HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!

It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther posted a copy of the 95 theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. (It makes sense he would have done that, the church doors were the community bulletin boards of the day, and there would have been a crowd coming for All Saints Day on November 1st). So, today is celebrated as Reformation Day.

Celebrations of the Protestant Reformation don't exactly shine, compared to all of today's Halloween festivities, but the message of the Reformation is still important. One of the slogans of the Reformation still rings very true today: Semper Reformanda - always reforming. The church is always in need of reform, always in need of dying again in Christ and being rasied from the dead, so we might be truly free. After all, the church is US - the people, individuals called into community, to love and serve God and neighbor.

So before you go to bed tonight, give God thanks for the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit through faithful reformers, teachers and all of us regular, ordinary Christians.

(For extra fun, read "On the Freedom of a Christian," which Luther wrote in 1520.)

Churching Around

Here's the latest edition of "Cafe: Stirring the Spirit Within." Café is a web-based monthly magazine that explores contemporary issues of interest to young women. It is a resource for women who want to build and deepen their sense of Community, Advocacy, Faith, and Enlightenment. For women who identify as Christian, it incorporates a Lutheran faith perspective. It's always thought provoking, and of course men may find it interesting, too...

Still stuck on Lazarus and the Rich Man

I missed our weekly text study this week. My husband and I got a precious 45 hours in Seattle to visit our new nephew and see my family; the decision to skip text study wasn't a difficult one to make.

However, since I'm not preaching this weekend, I haven't read the Lectionary texts assigned for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost yet, and am still thinking about last Sunday's Gospel reading. The parable about the rich man and Lazarus.

Here's a thought provoking article about the parable. I commend it to you. (I subscribe to Christian Century -a great magazine).