It’s perhaps time to put the Reformation Sunday tradition to rest.
Observing Reformation Sunday as a special day in the church year is spiritually dangerous. It probably always has been.
It used to be, although seldom is today, an opportunity to remonstrate Roman Catholicism for all its many failings, then congratulate ourselves for being of the line and lineage of that holy and blessed man, Martin Luther.
More recently, it seems to be an opportunity to romantically re-enact past glories, much like a Renaissance Fair and other festive finery. It is an exercise in nostalgia. And a chance to wear red, though this too is confusing, for red is the liturgical color for the Holy Spirit, and it’s hard to fathom how locking the Reformation in as the other day, other than Pentecost, to celebrate the Spirit is wise and good.
Reformation Sunday need not be an exercise in nostalgia, but its particular focus on just one moment in the long history of Christianity makes it suspect.
If we celebrated an entire year, 52 Sundays, with each Sunday celebrating a development in the history of the Christian faith, with the Reformation situated within that larger context, it might work.
As it stands, Reformation Sunday is the only Sunday of the entire church year that commemorates a moment in the history of Christianity rather than a moment in the narrative of Scripture itself. It is elevated and idealized precisely because it is so unique. This needs to stop.
The German view
I’m reminded of the three months I spent in Germany some years ago on a stipend from the Evangelische Kirche im Deutschland.
I had gone to study German and interview pastors and professors, asking this question, “What is your impression of the impact of the Reformation on the practice of the German church today?”
The most frequent response I received went something like this, “I’m not sure we really think about this anymore. So much has happened since then. I am more influenced by Schleiermacher, or Barth, or the pietist movement, or … .”
Somehow in the North American Lutheran church context we have elevated this Reformation Sunday thing above all reason.
My organist, Bob Mueller, recently pointed out to me that, where Johann Sebastian Bach wrote dozens of pieces for Pentecost and other festival days, he only got around to writing one piece of music for Reformation Sunday.
Yes, it was observed during his time. But Bach, one of our great Lutheran theologians (and the fifth evangelist) did not think it warranted much attention. Neither should we.
In fact, I think Reformation Sunday warrants none of our attention at all and should be removed from the church liturgical calendar, especially in this moment when we are so at risk of ghettoizing ourselves as Lutherans and falling back on past glories.
After all, our slogan is not “designate one Sunday every year as Reformation Sunday,” but rather “ecclesia semper reformanda est” (the church must always reform). But Luther didn’t say that. The Dutch did.
Clint Schnekloth is the pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation in Fayetteville, Ark.
You might also want to read:
Living in the midst of reformation
Keeping the spirit of the Reformation alive
Three reasons I am a member of the ELCA
Such an extreme view is perhaps valuable as a corrective, just as some of Luther's views were more nuanced than his sharpest invective when standing against the authorities. However, when many of us have not experienced such an extreme over-emphasis on the Reformation observance, it invites the somewhat puzzled question of what in the author's experience leads to such an extreme counter-blast? I have observed nothing so extreme in the last 25 years or so; I would have to look back my long-ago experience in conservative Lutheran traditions to find anything similar. If such extremes exist in the author's direct circle of influence (i.e., congregation), it would be part of his preaching and teaching office to work at moderating any such views he may have found.
The broad generalization of "the German view" does not feel very persuasive, especially since it's only one snapshot during one period by one person and the limited number of people he talked to. More diverse views on the subject are probably present there, especially since regional German "evangelisch" churches have different historical mixes of Lutheran and Calvinist thought.
Finally, the Bach argument seems almost ludicrous, especially to me as a church musician. A quick search shows at least 4 works possibly used on that day. And even if it were only one major work, there could be numerous other explanations for that due to the multiple demands on his time, expectations of his employers, etc.
Don't overdo it? Yes. Spiritually dangerous? There are far greater spiritual dangers than a Reformation celebration in proper context.
I think this post illustrates just how desparately we need to celebrate Reformation Sunday. For one, "ecclesia semper reformanda est" is one slogan, but not the best one to sum up the Reformation. "Justified by faith alone through grace alone" would be a better, and probably more recognized one.
Red is precisely the best color for Reformation Sunday because of Pentecost-- these are our two examples of the Spirit raining down upon the earthly church. Interestingly, both days commemorate bringing the Good News to the "churched", whether they be Jews from all over the Roman Empire, or Catholics from all over the Holy Roman Empire. Most importantly is the focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus alone and only for the forgiveness of our sins-- which is not conveyed to us by flesh and blood, but through the Holy Spirit of the Father in Heaven.
Reformation Sunday is the day of the year we focus specifically on what it means to be Lutherans. Not in the being better than the Catholics sense, but on what insights Luther has given to the world and what specifically Lutheran tools we have for sharing the faith. Law and Gospel are the old code-words, which contain the Power that we spend all of our time talking and thinking about. Especially in this world today, we've traded that Power away, tried to tame our religion down, bend it to the ways of the world. Reformation Sunday is about stepping out of ourselves and examining how we practice our faith. It is the day we celebrate asking the hard question "What does this mean?"
Reformation Sunday is about measuring ourselves up to those events nearly 500 years ago. Have we lost what it means to be Lutheran? We don't like to hear Law as Law, so we don't talk about that as much. We kind of assume Gospel, which leaves us with not much else, so we go back to the 'good bits' of the Law-- loving neighbors and helping the poor. This is where the Catholic church of Luther's time was. As a result, it was pretty messed up. We need to re-examine where we are today. How much Law is given in place of Gospel in the pulpits, in official ELCA publications, or even this website about Living Lutheran?
We are just as in need (if not more... Germany is a poor example of Lutheranism these days precisely because most there don't think about the Reformation... all of Europe is a mission-field now) of the Gospel today as were people of the 1500's. Ultimately, this is what Reformation Sunday is about: Christ, crucified and risen, as a totally free gift for the forgiveness of our sins. No add-ons, no extra Laws, no earning forgiveness. God's outpouring of mercy given freely to sinners and the completely new life created by that mercy. Let's celebrate all that Luther and the other Reformers have done for bringing that Message back to front and center stage. Interestingly, Reformation Sunday falls right next to All Saint's Day (another church holiday commemorating something outside of Scriptural narrative), where we celebrate all of the saints redeemed by Christ's body and blood. We can look forward both on those whom God chose to very publicly keep the Gospel Promise front and center both prior to and since the Reformers (CFW Walther, Bonhoeffer, Elert, Forde, Bertram, Schroeder and others come immediately to mind as examples in the last few hundred years) and to those whom God chose for other things.
Forwarded: "Because of a glitch in the system, I have not been able to respond promptly to John and Peter. Here's an altogether too brief response.
First, thank you for reading the blog post and reflecting with me on what I consider to be an important topic. I appreciate the push back and clarifications. I don't have an interest in digging in my heals. My case should either have merit or not on its own grounds. I do, however, want to clarify a couple of items. First, I'm not responding to any local "abuses" in my own context. I wrote the post for Living Lutheran, and was speaking to the ELCA as a whole, which I think en masse takes on the overall approach to Reformation Sunday that concerns me. Second, I'm talking about a liturgical issue rather than the historical matter of the Reformation itself and its worth as something to commemorate. I'm not against being rooted in our Lutheran heritage. I'm against a special Sunday in the liturgical year devoted to just this one season in the history of the church. Finally, I'm not a fan of characterizing "Europe" as secular in comparison the United States. The matter is much more complicated than that, there are many more faithful Lutherans in Germany than you might expect given the news reports, and there is always the matter of whether Christianity in the United States is more a cultural a religion than Christianity per se. Yes, my interviews were just a snap shot, but they were conducted all over the country, in different lands, in different denominations, and there was surprising similarity of response. To say Germany is a poor example of Lutheranism today is simply not fair. Finally, if Reformation Sunday is what everybody seems to be saying it is, about the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from the works of the law, or if it is a day about grace, then why don't we call the day that, instead of Reformation Sunday? Grace Sunday. Righteousness in Christ Sunday. Or how about simply live out of our hermeneutic all year long and stick with the lectionary texts we share with the wider ecumene?"
Pastor Clint Schnekloth +
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Fayetteville, AR 72703
Then breathe new life into Reformation DAY. Do the Christ take it and move forward. Find three (its is a holy number) things to change in the congregation, Synod, and whole church. Two short term things and one long term project which can be renewed every year. Make it Christ centered and outward focused. It is the best gift the Lutheran church has. A way to make change happen yearly as a unit. Just Do It. It is what Christ did with the cross can we do no less. Be all we can be--be the example of how to change all you have to do is look forward like Christ did. You have plenty of time to ponder what you all will do as churches during ADVENT. What a great gift to God on Christmas to tell HIM at the altar what we as a church will do for the world in HIS NAME.
Looking at these posts here in lies the problem. Endless theological arguments over details that have little to do with reforming or reformation. With Christ there is a whole lot less discussion and more action. Christ centered places there is a whole lot less centering on what we look like as Lutherans and a whole lot more on mission and others. While I write this silly little post
somebody went hungry
somebody died needlessly
somebody needed to hear about Christ
I made the mistake of thinking Lutherans cared more about others than self or tradition
I will not bother to take up the intellectuals time anymore
i WONDER if there is a blog for Lutherans that says how they take their theology and make it appear out in the world
Mary,
People say a lot of things about Christ. Most of it is an attempt to use Christ as an excuse to do what we want to do, or to put a stamp of approval on what we want to do. This was even Luther's experience-- the Catholic church of the time had a lot to say about Christ, but the Good News was buried. In a way, this site should be centered on mission, which starts with the proclaiming. A big part of that telling is finding how the Old Adams and Eves within us twist that Good News into something other than it is. As sinners, this isn't surprising, but it is something that we need to deal with. In theory we should have that here. Some of it may be semantic differences, but a lot of it is the exact same problem Luther dealt with in the Reformation, which in technical terms is 'gospel-plus'.
It may sound like a small change, but 'gospel-plus'-- adding works, no matter how noble, to the Gospel, derails the whole train. Played out in the world, it's the LCMS on a witch hunt, it's the Catholic church covering up sex abuses, it's the fundamentalists supporting 'kill-the-gays' in Uganda and fighting science education in the schools...and we can find it here in the ELCA, too.
It is important that our faith bears fruit. But that fruit is secondary (and cannot be born at all) if it isn't first connected to the Tree of Life. That's what we as a church need to focus on.