Happy Anniversary Reformation! 500 Years and Counting!
In October of 2017 we will reach the 500 th anniversary of the event that began the series of events that led to the Reformation: Martin Luther’s nailing the 95 Theses for debate on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Saxony. Lutherans of all varieties will be taking the opportunity this year to remember this day and celebrate the Reformation. But I think there are some things we all should keep in mind. First – The nailing event was only the first of a series of events that led to a permanent break between various German churches and Rome. This was not Luther’s intent. He did not set out to create a new church, he only wanted to call attention to what he felt were abuses and he hoped that the leadership would address these. Was he cynical or naïve in this expectation? It is a good question. Power had corrupted the Roman church of the late Middle Ages so much that there would have been no realistic possibility that the church would have reformed itself,