the world.
October 31st, 2010 | 8:45 am
[...] a big day for us; used to be, at any rate. I don’t suppose Roman Catholics pay much Read more October 31st, 2010 | Category: [...]
October 31st, 2010 | 8:47 am
[...] a big day for us; used to be, at any rate. I don’t suppose Roman Catholics pay much Read more Share and [...]
October 31st, 2010 | 9:27 am
Genuine, confessing, orthodox historic Lutheranism has been forgotten, neglected, overlooked, taken for granted, assumed, yet denies, but….
It is not dead. It is living.
Why do you look for the living among the dead?
Happy Reformation Day!
October 31st, 2010 | 12:26 pm
From time to time I have had reason to speak with members of various Christian/non Catholic Churches, and there are many, about the role of the Bible as the central organizing premise of our common Christianity. Things usually go well for awhile even when we touch on some of the historical reasons for why things are the way they are between us. Everything seems to go south when I ask whether Jesus Christ came to earth to form a Church or to write a Book. The downward trend continues when I ask who decided what would be in the Book. Understand, at no time do I suggest that the Bible is not central to our Faith only that the Bible was never meant to be the singular source for understanding what our Faith demands. This truth is at least partly demonstrated by the internal stuggles that have embroiled the Lutheran Church for some years now. Even you guys have split, if not completely, over this very same issue. What went on in the Catholic Church before and during the reformation was an affront to the faith handed down and so it is with you. Unity in faith is our Lords desire and with us all claiming to want to do the lords will unity should be our first priority. It would be nic e if we could find a way to unite in name and then work out the details later. I mean if we can’t agree within our own churches and yet we remain let’s agree to not agree in a unified Church and do the same.
October 31st, 2010 | 4:44 pm
“I don’t suppose Roman Catholics pay much attention to it, but then I wouldn’t expect them to, considering things.”
LOL, we have our kids dress up as Maritn Luther for Halloween … scarier than any zombie
October 31st, 2010 | 6:10 pm
“There was a period in recent Lutheran history following Vatican II when, for a small moment, some of us believed Lutherans and Roman Catholics would, could, heal the breach of the sixteenth century. There was a confessional revival of sorts as we scoured our Book of Concord for its Catholic sources. But the moment passed and, I think, will not come again. Some Lutherans opted for Biblicism and others…”
Tell me please, what is “Biblicism” in this context? Why is it an obstacle to healing the breach? From what I see, there is great respect for the Bible and the saints who wrote it, in Roman Catholicism. Perhaps there are assumptions lurking in our thought that are unnecessary, fruits of our pessimism. You wrote with a sense of the flow of history, Who guides history?
Apostolicly yours,
October 31st, 2010 | 7:55 pm
Thanks to Martin Luder, we no longer kowtow to the pope in Rome. We now have 350 million infallible interpreters of scripture and the Apostolic Tradition.
October 31st, 2010 | 10:09 pm
I greatly appreciated Rev. Saltzman’s irenic article. I grieve over some of the comments. Triumphalism, whether on the Lutheran side, as exemplified by Mr. Lindner’s arrogant and anhistorical response, or uglynose’s comment on the other side does not help Christians achieve the unity prayed for by Our Lord in St. John’s Gospel (chapter 17).
October 31st, 2010 | 11:59 pm
If we need to identify ourselves in terms of what we are not, then we have an impoverished sense of identity. If we feel the need to demonize the other, and continue to state what the other is or believes, rather than attempting to clarify what it is that we believe in, then I believe that our faith is indeed weak.
Take a look at the last five hundred years. Protestants saying they are not Catholics-even by their name, and Catholics so often caught in polemics showing how they differ from Protestants. Is it not far more like kids yelling at each other saying my x is better than your y?
As a Catholic I have a real soft spot for Martin Luther. It began when a boy, loving A Mighty Fortress, and wondering why at the time of Pre Vatican II, we could not sing it at church. Of course I do not agree with all his positions, but I also believe he could get caught up with a certain polemic in his rhetoric as did his great saint Paul.
I wonder what Martin would say today? I believe he would be in fire, but where would it be directed? He loved Jesus Christ. We Catholics believe in Eccleisa semper Reformanda [the Church always reforming]. I once heard it said that five hundred years ago: actually 493 years ago today, Luther focused the attention of the Church on Galatians and Romans; today, it seems that we are more and more focusing on Colossians and Ephesians. Still the same Paul [despite some scholarly question of authorship].
How best can we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How can we be witnesses of that Gospel in a secularized West and a world of many religions? Are we not called to communion?
On this Reformation Day, 2010, we Catholics pause with our Protestant Brothers and Sisters and confess that the sins of the members of the whole Church has brought us to this situation. We believe the Gospel of Christ that “it is through grace that we have been saved”. Let us pray for each other that we might find our way back to each other in Christ Jesus.
November 1st, 2010 | 12:12 am
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November 1st, 2010 | 1:30 am
I’m confused. What is Faith, if not a certain form of human “work”? Faith, if it be real, is an act of the will, a human act, a work in all but the physics sense — force applied over a distance. In addition, if this orientation of the will does not result in certain (virtuous) outward actions, also directed by that same will, and preclude certain other (evil) outward actions, how could you believe that a faith directing the will was authentic?
I’m also confused about something else. I can’t recall at any time believing from my catechism lessons as a kid, all the way through the present Catechism of the Catholic Church, that the Catholic Church holds that salvation is achieved by works, or ceremonies, or statues, or anything of that sort. Salvation, rather (and not being a theologian, my words may lack the needed precision) has been won by the saving act of Jesus Christ, and is proffered, as an invitation of sorts, to all. BUT–while we can’t achieve salvation by our works we most certainly can decline the invitation by our works! That is a truth which has always been taught by the Christian church, and I do not believe that any reasonable person would deny it.
As for celebrating Reformation Day, it seems to me that’s tantamount to celebrating the continuing open wound we have, collectively, made in the Body of Christ. Or celebrating the collective flouting of the prayer of Jesus for unity. Seems to me almost blasphemous to celebrate such a thing, and if this celebration has lost much of its earlier mojo, that may in itself be a promising sign!
Yes, we must instead pray for unity, but it will not do to agree to unity now, and take care of the details later. I fear if we do, we would look a lot like the Anglican Church–de jure unified, de facto riven by many divisions. Such unity, as pointed out in John Paul II’s Ut Unum Sint (That All May Be One), would not be authentic and will not do. The unity must be unity in spirit and in truth.
November 1st, 2010 | 8:27 am
For the past several years someone has posted the 95 theses of Martin Luther on the front door of the basilica of the Sacred Heart on Reformation Sunday. Sure enough, this Sunday the sacristan showed me the copy which he had taken down while opening the front doors at 7:00 AM for the 8:00 AM Mass. Someone gets up pretty early in the morning to make a point and does so year after year.
November 1st, 2010 | 8:54 am
re. Rev. Paul McCain – it’s good to see you on here again. I miss your posts.
re. Joe DeVet – I hate to play the “indulgences” card, but there was a time where salvation was for sale. It was snake oil being sold, but it was for sale nonetheless. I think the Roman Catholic Church has come a long way toward a more enlightened view of salvation, and we owe Martin Luther a debt of thanks.
Having said that, I do think your inclusion of “faith” as an “act” is right on the money. As a habitual doubter and one whose natural inclination (which I attribute to original sin as it manifests itself in many of us) is pessimism and suspicion, I find that I have to work tremendously hard at having faith. Doubt, disbelief, and despair are easy. Belief forces my soul to battle the ingrained patterns of my doubting and disbelieving mind.
Side note – high school history class circa mid-1980s. We were studying the Reformation, and in our textbook was a picture of Martin Luther. One of my classmates was shocked: “I thought Martin Luther was black.” Most of us 13 or 14 year old Roman Catholics had never even heard of Martin Luther, but we all knew who Martin Luther King was.
November 1st, 2010 | 10:21 am
jm notes: “Most of us 13 or 14 year old Roman Catholics had never even heard of Martin Luther, but we all knew who Martin Luther King was.”
Most of us Lutheran pastors have the same the same problem come time to teach catechism and Lutheran history to middle schoolers.
November 1st, 2010 | 11:13 am
re. Joe DeVet The last third or so of James puts it so well. Faith that does not compel action is dead, and James make it clear that this type of faith is not the faith of Abraham.
November 1st, 2010 | 11:34 am
Russ: Good piece. My National Catholic Reporter column scheduled to post Wednesday, Nov. 3, at http://ncronline.org/blogs/a-small-c-catholic will suggest that, all things considered from my Presbyterian perspective, maybe the Protestant Reformation wasn’t so grand an idea.
November 1st, 2010 | 12:07 pm
Was it an idea, or was it simply the outcome of the collective actions of many people on both sides of the issue? If by “Reformation” you mean the division of the Church, I don’t think any of the “major characters” of the early 15th century had any idea of “having a Reformation.”
November 1st, 2010 | 2:59 pm
This is the truth that I know. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. I hope we can all agree to that.
November 1st, 2010 | 3:09 pm
“But I remember the effect of his sermon, and it left many of us chastened. He made the reality and pain of separation and division real, visibly and painfully real when he could not receive the Eucharist from our altar.”
That right there is the better effect of Reformation Day sermons. Instead of the politics that eventually overwhelmed the Reformation, the person with the original insight still preaches. Luther took God at his word. Sin separates and condemns. He also took God at his Word that God had appeared in Jesus to heal our separation. I don’t think any revival anywhere heals separations like we have. It requires more than we can do. Too much politics and piety in between the camps. But God will still appear and heal it. That eternal angel from Revelation still cries.
November 2nd, 2010 | 11:24 am
Meanwhile, back in Iraq –a part of the Dar al Islam— on Reformation Sunday, 58 Syrian Catholics are gunned down or blown to bits while at Mass by jihadis whose socio-political ideology (aka the “religion” of islam “submission”) teaches them that we Christians ALL are worshipping in dirty dens of idols. We kufirs (and our beloved dogs) are on the same list as feces, urine and blood in the teachings of Big Mo and his god, Allah.
Kind of tugs at your ecumenical heart strings, don’t it?! Debate faith and good works all you wish, but pass the ammunition.
November 2nd, 2010 | 2:05 pm
jm — thank you. But a technical point. Indulgences don’t do a damn thing for the damned. They can only help a particular group of the saved, those still undergoing purgation (a truth of the faith for a whole ‘nother discussion!) Granted, the selling of indulgences was corrupt and deserved to be rebuked, but it was not tantamount to “selling salvation.”
And appropos of this subject, Happy All Souls Day everyone!
November 2nd, 2010 | 7:07 pm
AvantiBev — Wow! A searing point! Thank you for injecting a little practicality into the “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin” discussion. Onward Christian Soldiers.
November 6th, 2010 | 11:36 am
“Nowadays, the pope just isn’t quite the antichrist he once was. Lutherans are in an identity crisis over the whore of Babylon.”
Well, yes. Regardless, our Mother may be a whore, but she is still our Mother.
November 7th, 2010 | 10:57 pm
Reformation Day was celebrated in our Presbyterian Church along with All Saints Day.
November 17th, 2010 | 12:05 pm
I’m confused. What is Faith, if not a certain form of human “work”?
If “faith” is used as an active verb, then it is indeed a human work. In the context that this active faith can produce results, I see no difference between that and superstition.
“I have faith in Jesus therefore I go to heaven” is superstition, not faith.
Faith in the Lutheran tradition is a passive verb. This is faith as opposed to science or philosophy, or reason or religion.
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