October 27, 2024 Reformation Sunday The text is Romans 3:19-28 and John 8:31-36.

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Romans 3:19-28

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
  ²¹ But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³ since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴ they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
  ²⁷ Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

John 8:31-36

³¹ Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³ They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
  ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵ The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

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May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Adonai, my rock and my Redeemer.

Grace, mercy, and peace are yours from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Happy Reformation Sunday!  Today is the date in our Lutheran church calendar when we celebrate the reforming of the Christian church that took place just over 500 years ago.  While we tend to focus on the actions and writings of Martin Luther, he was really only one of the theological minds of the time who sought to examine some of the practices of the church that they felt were contrary to what was found in Scripture.  Luther was particularly disturbed by the selling of indulgences; these were specifically documents that the faithful might purchase that were said to then reduce the time the purchaser would need to spend in Purgatory.  This is the place where it is believed by some Christians that the dead would dwell until they had accumulated sufficient purification to enter into heaven.  While this belief remains accepted doctrine by some, Luther’s concern was that the accelerated departure from Purgatory was something that could be secured if a monetary donation was made on behalf of the deceased.  He found this to be in direct opposition to Jesus’ proclamation in this morning’s gospel, that belief in him makes us free; and in Paul’s letter to the Romans, where Paul writes what is the cornerstone of Lutheranism; “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.”

In plain language, the crux of what emerged from the Reformation was the understanding that as Christians we are made free from sin and we are promised everlasting life by our faith in Jesus Christ; and that nothing else is required from us.  God bestows upon us unmerited grace solely because of Christ’s sacrifice and our faith in him as God’s Son.  So, the whole concept of the Reformation may be summed up not by listing any of the aspects that the reformers sought to have removed from the accepted beliefs and practices of the church, but by celebrating those tenets that have added to the freedom of the Christian.  We are free to live as permanent members of the family of God; Jesus proclaims that when we are freed from sin, that we are promised eternal life in the kingdom of heaven, in God’s house. 

So we’re free, we have been justified before God, and there is nothing that we need to do in order to maintain our freedom and justification.  These have been accepted dogma since the Reformation; but that doesn’t mean that the ref-forming of the church is complete.

Around every 500 years or so the church undergoes some sort of major reforming, and in between these significant transformations, countless lesser alterations are made to the way the church operates.  Among these in the ELCA expression of the Lutheran church has been the ordination of women as pastors.  And just to refresh everyone’s memory this happened only 50 years ago.  And in 2009 the ELCA determined that that it was appropriate that LGBT people should be afforded access to the pulpit, as well.  In our New England Synod, the Licensed Lay Ministry program has allowed many churches to remain viable and engaged in the work of mission and ministry that might not have been possible otherwise.  The Reformation continues in ways large and small.  But what remains is the acknowledgement that we continue in our freedom; the freedom to act in ways that reflect our desire for the church to continue to grow, evolve, and improve the ways in which we serve. 

Specifically, Emanuel Lutheran Church and her people are free in Christ to act as his hands, and feet, and heart in the world.  And the ways in which this building is put to use in support of the community has grown to encompass things that would previously likely not have been considered.  Aware that some of our neighbors are in need of a meal, the people of Emanuel secured funding to enable them to invite the community to sit at table with them for no-cost food and fellowship.

Folks battling addiction are welcomed here; children gather to express themselves through music and theater; students study to be musicians; these are all recent additions to the ways in which the church has been re-formed.  Several long-term groups continue to share our space; Worcester Men of Song have been rehearsing here for as long as most of you can remember.  Girls Scouts have been meeting here for so long that some of you might have been part of the troop when you were young; some of you served as troop leaders.  These are representative of the many ways that churches have expanded their mission within their communities, ways that express a congregation’s desire to offer freedom in Christ to others. 

Not quite so common, however was the decision to open a thrift store in the middle of a worldwide viral pandemic, but that’s what the people of Emanuel did, over four years ago.

Several of the unused classrooms were converted to become Emanuel’s Closet, a place where your neighbors may shop for their families with dignity and be treated with respect.  The Reformation continues in ways large and small.  And who would have imagined that Emanuel would be welcoming the Quinsigamond Village Community Center to make their home in our church?  After 50 years located in Emanuel’s original building the Community Center now serves our neighbors in so many ways, right here in what used to be a library and two classrooms.  The Reformation continues in ways large and small.

The people of Christ’s church retain the freedom to act as inheritors of the promise made to ensure we are always welcome in God’s family.  When Jesus tells us that we are granted a place in God’s eternal household, we’re not always certain what that looks like here, in the earthly kingdom.  And the church is the vital component of how the kingdom is expressed.  And the church today is surely very different from the church that Luther and the others strove to reform those 500 years ago; and what it will look like in years to come is uncertain.  But what is guaranteed is that it will likely be as different in the future as now is from the past.  Those parishes that continue to look beyond their walls, to invite others into the freedom they share in Christ, they have the opportunity to be part of what the re-forming of the church will look like. 

Churches have been closing their doors at a rate not seen before, congregational mergers have become commonplace, and within the Lutheran tradition it’s clear that there are no longer boatloads of Swedes arriving on our shores, clamoring to fill the pews.  Perhaps we are in the middle of a new Reformation; after all, it’s been over 500 years. Maybe we’re due for one.  The people made free in Christ to serve have options; they can sit back and watch whatever is going to happen or they can decide to be active participants in how the next re-forming of the church develops.  As this reformation unfolds there will likely be concern, fear, and worry; mainly because we can be sure that the church of tomorrow will be quite different in many ways from the church as it is today.  We can also be reasonably certain that 500 years ago there was equal worry, fear, and concern when Martin Luther and his contemporaries turned the church on its ear.  The Reformation continues in ways that are likely to be larger and more impactful than we can anticipate.

So, I suggest we acknowledge the fear, worry, and concern and decide that we are going to move forward together and help to shape what the coming Reformation of the church will look like.  It seems to me that God’s people in this place are doing a pretty good job of that already.  The Reformation continues in ways large and small, and evidence of that is all around us, here in this time and in this place.  And as we move forward, we have one more thing that is as certain as concern, worry, and fear about the future of the church; we have the promise of God that we are forgiven, redeemed, and permanent members of God’s family.  And however things turn out, whatever the church will look like in years to come, we remain free in Jesus, determined to faithfully follow wherever the Spirit leads us.  For, the Reformation continues, and may it re-form Christ’s church in ways that amaze, challenge, and bless the people of God.

Happy “continuing” Reformation Sunday!     

Amen.         

God is Good, all the time.  All the time, God is Good.  Amen.