Hey! Lutherans! Time to Reform—Again!

The Ongoing Reformation of the Church

This Sunday, many Protestants will celebrate the influence of Martin Luther and the 500-year-old movement that forced religious reform on a major power structure of their world—the Church.

The medieval world of Martin Luther was controlled by the Roman Catholic hierarchy. They reached into every aspect of medieval life—home, work and government.

There were very few upwardly mobile career tracks. It helped to be born to wealth. If not, you could use your youthful good looks to marry well. If you were strong, you could fight your way to gaining land and social status. If you were wealthy you could get some schooling. But most people farmed or entered a trade.

But there was one more way. The easy track. You could give your life to the church. Prestige and influence were for sale there. Your chances of a good life were pretty good!

Then came Martin. He had bought into the system. But it didn’t sit well with him.

He laid it on the line.

“Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise.”

The modern Lutheran church fails to emulate its namesake.

Today’s church faces similar challenges. We may not be selling indulgences but we are always tempted to look at congregations—their property and their memberships—with a keen eye for how the hierarchy can benefit. We fall for the same temptation faced by all offenders. “We need what you have more than you do.”

Not surprisingly, the world has changed a great deal since the 16th century. The hierarchies of yesteryear have been crumbling in business and public sectors. The connected age doesn’t need them anymore.

The church, too, is in danger of seeing its tallest spires crumble. Those who reach the most influential stations find themselves in charge of fewer people with less money. Power wasn’t what they dreamt it would be.

This Reformation Sunday let’s return to the foundational teaching of Martin Luther.

  • Let’s work to make the family the center of religious education.
  • Let’s make sure that access to the scripture is universal.
  • Let’s empower God’s people by strengthening them rather than shaming them, bullying them, or creating dependency.
  • Let’s demand that our leaders model their ministries on Christ’s sacrifice.

The Reformation isn’t over. It never will be.