Today is Reformation Sunday! The celebration of the day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses (or ideas) on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, beginning the Protestant Reformation.
We celebrate today with the wearing of the color Red and remembering all who have come before us to provide this great legacy of faith and love. Luther said, “The whole being of any Christian is faith and love. Faith brings the person to God, love brings the person to people.”
And we may sing a little. “As long as we live, there is never enough singing” (Martin Luther)
Here are the Readings and Announcements for this week.
In today’s Gospel lesson Jesus spoke bluntly about our relationship with wealth, “You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Luke 16:13). To put that statement into context, read the whole Gospel lesson (see the link above) and the First and Second readings that go with it.
This week’s lessons resonate with meaning in light of events this past week.
In St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, he writes “I am grateful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly and in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14.
And Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10.