Reformation Sunday

Five years ago, I stood in the dark on a cobblestone street in Wittenberg, Germany, knocking on the formidable door to Castle Church. The evening service was about to begin, and I was locked out -- standing in the cold with a cadre of American pastors as we marveled at the irony.

October 31, 2017, marked the 500-year mark from the notable day in 1517 when Dr. Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to the door where I stood. The church door was a veritable bulletin board for conversation in those days, and Luther's ideas were dangerous. The Protestant Reformation was launched by Luther's rejection of the Catholic Church's grip on all things spiritual as they used fear and finances to maintain power; Luther and his fellow reformers risked their lives by taking a stand.

As a team of pastors and I toured Wittenberg that Halloween day five years ago, I found myself enamored with Luther's home. I wandered through the rooms and yard, reveling in the silence until I realized that I was completely alone; my comrades had meandered down the street to the church while I dawdled in Luther's study. Once I realized my error, I hurried down the cobblestone street past the University of Wittenberg where Luther taught until I stood in the looming shadow of Castle Church.

I texted a friend inside the church who soon found a side door to open for us, and I was blessed to soak in the service from the front row since the rest of the church was packed. Gathering with believers in that sacred space on that sacred eve was life-changing, and the irony of my 10 minutes locked outside in the cold was not lost on me.

Luther opened countless doors for so many worldwide, but what doors remain? What bolted doors do we each encounter because of our skin color, gender, education level, social status, financial limitations, age, nationality, etc.? And what doors might we open for others who are texting us from the outside, seeking a seat in the pew?

Remember the promises of Matthew 7:“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

What role will you play in opening the doors both before you and behind?

Happy Reformation Day, 

Jennie