Shovel in hand, Arden Haug helps plant one of the trees in the Luther Garden at the Wittenberg Center.
In Wittenberg, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church. It was an act that sparked the Reformation and changed the world.
But fast forward almost 500 years and today only one in five people in Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation, say they are Christian. The United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany is struggling with declining membership after 40 years of religious oppression.
That’s one of the reasons why leaders of the German church have asked the ELCA, including Arden Haug, an ELCA pastor and missionary, to work with them as they strive to renew their church and their congregations.
The ELCA’s most recent partnership with this German church started over 12 years ago with the opening of the ELCA Wittenberg Center. The center hosts educational programs for visitors and encourages them to experience historic sites important to Lutheran identity.
Invitation to return
Now, the focus is shifting to inviting German Lutherans back to church. Twila Schock, director for ELCA Missionary Sponsorship, says that the ELCA and the German Lutheran church, like many mainline Protestant denominations, are facing similar challenges around membership.
The German church has an important story to share with the ELCA, Twila believes. “This is a historic church,” she says, “and it’s gone through the same cycles that churches in our country have. It’s important for us to work together, and especially important that we have an ELCA missionary in Wittenberg, because we can support each other. We have a lot in common and a lot to learn from each other.”
In 2008, The United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany decided to declare 2008-2017 the “Luther Decade.”
“The Protestant churches in Germany as well as other Protestant organizations, museums and diaconal organizations have together created themes for the Luther Decade — 2012 is ‘The Reformation and Music.’” says Arden, And they have invited their Lutheran brothers and sisters from around the world to join them in an examination and celebration of Lutheran identity and heritage.
The decade started in 2008 when Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA and then president of The Lutheran World Federation, opened the Luther Garden in Wittenberg where 500 trees from around the world will be planted before the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.
Today, 102 of the trees have already been planted. Arden feels the garden is “a wonderful project which celebrates the worldwide Lutheran communion.”
He remembers the most recent trees he helped plant were for the Lutheran churches in Korea, Kenya, Sweden and El Salvador. The ELCA, two German Lutheran congregations, Luther Seminary and the Slovak Zion Synod were all part of that tree planting service in Wittenberg.
Arden says the 500th anniversary of the Reformation offers a unique opportunity to welcome Lutherans everywhere back to the church. It’s also a time to celebrate the diversity of the global Lutheran church. “We had varied paths, but we have all emerged from the same tradition,” he says.
You might also want to read:
The Reformation lives
A toast to the Reformation
Reformation? Or reclamation
I have had the privilege of visiting the church in Wittenberg and feel the presence of the original spirit of what became "Lutheranism." We have such a rich heritage-- it is sad to see it devalued as Lutheran churches (especially in America) become more and more generic and imitative of the so-called "evangelicals" which usually implies social and political conservatism. Jesus was a revolutionary-- that is, he turned things around. Martin Luther was the same-- he was an activist! He was a "turn things around" revolutionary! Nailing those 95 thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberg took guts because he KNEW it would have strong response. The heritage of Lutheranism is rich in many ways. It is a motivational heritage-- we are motivated and compelled by the word of God to question, challenge, stand up, and do the right thing. It is a Gospel imperative. However, we would do well today to remember that Luther did not "throw out the baby with the bath water." of reinvent the wheel in our own image. He did not want to abolish the mass-- i.e. the liturgy-- rather, make it more accessible. He was all about sharing scripture (sola scriptura etc.) I'm sure he wouldn't think not using the lectionary is a good thing-- just chose whatever scripture hits you at the moment. He brought the musical vernacular into worship to compliment participation and contemporary expression. But he didn't dumb down or throw out what had come before-- it was a complimentary dance of inclusion. He knew the difference between worship and a rally. He knew "Gottesdienst"-- **great german word which means church service but translates literally as "service of God." The liturgy -- the traditional mass form-- makes sure that the service of God includes confession (acknowledging our need for God and for God's forgiveness", being forgiven, hearing the word, praying and confessing together (creed) ((That's why the small minority church in Germany during Nazi times with people like Dietrich Bonnhoeffer was called "The Confessing Church" That's why the mass includes the Lord's supper-- at the Lord's table we are one because of the cross. THAT'S that theology of the cross. And Jesus said: "Do this...." We celebrate and remind and practice what our faith means. It isn't as CLEARLY celebrated if we simply ignore the reason we do things and dumb it all down to a few praise songs, religious urges, a prayer, and an emotional camp meeting. That too can have its place. But that is not exactly the Lutheran tradition. Tradition does not mean old, stogy, tired stuff--- it's being faithful to what brought you here and valuing the treasures of the past, present, and future. It's also not a numbers or ratings game. The Confessing Church in Germany during Nazi times failed miserably in the "church growth" department. The church in East Germany in which present day German President Angela Merkal's father was a pastor-- was tolerated but opposed by the East German government. The church is not a product or production competing for "market share." Jesus didn't value the 5,000 above the "wherever two or three are gathered in my name-- I'll be there." I pray that we learn from and practice the values of our real-- and radical-- Lutheran heritage and get our heads out of our American culture wars based reshaping of Lutheran identity. The garden of Eden wasn't in Minnesota.
I have had the privilege of visiting the church in Wittenberg and feel the presence of the original spirit of what became "Lutheranism." We have such a rich heritage-- it is sad to see it devalued as Lutheran churches (especially in America) become more and more generic and imitative of the so-called "evangelicals" which usually implies social and political conservatism. Jesus was a revolutionary-- that is, he turned things around. Martin Luther was the same-- he was an activist! He was a "turn things around" revolutionary! Nailing those 95 thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberg took guts because he KNEW it would have strong response. The heritage of Lutheranism is rich in many ways. It is a motivational heritage-- we are motivated and compelled by the word of God to question, challenge, stand up, and do the right thing. It is a Gospel imperative. However, we would do well today to remember that Luther did not "throw out the baby with the bath water." of reinvent the wheel in our own image. He did not want to abolish the mass-- i.e. the liturgy-- rather, make it more accessible. He was all about sharing scripture (sola scriptura etc.) I'm sure he wouldn't think not using the lectionary is a good thing-- just chose whatever scripture hits you at the moment. He brought the musical vernacular into worship to compliment participation and contemporary expression. But he didn't dumb down or throw out what had come before-- it was a complimentary dance of inclusion. He knew the difference between worship and a rally. He knew "Gottesdienst"-- **great german word which means church service but translates literally as "service of God." The liturgy -- the traditional mass form-- makes sure that the service of God includes confession (acknowledging our need for God and for God's forgiveness", being forgiven, hearing the word, praying and confessing together (creed) ((That's why the small minority church in Germany during Nazi times with people like Dietrich Bonnhoeffer was called "The Confessing Church" That's why the mass includes the Lord's supper-- at the Lord's table we are one because of the cross. THAT'S that theology of the cross. And Jesus said: "Do this...." We celebrate and remind and practice what our faith means. It isn't as CLEARLY celebrated if we simply ignore the reason we do things and dumb it all down to a few praise songs, religious urges, a prayer, and an emotional camp meeting. That too can have its place. But that is not exactly the Lutheran tradition. Tradition does not mean old, stogy, tired stuff--- it's being faithful to what brought you here and valuing the treasures of the past, present, and future. It's also not a numbers or ratings game. The Confessing Church in Germany during Nazi times failed miserably in the "church growth" department. The church in East Germany in which present day German President Angela Merkal's father was a pastor-- was tolerated but opposed by the East German government. The church is not a product or production competing for "market share." Jesus didn't value the 5,000 above the "wherever two or three are gathered in my name-- I'll be there." I pray that we learn from and practice the values of our real-- and radical-- Lutheran heritage and get our heads out of our American culture wars based reshaping of Lutheran identity. The garden of Eden wasn't in Minnesota.