The Kitchen Sink
An occasional piece of paper
October 29, 2006
Vol. 9 no. 42

Everything But...
           An explanation is called for whenever you celebrate a nearly 500 year old movement as if it is still moving. We have called it the Reformation, and if we understand the original reformers we are still reforming. In many ways the issues of 16th century Europe are unrecognizable to us and no longer an issue. Yet this was one of the moments in history when those reformers hit upon ideas that are so basic we still haven’t completely answered them, and know that we cannot afford not to answer them.
           There is no denying that the original reformers were people with strong and indomitable personalities. Not all of them we would have liked, and certainly not all of the time. Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Ulrich Zwingli, Thomas Müntzer were demanding and frankly difficult men, but if they hadn’t been, probably no real change would have come about. Most of us resist being reformed.
           Luther and pals lifted up more than a few things to reform. He redefined what happens during the Lord’s Supper and insisted that the Bible, the Word of God, is the one to whom we listen first for guidance in the Christian life. The people of the Church need to understand what Scripture is talking about, so that means unbridled study of the book - the mind is important - and that is always in one’s own mother tongue. Luther made sure that the German Bible was translated as fast as he could write.
           We have never gotten over Luther’s reinvention of the call of vocation. Vocation then only meant becoming a priest or monk or nun. That was far too limiting. All human beings are called by God, Luther said, all Christian believers are priests. And all of the Protestants said, Amen.