October 25, 2022
October 25, 2022
505 years ago, on October 31, 1517, a young academic monk provoked a time of great reform in the Church which was eventually known as the Protestant Reformation. Lutheran congregations set aside the last weekend of October (this weekend) as festival worship in order to remember God’s faithfulness. We acknowledge that we don’t have a corner on all spiritual truth in the Church or anywhere else. Never have, never will. God is much bigger than that! But we give thanks for the gift of God’s grace for generations. I hope you’ll join us.
• I’m certain the music will rock. Festival days are meant to worship God joyfully.
• It is an excuse for me to wear my red Chuck Taylors, and many of you to wear your red (scarlet?) apparel. Red is the liturgical color for this festival day.
• Remembering the role of Scripture in the Reformation and faith development we are gifting Bibles to second graders and older elementary students at our 10:30 worship. A fun family Bible workshop is being held from 11:30 to 1:00 pm. Please sign up here.
Several have recently asked why we don’t print the scripture, or even the pew Bible page numbers for the readings in our worship. It’s not to save paper, or the labor to print them. It’s far more important than that.
We want you to listen to scripture when we gather. We want you to hear someone read it to you. Of course, there is value to reading scripture devotionally, even studying it. And you can and should. But scripture was historically heard in the gathered community, because God’s word is heard differently when incarnated, that is, when it is heard rather than read. And remembered differently as well.
We’re listening in worship for God’s voice, God’s word to us. We’re listening in the liturgy, the music, the meal and the readings for God speaking to us. Written notes, even theological treatises on the subject, even books are truly wonderful, but nothing compares to hearing it in person.
Jesus often said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear!” (Matthew 11:15) I don’t think he meant to exclude those like me like who read and whose ears are failing.
Rather, let us turn up our aids, find the best places in the sanctuary to hear, use the hearing assists provided by an usher if needed when we enter, and continue to give thanks for those who read to us when we gather. We learned to read when someone read to us. It was a gift. We hear love and grace when someone speaks them to us. That, too, is gift.
Pastor Jim Wilson