Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation at Holy Trinity

Christianity, now 2000 years old, was instituted by God “in the fullness if time” (i.e. at the right time), that God might redeem a fallen and hurting world back to Himself.  He stepped into Creation in the person of Jesus, providing a full revelation of Himself and of His perfect will for humankind, in order that “all who believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) 

Jesus instructed His church to be His continuing presence in the world and, as His ambassadors, carry on His work of redemption: Jesus commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

We imperfect humans, still tainted as sons and daughters of Adam and products the “The Fall,” have not always gotten “being the Church” right.  A remarkable thing happened in the 16^th C, however, to help the Church turn back to the Truth, to the basics, and to biblical foundations that God had given us in Christ.  This came to be known as The Protestant Reformation.  Men such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli and Thomas Cranmer stepped forward to correct deviations from the truths once delivered to the Church through the Apostles.  The Reformation was not about anything new, but about returning to the unchanged and unchanging revelation of God in Christ.

This upcoming All Saints Eve (October 31) marks the 500^th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation when Martin Luther purportedly nailed his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church, Wittenberg.  This occasion gives us a great opportunity to connect with our Reformation heritage and revisit for ourselves these great truths that lay at the heart of the Reformation.  In October and early November, we are thus going to do the following:

1.      Sunday preaching series on the “Five Solas:”  The Five Solas are five Latin phrases that emerged from the Protestant Reformation intended to summarize the Reformers' biblical principles.

Oct   1                    Sola Scriptura              Scripture Alone

Oct   8                    Solus Christus              Christ Alone

Oct 15                    Sola Fide                     Faith Alone

Oct 22                    Sola Gratia                  Grace Alone

Oct 29                    Soli Deo Gloria            To the Glory of God Alone

2.       Friday evening, Oct 20, the movie “Luther:” The movie will be introduced with background teachings on the life, witness and work of Martin Luther by one of our clergy.

3.       All Saints Weekend, Nov 3 and 4 -  “A Reformation Celebration:” With a covered-dish fellowship  supper Friday evening, and a continental breakfast Saturday morning, we will celebrate our Reformation Heritage and discuss the life, works, witness and theology of the Continental and British Reformers, and how that set the stage for us today and for worldwide Protestantism.  

Mark your calendars!

Father Rob+