Awesome Reformation Party!!

Today, Satuday Nov 3, was our church's annual Reformation Party. We had a blast! The kids played Rescue the Nuns and Throw out the Relics. Adults played win, lose and draw Reformation Edition. And Rachel and I sang a neat song about Martin Luther that we found whilst googling reformation party activities.


A Martin Luther Reformation Song
To the tune of “Super-cala-fragil-istic-ex-pi-ala-docious”

Verse 1:
When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian! Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation -Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Verse 2:
They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor."Are these your books? Do you recant?" King Charles did demand,"I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!" Oh...

Repeat Chorus

Verse 3:
Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,By knighting "George" as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.Use Brother Martin's model if the languages you seek,Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh...

Repeat Chorus

So sing it and have a hoot!

We'll post some pics of the party after we get our act together.

What the Reformation is Working Out Today

Introduction: Review of the Outworking

My thesis over the past posts on this topic has been: the spirit of the Reformation is never done. Luther began a discussion that he did not finish. He called into question the authority of tradition over that of Scripture. When tradition taught that one was justified before God through a rigorous process of mortifying the flesh, he read the Scriptures which taught that one is justified by the grace of God. The verse that became the driving force for his departure from the Roman Church was Romans 1:16-17

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.”

He could not get out of his head this notion that God offers us His righteousness for the purpose of our salvation. So this took him and the other Reformers on a path to seeking truth and practice from the Scriptures rather than from status quo.

As I have said before, Luther and his contemporaries did all they could in their day. But in the finitude, they unknowingly held onto many of the practices and teachings of their old culture: Rome. The one concept that Luther began which I would like us to consider is “the Priesthood of All Saints.”


The Priesthood of All Saints

Martin Luther was a professor of theology, Augustinian monk, and priest in the Roman Church before October 31, 1517. As a priest, he interceded for the people before God and brought God’s counsel to the people. The concept of priesthood is central to the Old Testament structure of faith and rightly so, since it was God’s revealed methodology for interaction between God and man in that period of time. The question we need to ask ourselves is: has Christ changed anything in the interaction between God and man?

We need to read Hebrews to gain understanding into the divergence Christianity took from OT Judaism. The book begins with this saying “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Hebrews 1:1). He then tells us in chapter four, “since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). In the OT era, only the high priest had access to the “throne of grace” which was ontop the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies. Now we all are called to draw before it BOLDLY. The high priest once a year would draw near with trepidation since they always knew if they did “it” wrong, God might kill them like He did with Nadab and Abihu. Now we all are called to approach boldly. We all have access into God’s presence in that spiritual and mystical sense. Peter tells us that we Christians are “a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Luther picked up on these distinctions between Roman practice and Scriptural admonition. He told his fledgling movement that they all were priests to God, representing Him to the world. But I think where he and the Reformers failed to apply this teaching, today’s Church is beginning to enact all the nuances of the doctrine of the Priesthood of All Saints. Whether you embrace the charismatic movement or not, I think we can all agree that they have brought the Protestant Church (for that matter, Roman Church) far in its understanding of spiritual gifts and the deployment of said gifts. They have forced us all to reread Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4, asking the all-important question “what does it mean and what does it look like to practice this?” We can agree or disagree on revelatory and sign gifts, but on the whole, charismatics have forced non-charismatics to read the text. For this, we must praise them.


The Priesthood of All Saints and the Role of Vocational Pastor

I have been asking myself since my ordination back in April (2007), “what sets an ordained pastor apart from volunteer lay ministry leaders?” Traditionally speaking, I am in good company. Biblically speaking, there is not a lot of evidence for (or against) vocational ministers. Read my Biblical Relationship of Elders, Pastors, and Deacons here.

Within the Bible Fellowship Church conference, we see leadership as coming from a group called elders. All pastors are on the board of elders (but the lay elders select which pastors are voting members of the board). So the lay and vocational elders eld the local church. How does and elder eld? What does it mean to eld. Eld isn’t a verb, but I think you understand what I am driving at. How does a pastor differ than any lay elder? Traditionally, a pastor has more real or perceived clout than does a lay elder. But Biblically? Nothing…. Does the Pastor shepherd the church, does the elder board shepherd the church? Let’s look at the word shepherd in the NT. Only twice is the word used in reference to someone other than Christ in the NT. Once in Acts 20 and once in 1 Peter 5.

Acts 20:17-18, 28
“From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, … ‘Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.’”

1 Peter 5:1-4
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

Notice who it is that shepherds God’s Church? The elder. The title of the office in both instances is “Elder” and the tasks in both are “shepherd” and “overseer.” Consequently, the English word “pastor” only shows up once in the Bible and it is in Ephesians 4:11 and in Greek, it is the noun form of the verb in Acts 20 and 1 Peter 5 “to shepherd.”


So What?!?!

If Luther was right in saying that Priesthood is a position for all saints than let me word it in modern lingo: “If you are a Christian, you are a minister.” I hate being called Reverend, Minister, and the like. Only God is to revered, all Christians are ministers. Call me a pastor if you need to call me anything (just don’t call me late to supper). Discover how God has wired you to serve His kingdom and get busy! What is the unique role of the pastor? We are gifted to equip you for your work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). But you, me, all Christians are busy in the harvest field, or at least should be.

Let me close with Jesus words on the harvest. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).

The Story of the Anabaptists

Introduction

We're continuing to tell the story of the outworking of the Reformation. Today, I'd like to tell how God guided His Church to the truth of baptism.

Luther, Where We Left Off...

Again, Luther opened Pandora's Box, so to speak. He asked uncomfortable question: do we put our trust in the Church or the Scripture when the two diverge? He started at square-one with the core of Christian faith: justification by grace through faith. But he didn't ask the question in all matters and was instead comfortable in his cultural view of baptism. Examining Scripture makes it pretty clear that baptism is a visible sign of the inward work of God's removing our sin and cleansing us from it's guilt. (Pedobaptists, I get your view, I hear you, you're wrong, but whatever...)

Who are the Anabaptists?

The story I want to tell is of a group right after the Reformation got going who took an unpopular position, but God used them greatly and His Church today is forever changed for the better because of their commitment to the Scriptures. I want you to hear the story of the Anabaptists. The prefix "ana" means again in Greek (and it can mean from on high). So in John 3:3, Jesus says you must be born again (or from above). These first generation anabaptists were born as Catholics as were all first generation Reformers. They were baptized as infants by their parents in the Catholic Church. When they read the Scriptures and saw that believers should be baptized and not all people, they began to baptize each other. So they were baptized again (first at birth as Catholics, then at conversion as Anabaptists). They didn't believe in being baptized twice, but they couldn't undo what their parents had done. They were convicted in their study of the Scriptures that only believers ought to be baptized into Jesus' Church.

The Church in Europe had been Reforming from 1517 until 1525 and it really took hold in central Europe. Switzerland was a hotbed for Biblical study and practice. In Zurich especially, Ulrich Zwingli transformed the town into a theological center. Some of his followers began taking unpopular positions on theological matters. Grebel, one of Zwingli's followers was much more extreme than the moderating Zwingli. History tells us that both men disdained Mass, but when the town council insisted in 1523 that it be practiced, Zwingli obliged, while Grebel left. Wikipedia says "These young 'radicals' felt betrayed by Zwingli, while Zwingli looked on them as irresponsible." Men like Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, et al began the Anabaptist movement on January 21, 1525 when Grebel baptized Blaurock in Zurich, Switzerland. Only later, in 1536, did Catholic monks, like Menno Simons join the movement.

The Reaction Against the Anabaptists

Nearly immediately, they were hunted down, ridiculed, tortured, and killed. Felix Manz became the first martyr on May 20, 1527 when Catholics arrested and drowned him. But it was their conviction that what they were doing was Biblical that kept them from disowning the faith. Ironically, it was other churches that hunted them down. Granted, these other churches thought that the Anabaptists (who would not baptized the babies born within the Anabaptist Church) were damning their children to hell.

Anabaptists Today

This movement has continued to this day. Most likely, if you are reading this blog, you are part of this movement. Who are the Anabaptists today (at least on the question of baptism)? Mennonites, Brethren, Quakers, Baptists, Bible Churches, Amish, and mostly all of the Evangelical Church are all members of the Anabaptist movement.

Wrap-Up

Why was the Anabaptist movement born? Because Luther had asked the question one decade earlier: do I trust in the Bible or the Church when the two diverge?

The Outworking of the Reformation

Introduction

Since it is Reformation Month, culminating on the last day of October when we remember Martin Luther, a Augustinian monk and Professor of Theology at Wittenburg University, I wanted to spend some time together thinking about the outworking of the Reformation. In other words, my belief is that this select generation (mid 1500's) pushed the Church in a direction that is beyond what they intended BUT was what the Spirit of God intended.


Luther's reFormational Principle

Here is the reasoning. When Martin began reading the Bible and found inconsistencies between the doctrine in the Word and the doctrine in the Church. His position was that we must believe the Scripture rather than the Councils and Traditions. It is ironic, however, that he still read many of the Scriptures with his Catholic glasses. For example, he didn't for the longest time seek marriage though he encouraged many of his former monks and nuns to marry. Finally, however, he did wed. Another example would be his view of the sacraments. Both the Eucharist (communion) and baptism were imported from Catholicism with some minor alterations in the Eucharist (and he still called it that).


Application of the Principle

So now for some application of this principle: the reformation began as a principle that continues to this day and into the future. Luther started at square-one and proceeded from there. What happens in all our lives is that there is some guiding principle, some formative philosophy that drives us to alter our behavior. The principle applies to all of life, but we are only able to work on some of the things that need reforming. Luther started with what he felt was central: the mode of justification. But his starting culture, namely the Roman Church, still held sway over his comfort zone for other issues like baptism of infants.


Comfort Zones Hold Us Back

He was so comfortable within the Roman view of baptism that I don't think he saw it as inconsistent to hold justification by faith and baptize the unjustified. But the generations after were able to continue where the preceding generation left off, constantly, slowly, reforming the Church to a more Biblically shaped one. Again, when we start with the question "what does the Bible say?" it is much different than the question "what has been done?" or the question "what is nice or meaningful to do?"


For Us

So, what is unBiblical about our generation's Church? What is in need of reforming? What in your walk with the Lord is in need of reforming? It began in 1517 with some rumblings before it. But the aftershocks will never stop.