Podcasts about lutheran reformation

Audio from Youtube: https://youtu.be/8e3_f8IsNnE?si=LguXSGec4URtd6o4  2023's Bjarne W. Teigen Reformation Lectures theme was "Lutheran Ethics.” The first lecture was given by Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer from Concordia University Irvine in Irvine, California, on “Lutheran Bioethics.” The Bjarne W. Teigen Reformation Lectures are an annual tradition at Bethany Lutheran College. Each October, guest speakers deliver lectures on topics related to the Lutheran Reformation. Students, pastors from around the region, and others attend the informative series. Learn more here: https://blc.edu/reformation-lectures

This week we study the Christmas hymn "Praise God the Lord, Ye Sons of Men" (Hymn 105 in The Lutheran Hymnal), written by Nikolaus Herman in the sixteenth century. Herman was from Bohemia, but this hymn became one of the most popular Christmas hymns in Germany following the Lutheran Reformation.  As we reflect on this hymn we will discuss some of the western views that have been inserted into Christmas hymns and pictures that are not actually part of the Biblical narrative, but are added into the Christmas account from a European perspective. This is a reminder of the importance of being firmly grounded in the Scriptures themselves, and not basing our images of Christmas on songs or pictures. This hymn was written for children, and marvelously brings out the miracle of the Incarnation, as Jesus, who is God from eternity, takes on flesh and becomes human. Through this miracle, the LORD accomplishes the "great exchange" -- the sinless for the sinful, and wins salvation and eternal life for those who were under the curse of sin. Through Jesus' work through the incarnation, the door to heaven has been opened for sinners. This is what Christmas is truly about! Join us as we study this hymn about the miracle of the incarnation, the God-Man, our Savior, and the true meaning of Christmas!

Paul didn't want only to get to Rome, but to go on to Spain in order to preach the gospel there as well. Paul was singularly gifted and burdened with the mission mandate. He dedicated his life to bringing the Gospel to new lands and places, people and languages. He never lost sight of this mission. Even as he enjoyed the hospitality of Publius, or healed Publius' father, waited three months before setting sail and arriving in Rome, his goal wasn't just Rome. It was sharing the gospel. This he did all along the way. And you and I are beneficiaries of his dedication and God's work through him. Yesterday was Reformation Day. Learn more about the Lutheran Reformation here.

October 31, 2024Today's Reading: John 8:31-36Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Matthew 20:17-34The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:35-36)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today, we give thanks to God for the Lutheran Reformation, for like an angel flying in midheaven (Revelation 14:6), God used Luther and the Lutheran Reformation to restore the promise of His gospel to a fallen and broken world.Fallen and broken, everyone is a slave to sin. Jesus says so. “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” If you have committed sin today, and you certainly have, then you are a slave to sin. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8). Truth is, you and I will be slaves to sin all the way to the final breath we take in this life.But, as also taught by Luther and the Lutheran Reformation, it is also every bit as true you and I are free now. Jesus says so. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Not kind of free. “Free indeed.” “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Truth is, all the way to the final breath we take in this life, you and I are no longer owned or defined by our sins anymore. Jesus has set us free from that.“But I still sin!” Yes, you do. But Jesus still remains in the house forever, so forever, you still remain free. That is the promise of Jesus' death for you on the cross. It's the freedom God washes you with in your Baptism every day, speaks to you in His Word every day, and delivers to you at the Altar with Jesus' Body and Blood.Your sins do not own you. Your sins do not define you. Your sins will never tell God who or whose you are. You are His now. And you are declared by God Himself to be free, eternally holy, and righteous in His judgment. Abide in His Word, freed one! From cover to cover, Jesus is the truth that sets you free. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.-Rev. Bradley Drew, pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Metairie, LA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Spend time reading and meditating on God's Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

October 27, 2024 Reformation Service. The heart of the Gospel is the forgiveness of sins, purchased and won for us through the innocent death of Jesus Christ. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 statements for debate on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, German. This is the 507th anniversary of the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation.First Reading: Joshua 1:1-9.Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:16-18.Gospel: John 15:1-17.Sermon Text: Psalm 46. Pastor Joel Heckendorf, President of the Arizona-California District

The Festival of Reformation (Transposed) 27-October-2024 Sermon Text: Romans 3:19-28 Sermon Theme: The Heart Of The Reformation! I. All Are Guilty! (Vs.19-20). II. God Has Judged Us All In His Son! (Vs.21-24) III. Christ-less Cross-less Religion Has No Rest! (Vs.25-26). IV. Christ Alone Comforts Crushed Consciences(vs.27-28). by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

In this episode, Dr. John Maxfield joins host Elizabeth Pittman to discuss his deep dive into the Lutheran Reformation from a specific town's perspective in his new book, Becoming Lutheran: The Community of Brunswick from Evangelical Reform to Lutheran Culture. The book traces the influences and events that shaped one community as its people journeyed from evangelical reform to Lutheran culture.Find out more and get the book at cph.org. Show NotesHave you ever wondered what the Lutheran Reformation looked like in a  specific locality? Rev. Dr. John A. Maxfield reveals this in his new book by detailing the intellectual, personal, social, and political influences and events that shaped the Lower-Saxon town of Brunswick on its journey from evangelical reform to Lutheran culture. Listen to the episode now as Dr. Maxfield explores how he began writing this historical account, why he chose the community of Brunswick as the focal point, overall political developments and themes, and what lessons we today can take away from the people of Brunswick. QuestionsTell us how this book came about.Why Brunswick/Braunschweig?What connections exist between this town and the "major actors" in the Reformation?In what ways did the town embrace reformation theology, and how did they put their own "stamp" on things?In the overall timeline, where does the Church Order fall in terms of whole communities choosing to live as Evangelicals/Lutherans?What are the connections to the later developments politically concerning the Smalcald War, the princes' revolt, and the Magdeburg Confession?Looking "down the road"—describe the role Brunswick/Braunschweig played for the eventual "unification" around the Formula of Concord?What lessons can we as Lutherans today take from the experiences of Brunswick?About the GuestJohn A. Maxfield is a professor of history and religious studies at Concordia University of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. In addition to numerous articles and book chapters, he edited Defending Luther's Reformation (CPH, 2017) and wrote Luther's Lectures on Genesis and the Formation of Evangelical Identity (Truman State University Press, 2008). He and his wife, Jennifer, have four adult children.

Do The Thing. In this episode, we discuss liturgy. What is the difference between a sacramental rite and a sacrificial rite? Why are' member berries' so juicy and delicious? Can a priest or the church affect God's actions? Can a church integrate non-Christian rites into its worship? SHOW NOTES:  Discord, dialogue, and concord: Studies in the Lutheran Reformation's Formula of concord https://amzn.to/3YWPvCX  Episode 360: Part One https://www.1517.org/podcast-overview/360-olson Episode 361: Part Two https://www.1517.org/podcast-overview/361-olson  Formula X Epitome https://thebookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-epitome/article-x/ Formula X Solid Declaration https://thebookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-solid-declaration/article-x/ Malcom Guite https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXat06LvIYIyE2SpV_IuVjA  World Conference on Faith and Order. Who's Who at Edinburgh 1937 https://archive.org/details/wccfops1.102/page/46/mode/2up anamnesis https://www.britannica.com/art/anamnesis   More from 1517: Support 1517: https://www.1517.org/donate 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDdMiZJv8oYMJQQx2vHSzg 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz: https://academy.1517.org/courses/the-inklings Available Now: Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781956658859-hitchhiking-with-prophets Remembering Rod Rosenbladt: https://www.1517.org/dadrod Available Now: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781956658880-encouragement-for-motherhood   More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   MORE LINKS: Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors Warrior Priest Gym & Podcast https://thewarriorpriestpodcast.wordpress.com   St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis: http://youtube.com/stjohnrandomlake  Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media     CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsvLQ5rlaInxLO9luAauF4A  Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=214298  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books  Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9iYW5uZWRib29rcy5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw TuneIn Radio https://tunein.com/podcasts/Religion--Spirituality-Podcasts/Banned-Books-p1216972/  iHeartRadio https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-banned-books-29825974/ 

Street-Fighting Man. In this episode, we continue our discussion of the question of when it is permissible for Christians to oppose civil authority. It's more important than ever for Christians to grasp the fundamentals of vocation, the relation of politics to liturgy, the place of the sacraments within the worship of the church, and the life of Christians, why there cannot be such a thing as a Christian nation. SHOW NOTES:  Discord, dialogue, and concord: Studies in the Lutheran Reformation's Formula of concord https://amzn.to/3YWPvCX  Episode 360: Part One https://www.1517.org/podcast-overview/360-olson Louis the Pious in the Field of Lies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_of_Lies  Online church meme https://x.com/ErikReed/status/1824237560329027889  Subsidiarity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity Löhe's Martyrology: http://emmanuelpress.us/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/loehe_martyrologium.pdf Formula X Epitome https://thebookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-epitome/article-x/ Formula X Solid Declaration https://thebookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-solid-declaration/article-x/ Peter Muhlenberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Muhlenberg     More from 1517: Support 1517: https://www.1517.org/donate 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDdMiZJv8oYMJQQx2vHSzg 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz: https://academy.1517.org/courses/the-inklings Available Now: Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781956658859-hitchhiking-with-prophets Remembering Rod Rosenbladt: https://www.1517.org/dadrod Available Now: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781956658880-encouragement-for-motherhood   More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   MORE LINKS: Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors Warrior Priest Gym & Podcast https://thewarriorpriestpodcast.wordpress.com   St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis: http://youtube.com/stjohnrandomlake  Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media     CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsvLQ5rlaInxLO9luAauF4A  Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=214298  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books  Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9iYW5uZWRib29rcy5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw TuneIn Radio https://tunein.com/podcasts/Religion--Spirituality-Podcasts/Banned-Books-p1216972/  iHeartRadio https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-banned-books-29825974/ 

We Worship & Adore… You? In this episode, we discuss the intersection of liturgy and politics as we read Oliver Olson's essay, Politics, Liturgics, and Integritas Sacramenti. It's a historical survey of liturgical practice and politics from ancient Israel to the present, discussing the importance of symbolism, meaning, and the purpose of liturgy for faith and life. SHOW NOTES:  Discord, dialogue, and concord: Studies in the Lutheran Reformation's Formula of concord https://amzn.to/3YWPvCX  Eucharist & Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries https://amzn.to/3Amcygc  Formula X Epitome https://thebookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-epitome/article-x/ Formula X Solid Declaration https://thebookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-solid-declaration/article-x/   More from 1517: Support 1517: https://www.1517.org/donate 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDdMiZJv8oYMJQQx2vHSzg 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz: https://academy.1517.org/courses/the-inklings Available Now: Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781956658859-hitchhiking-with-prophets Remembering Rod Rosenbladt: https://www.1517.org/dadrod Available Now: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781956658880-encouragement-for-motherhood   More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   MORE LINKS: Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors Warrior Priest Gym & Podcast https://thewarriorpriestpodcast.wordpress.com   St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis: http://youtube.com/stjohnrandomlake  Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media     CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsvLQ5rlaInxLO9luAauF4A  Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=214298  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books  Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9iYW5uZWRib29rcy5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw TuneIn Radio https://tunein.com/podcasts/Religion--Spirituality-Podcasts/Banned-Books-p1216972/  iHeartRadio https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-banned-books-29825974/ 

Justification is famously called the article upon which the church stands or falls. It is the article upon which The Lutheran Reformation stood boldly and confessed the Scriptural truth that we are made right before God by grace through faith on account of Christ alone. The Thinking Fellows address the central concepts that help us orginze and understand justification as a doctrine whihc the church not only teaches but proclaims boldly.  Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network Fundraiser! 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Available Now: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin Pre-order: Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Available Now: Be Thou My Song by Kerri Tom More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francisco Bruce Hilman  

As we continue our survey of the history surrounding the Lutheran Reformation, we are reminded that the Roman Church is not sitting by idly as Luther and everyone else runs around making changes. The Roman Church had been in flux for more than a century before Luther posted the 95 Theses. In this month's episode, we look to what the Roman Church is doing from the Council of Constance (1414-1418) up until the Council of Trent (1545-1563). Here, we will come across Jon Hus, John Wyckliffe, and Ignatius of Loyola.

This is the fourth in a series of talks on the solas of the Reformation. This talk discusses the semi-Pelagian controversy and the Council of Orange, and how that connects to the Lutheran Reformation.

Welcome to season six of Enter the Bible, a podcast in which we share "Everything You Wanted to Know about the Bible...but were afraid to ask." Co-hosts Katie Langston and Kathryn Schifferdecker are joined by Mark Tranvik. Tranvik is a Professor of Reformation History and Theology at Luther Seminary. He is also an ordained pastor in the ELCA. His area of specialty is the Lutheran Reformation. Today our theologians will be answering the listener-submitted question, "Martin Luther Seems to be Saying that God, in Jesus, Died on the Cross. But Isn't That Heresy?" Do you have Bible questions you would like answered? Go to our website at https://enterthebible.org/about to get started. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tNep0kDpS10 #enterthebible #podcast #lutherseminary #martinluther #katielangston #kathrynschifferdecker #marktranvikSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a talk I gave at Our Redeemer LCMS in Smithfield, RI on trends in the church, and why the world needs the Lutheran Reformation.

Even though the Lutheran Reformation was relatively moderate in Sweden to begin with, Gustav Vasa's religious and financial reforms still provoked a number of rebellions with fanciful names throughout the country.

Unlike his Danish counterpart, Gustav Vasa wasn't particularly interested in the Lutheran Reformation. At least not to begin with. But when he realized he could solve his money problems by confiscating Church property, Lutheranism started to sound much more interesting to the heavily indebted king of Sweden.

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Today we are finishing up our 25th year anniversary and in addition to that we're thinking about the Lutheran Reformation!   A little over 500 years ago, Martin Luther started the effort to get back to teaching God's true word.     Today we're going to celebrate that and talk about how we're saved not by our own works, but by christ alone!    If you have any questions you can email us at: votl.podcast@gmail.com Instagram: @votlchurch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/votl.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbssSY_GyJMabh9W-sSVQpQ  Online: https://votl.org

This is the sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vallonia, Indiana, on Sunday, October 29th, 2023, which was the day the church observed the start of the Lutheran Reformation . Text: Romans 3:19-29

1. Did it proclaim the eternal Gospel of Christ? 2. Did it promote the true worship of God? 3. Did it speak a message intended for everyone to hear? Sermon Text: Revelation 14:6-7 October 29, 2023 Preacher: Pastor John Petersen Visit us at mtolivelutheran.org

When Christian III became king of Denmark, he implemented the Lutheran Reformation in his new kingdom. He fired all the Catholic bishops, replaced them with Lutherans and confiscated Church property, making the Crown immensely rich and powerful. The process was surprisingly undramatic. In Denmark. In Norway and Iceland, there was plenty of drama.

Dr. Thomas Jacobson, Assistant Professor of History at Institute of Lutheran Theology, comes on the podcast to discuss the Nordic Reformation, or how the Reformation transpired in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland- both its influence from, and similarities and differences with, the Reformation in Germany and other countries. Host Andrew especially enjoyed his time as he learned a LOT about a fascinating history. This is the first of a two-part episode. Stay tuned for the upcoming episode with Dr. Jacobson "The Nordic Revivalists (and Their Influence in North America" Dr. Jacobson mentions the following works that both influenced him and highlight the importance of the Nordic expression of Lutheranism: Abdel Ross Wentz's A Basic History of Lutheranism in America Conrad Bergendoff's book The Church of the Lutheran Reformation

The Lutheran Reformation

Mary Dyer endured religious persecution and personal tragedy. Then, she was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for her religious activities.  Research: Bremer, Francis J. "Dissenting Puritans: Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer." Historical Journal of Massachusetts, vol. 46, no. 1, winter 2018, pp. 22+. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A530009148/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=fe325ce2. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023. Burns, Jesse. “The Antinomian Disputations.” Lutheran Reformation.org. 10/23/2017. https://lutheranreformation.org/history/the-antinomian-disputations/ Burrough, Edward and Royster, Paul , editor, "A Declaration of the Sad and Great Persecution and Martyrdom of the People of God, called Quakers, in New-England, for the Worshipping of God (1661)" (1661). Electronic Texts in American Studies. 23. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/etas/23 Canavan, Michael J. “Where Were The Quakers Hanged in Boston? A Paper Read Before the Bostonian Society, May 17, 1910.” Boston. Reprinted from the Proceedings. 1911. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044086361060 "Dyer, Mary." Colonial America Reference Library, edited by Peggy Saari and Julie L. Carnagie, vol. 3: Biographies: Volume 1, UXL, 2000, pp. 88-93. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3425300060/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=d1836273. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023. Gill, Catie. "Dyer [née Barrett], Mary (d. 1660), Quaker martyr in America." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Date of access 7 Apr. 2023, https://proxy.bostonathenaeum.org:2261/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-69098 Myles, Anne G. “From Monster to Martyr: Re-Presenting Mary Dyer.” Early American Literature , 2001, Vol. 36, No. 1 (2001). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25057215 Pestana, Carla Gardina. “The Quaker Executions as Myth and History.” The Journal of American History , Sep., 1993, Vol. 80, No. 2 (Sep., 1993), pp.441-469. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2079866 Sconyers, Jake. Twitter conversation 4/8/2023. https://twitter.com/HUBhistory/status/1644847372285931532 Winsser, Johan. “Mary Dyer and the ‘Monster' Story.” Quaker History , Spring 1990, Vol. 79, No. 1 (Spring 1990). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41947156 Winsser, Johan. “Quieting Mary Dyer: Edward Burrough and Dyer's Letter to the Massachusetts General Court, 26 October 1659.” Quaker History , Spring 2016, Vol. 105, No. 1 (Spring 2016). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24896279 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lutheran Reformation brought about a return to the historical and biblical understanding of salvation. Along with that restoration, came an undercurrent of antinomianism. Early they were charges brought against the Lutherans from their Roman opponents. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession clarifies the Lutheran position. Later, actual antinomians were among the Lutherans. The Formula of Concord clarifies and sets forth the Lutheran position. In this episode, we discuss the actual position of the Lutherans with regard to Fruits of Repentance. ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Special Guest: Fr. Mike Grieve ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support. 

Welcome to season 5 of the Queen of the Sciences podcast! Vocation is a topic near and dear to me and Dad, both as a central theological focus of the Lutheran Reformation and also because we just plain take a lot of pleasure in our work. But David Graeber's astonishing book Bullshit Jobs came as a serious wake-up call to us both. In this episode, we review Graeber's case for the precipitous shift from meaningful to meaningless and even actively harmful paid work in the world today, and what it means for an ongoing commitment to the doctrine of vocation. Notes: 1. Graeber, Bullshit Jobs 2. The short story "Gold" in my collection Protons and Fleurons is a skewed look at vocation, but not as skewed as Graeber's. 3. The classic study of Luther on vocation is Gustav Wingren's appropriately titled Luther on Vocation 4. Related episodes: Hannah Arendt, Cybertech and Personhood What do you think five years of top-quality theology podcasting is worth? Register your vote by joining our highly select band of Patrons. Get some cool swag and support your favorite podcast in remaining stridently independent and advertising-free!

The Festival of the Lutheran Reformation: 'Truth' and 'freedom' are two of the most cherished words and concepts in America. But what is 'truth' and 'freedom'? Jesus tells us in John 8 and it ties in beautifully with the message of the Lutheran Reformation. The Son has set you free from all the things that legitimately burden you in life and in death. And that's the truth! https://youtu.be/GuZ07XaWCcE  Show Notes Contact the Podcast: RWJPodcast@gmail.com or www.raisedwithjesus.com/podcast  Click here to find a nearby congregation or church home.   yearbook.wels.net All rights reserved. Content used at this podcast comes from a variety of locations & sources.   Register today for the WELS Lutheran Leadership Conference:  http://lutheranleadership.com/  Grace Abounds Reading Guides:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19Tw74cyqt4ZNRcGpwjJ6l1XsT0ldhyxj  CW21 Daily Lectionary:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PN_RWjgV4wnvFALd8f4Hu3MvWAo8Jgh-/view?usp=sharing  Casting Nets Podcast: https://castingnetspod.podbean.com/ Apple   Spotify Contact Casting Nets: castingnetspod@gmail.com  Impact Podcast - St. Andrew, Middleton WI https://st-andrew-online.org/impact/  RSS Link: https://feeds.libsyn.com/314675/rss  Prince of Peace - Thousand Oaks, CA https://www.princeofpeaceto.com  https://www.youtube.com/c/PrinceofPeaceTO/featured  Water of Life Lutheran Church - Caledonia & Racine, WI https://www.wateroflifelutheran.com  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcICs1dldnmZ-rcBqs4QtVQ  Life Challenges Podcast https://christianliferesources.com/life-challenges-podcast/  St. Paul Lutheran Church - Ottawa, ON, Canada https://www.stpaulottawa.org/  https://www.youtube.com/c/StPaulOttawa  Martin Luther College - New Ulm, MN https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG3EyO6dSM4-5Ujr2HM9ExA  His Word 360 (WLS Prof. Rev. Stephen Geiger) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd542RpYW_KSrkEBUSNw-Lg  WELS Streams: https://www.youtube.com/c/welsstreams  WELS Congregational Services: https://vimeo.com/welscongserve  https://vimeo.com/wels  Point of Grace Campus Ministry https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsI7Z5KbPwLdHeIVj_l1z_A  Pilgrim Lutheran Church - Menomonee Falls WI https://www.youtube.com/user/pilgrimlutheran  Through My Bible readings by Rev. Martin Spriggs.  Audio accessed at https://wels.net/serving-you/bible/through-my-bible-archive/  Produced 2022 by Pastor Hagen: pastorhagen@icloud.com or (419) 262-8280  Music from Joseph McDade: https://josephmcdade.com #raisedwithjesus #lutheran #sanctification #toledome #toledo #welstoledo #jesus #bible #podcast #dailyjesus #jesusdaily #rwjpodcast #jesusfortoledo  Resurrection - Maumee: Family Bible Hour at 10:15 AM, Worship on Sundays at 9 AM & 11 AM 2250 S. Holland Sylvania Rd - Maumee, OH Contact RWJ: RWJPodcast@gmail.com (419) 262-8280 CCLI Copyright License 11582729 and Streaming License 20003552 

Preached at St Paul Lutheran Church, Rockford, Illinois on October 30, 2022.Support Rev Fisk at SubscribeStarOrder Rev Fisk's books at AmazonCatch Rev Fisk on A Brief History of Power podcastGet the Mad Mondays newsletter, a round up of news from a Christian perspective with encouragement from Rev FiskFind out more about the Sons of Solomon, a prayer discipline for men

Preached at St Paul Lutheran Church, Rockford, Illinois on October 30, 2022.Support Rev Fisk at SubscribeStarOrder Rev Fisk's books at AmazonCatch Rev Fisk on A Brief History of Power podcastGet the Mad Mondays newsletter, a round up of news from a Christian perspective with encouragement from Rev FiskFind out more about the Sons of Solomon, a prayer discipline for men

The Sermon for Sunday, October 30th, 2022, is based on Romans 3:19-28 Today's Focus: As we mark the 505th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation's start, we ask our loving God to keep us steadfast in his Word, where we find the eternal truths of salvation by his grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. We follow a special order of service. Sermon Given By: Paul Jenkins Trinity Lutheran Church is located in Woodbridge, VA, USA and is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). If you would like more information about our congregation, please visit www.trinityofwoodbridge.org or www.facebook.com/trinityofwoodbridge Welcome! If you are a visitor, please consider joining us in-person at our worship services each Sunday at 8:30AM and 11AM. If you would like Pastor Jenkins to contact you, please find our contact info here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/contact-us/ Download the worship folder here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/sunday-worship/ Podcasts of each sermon can be found here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/audio-sermons/ Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License 735256-A and Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI). All rights reserved.

The Reformers and their followers were not the friends of the genuine Bible-belieiving Christians of the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet, each year, untold numbers of Protestant church leaders memorialize and celebrate the Lutheran Reformation without acknowledging the fatal flaw of that revival--the state church. In this episode, we consider the Reformation through the eyes of church history, and not the presuppositions of well-meaning, but misguided Christian leaders.

Grace to you and peace from God our creator, Jesus our Savior, and the Holy Spirit our guide. Amen. Happy Reformation! The day we celebrate the start of the Lutheran Church. The day we celebrate change. The day we look at what makes us Lutheran. As I was thinking about how Reformation can be considered the start of the Lutheran church, I was thinking that we celebrate a lot of “starts” in our church. We celebrate Advent - the start of the church year; we celebrate Christmas - the start or birthday of Jesus; we celebrate Easter - the start of a new way of thinking about salvation; and we celebrate Pentecost, the start of the Holy Spirit among us and what some would consider the start of the Christian church. So, if nothing, we are certainly flexible, or we just love to celebrate the church. When thinking about Martin Luther and the Reformation, I came up with 3 C's that I will reflect on in today's sermon. The first is “change” - reformation - re-forming - changing the church. Luther didn't want to start a brand new branch of the church and he certainly didn't want his followers to call themselves Lutherans, he simply wanted to change some of the practices of the church at the time that didn't fit with what the word of God, the bible, said. He felt the church structure had become something that was getting in the way of people's connections to God. One of the main issues was that the church 500 years ago was very focused on “doing the right thing” or doing “works as prescribed by law” in order to obtain favor with God and get into heaven. Then, in case you were concerned you didn't have enough good works, you could simply buy indulgences as a way to guarantee your sins would be forgiven. Luther wanted to change the church and get rid of these practices since they were not what the bible was saying was the way to be right with God. Yes, Luther changed the church, or ended up creating a division since the church didn't want to change (not that a church today would ever be reluctant to change!) We might be tempted to think that because of what Luther did, the change part of the reformation is done.  It isn't.  As noted as a footnote in the book “Baptized, We Live: Lutheranism as a Way of Life” it says “If we are faithful to the spirit of the Lutheran Reformation, we will ask ‘What are our indulgences?' - meaning ‘What is there in our institution which hinders us from hearing the LIVING WORD?'” So, yes - we need to constantly be thinking about our church and what is hindering us from truly experiencing and proclaiming God's living, loving, redeeming word - the gospel - the good news. This can be many things from church structure at all levels of the church - ELCA, Synod, and congregational levels; our worship services; our physical buildings; ourselves; and more. This is part of what the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, that the last churchwide assembly created, will be looking at for the ELCA. How do we need to change, how do we need to reform ourselves, to keep the focus on God's Living Word. We can't use the excuse of “well, that's the way it has always been” as to why we shouldn't change. The church has changed a lot over the years, including if you think back to the start of the Christian church, it was focused a lot on community. Our second “C” for today. The start of the church was people gathering in each other's homes - sharing stories, sharing the Good News, coming together to help those in need. All this, not because they were told to or had to, but because they wanted to - they believed in the message of Christ, the Living Word, and came together in community to support each other and share that message. Over the years, the church became more structured, more hierarchical, more bureaucratic. I personally think that the church as a whole could learn a lot from going back to a community focused approach, much like I see in many aspects of our congregation. Our food pantries, our parish house for refugees, our various food drives, our quilts and kits for Lutheran World Relief, and more - they all show how we support our larger community. However, we also support our own community. I am preaching today as part of community. This is another thing that Luther was all about - lay people getting involved in the word. Luther translated the bible into German so that people themselves could read the Bible and learn from it directly instead of having the priest be the go-between for them. In fact, when I was telling someone this past week that I would be giving the sermon today, they were a bit surprised, thinking that only a pastor could give the message. So Lutherans, and some other denominations, are still unique in that aspect, that the message, the Living Word, belongs to everyone and can be shared by everyone. The past week and upcoming weeks are a very strong example of how our own community support each other. As we continue to support and hold in prayer Pastor Ellen, Ken, and all of Dorothy's family - this community of Faith continues to come together to share our gifts with them, so that the work that needs to be done is shared. This happens over and over again in our congregation - with people rotating to share leading Sunday School, with Deb or Kathy stepping in to play when Bruce is gone, with Pastor John filling in for Pastor Ellen when she needs to take care of other matters. The church isn't the pastor, the church isn't the building, the church isn't any one person, the church is all of us coming together in community. And this leads to the 3rd “C” - we gather in community to share our common confession.  I'm not talking about confession as confession of sins - I'm talking about our confession of faith - what we deep down believe - the core of our faith and beliefs. Now many of our confessions are covered in the creeds, the one we are focusing on today is the confession that makes Lutherans Lutheran. The confession that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works. This was the core of what Luther found in his studies. There is no way to earn our way to Heaven, to be in God's good standing, since it is gift from God. In our reading from the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus say, “...you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” and the disciples, ever confused, asked, “What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free'?”  Just like we often ask in the Lutheran tradition - “What does this mean?”  So a story. This past May I was on vacation using a rental car, and at one point, I backed the car into a larger truck which was not damaged, no one was hurt, and the only damage was part of the back end of the rental car was crunched a bit. Now, since this is church, I am being live streamed and recorded, and there are children present, I will not share what I said right after I had the accident. However, it was the feeling I had next that I want to share - I was consumed by this. I was trying to figure out what to do, what did I do wrong, how did I miss the truck, would this cost me any money, who do I need to report this to, where do I find a number to call, etc. I tried to focus on my visit with my family, but my mind kept getting drawn back to the accident and what I needed to do to make it right. I was certainly not free. I could hardly focus on anything else. So, when the Gospel talks about being free, it isn't just in the physical captive sense, it can be our mental state and how we live our lives. And this is how it can be if we had to keep focusing on making sure we are “right” with God, that we have done everything to make sure we will be saved and make it to Heaven. It would be hard to focus on the community part of our faith, hard to focus on living our lives, if with everything we did we were worried about if this will please God and will we be rewarded or punished.  We would start having to add up and keep track of everything we did during the week to make sure we did enough. Now, based on how I felt after my accident, and the thought of tracking everything I do - that doesn't sound like a fun way of living. This is the good news, we don't have to do that - we have been made free by the Son, by Jesus, by God's Living Word, as John says “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” - and the Son and God have made us free. And this isn't just a New Testament message. Our loving God is consistent through the Bible, always loving us and forgiving our sins because of God's commitment to us. As it says in our reading from Jeremiah today, “No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”  Let's focus again on that last part, “I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”  Yes - our sins have been forgiven, not because we ask or do the right thing, but because it is God's will and God has already done it. Our reading from Romans shares the same message, “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Our sins are forgiven and remembered no more, not because of anything we do, but because it is a gift from God. We are forgiven, saved, justified, by our faith. Again from Romans, “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” This would be a nice place to stop, but there is always that pesky question that remains.  If we are justified by faith and not by works - then why should we or why do we do good works? We were just told that we aren't justified by our works, so why bother? We should note that nothing says that good works and the law aren't important, it says that “works prescribed by the law” isn't what gets us into Heaven. As noted in Jeremiah the Lord says, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”  The law, the urge to do good works, is part of who we are as Children of God, our very being. It is our calling to show our faith, show who we are as God's children, by working to live into the law, live into what brings forth God's kin-dom of love for all. Back to my rental car this past May. Long story short, my insurance covered all of the damage, I paid nothing out of pocket, overall it was easy to deal with, and nothing bad happened. You could say all was forgiven. Had I known this would be the outcome, maybe I wouldn't have been so consumed by it when it happened, and could have felt more free in that situation. So, since in the end it all turned out OK, I could really go out and do it again and again, since I have the insurance and they'll take care of it, aka “forgive” me.  (We'll ignore the part of my insurance premiums skyrocketing and then probably canceling coverage). But I won't purposefully go out and do it again, because I know it isn't the right thing to do, it doesn't provide benefit to people. I don't avoid accidents because it helps me get further in life or gain me any favor, but it is simply the right thing to do, and is part of who I am - to be a safe driver and work to do everything right, not because I have to, but because I want to. It is the same with good works - we don't do them to gain favor with God, we do them because it is part of who we are, part of having God's law being written in our hearts, part of our faith, our desire to bring forth God's kin-dom to all, part of our calling as people of God. We recognize that this can be a struggle at times, since while we strive to do good in the world, we know there is evil, the forces in the universe that draw us away from God's love and kin-dom - so we follow Jesus, not because we have to be perfect and do all the right things like Jesus did, but as an example, a role model, a reminder of the way God wants us to live into our faith and God's kin-dom. Our church is changing and needs to continue to change, so we can focus on our community, and live into our confession of faith - the good news. The good news we are justified by grace through faith. Our sins are forgiven and remembered no more as gift from God and there is nothing we can or need to do to earn this favor. We are freed from focusing on ourselves and our sins, so that we can focus on bringing forth God's kin-dom into the world, yes - often by good works. We could simply not do any good works and we still receive God's gift of salvation, but is that the life you want to live? I leave you with this question to ponder for the week, “Why do you do good works, when you aren't required to?”  Amen.

 Audio recordingSermon manuscript:Today I'd like to follow the progression of Jesus's thought when he says to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, then you really are my disciples. You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Let's begin by talking about remaining in Jesus's Word. It is not uncommon for people to pledge allegiance to Jesus. Lots of people are willing to be identified as Christians or see themselves as Christians. Their reasons for seeing themselves as Christians are many and varied. Perhaps they were baptized. Perhaps they were raised going to church. There are some who go to church all the time, so of course they have to be Christians, don't they? And there are those who have just made that choice for themselves. They choose to be Christians. Who are you, then, to say that they are not? Jesus himself, however, identifies the reason why anyone may identify himself or herself as a Christian:  “If you remain in my word, then you really are my disciple.” The opposite of that, then, must mean that someone is not his disciple. If you do not remain in his Word, then you really aren't his disciple. This makes perfect sense if you think about it. Being a disciple means being a follower. A good substitute for the word disciple, which carries with it all kinds of baggage, is the more neutral word, “student.” If you remain in Jesus's Word, then you are his student. If you don't remain in his word, then, of course, you cannot be his student. Anybody can say that they are a student of whatever they might want. I can say that I'm a student of astro-physics. Although I can say that, it doesn't mean that I am. Someone could say to me, “But you don't know anything about astro-physics.” True. “You don't read anything about astro-physics.” That's true too. “You don't even think about astro-physics. It's been days, months, or years since you've given it any thought.” The assumption's one thing; reality's another. So also it is very silly for people to claim to be students of Jesus when they never think of him, never pray to him, never hear what he says, or if they do hear what he says, never act on what he says. I'm not the church-attendance police. We live in a free country where everyone can listen to and learn from whomever he or she wants, but I don't see how people who never hear, never pray, never worship, or never receive the sacraments of Jesus can claim to be his followers or students. You know, though, that there are many who claim just that, and they might be you or the people you know and love. We also should not think that mere attendance at the divine service makes anyone a disciple of Jesus. Having Jesus's words go in one ear and out the other doesn't help anyone. There are many people who attend church week after week who hate some of the things that Jesus teaches. They think he has terrible advice for how to live one's life or how to be successful. The only reason why they will tolerate hearing Jesus speak at all is because they think it will give them salvation. Thus there will be many surprises on Judgement Day. Many are called; few are chosen. There will be some very angry people who will scream at Jesus, “Didn't we come week in and week out? Didn't we sit there bored out of our mind? Couldn't we have been doing things that we liked?” But it will not be difficult to prove how such people were not his disciples. Although they were in the presence of God's Word, they did not love it. Although they honored God with their lips, their hearts were far from him. Let's not kid ourselves. If you don't remain in Jesus's Words, you aren't his disciple. You don't love the truth. You aren't free. You are still a slave of sin. This is a good way to get at what we consider today with the Lutheran Reformation. The Christian Church at the time of the Reformation said a lot of stuff that people wanted to hear. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church continues to say stuff that sounds pretty good if we all just get to make stuff up for ourselves to believe. They basically said, if you stick with them, with their church organization, then you'll be alright. Make sure you follow their rules. Never disobey the pope, the church councils, the bishops or the pastors. Make sure that you maintain your membership. Make sure you don't get excommunicated. Make sure you have a priest there for confession and last rights. If you followed these rules (and really these rules aren't too onerous), then you are pretty much guaranteed that you'll be fine. Eventually you'll end up in heaven. Not a bad deal. This was handy in all kinds of ways. Ordinary Christians didn't have to follow Jesus's commands. The monks and nuns could do that for you. No need to worry too much about sins, because the church had a whole medicine cabinet full of remedies, many of which have no biblical basis. Jesus did not make any promises about bells, incense, candles, being shaved, pouches, not eating meat, celibacy, indulgences, and a whole bunch of other things. And yet these remedies were so old and they looked so pious, that everybody though that they just had to do the trick. Plus, of course, the teachers and officials swore up and down that these things worked. Holy Mother Church had said so. They were so entangled in so many lies, so many good lies, and so many old lies, that it took a tremendous amount of sorting out. Something that is good to remember about Martin Luther and the Reformation is that it was a process that went on for years. It wasn't like Martin Luther woke up one day and suddenly had it all figured out. What really got the ball rolling for the reformation was his 95 theses or statements against the Church's sale of indulgences. He posted that on October 31, 1517. That is why we observe the Reformation on that day. Luther was pretty sure that there was something very wrong with just this one church practice. There was a whole bunch of other stuff that wasn't even on his radar yet. But what was of utmost importance for his sorting out the truth from the lies was that he differentiated between Jesus's word and other words. It is remaining in Jesus's words that makes a person his disciple. The Christian Church is not a building or a whole bunch of buildings. It's not a government. It's not an organization with the pope at the head of it. Jesus, in fact, doesn't say one word about the so-called pope ever. There isn't even a single syllable about a Roman pontiff or being obedient to him. The Christian Church is not even about me as a pastor, as though I'm someone who bosses people around. The Christian Church consists of lambs who hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lays down his life for the sheep. He knows them, and his sheep know his voice. His sheep hear his voice and follow him. It is the following of the voice or the words of Jesus that makes anyone a Christian. If you remain in his words, you truly are his disciple. If you do not remain in his words, then you are not his disciple no matter how many ceremonies or robes or ancient decrees might seem to indicate otherwise. Luther and the other reformers distinguishing between Jesus's words, his apostles' words, and everybody else's words was what made all the difference. To this day the Catholic Church claims that it can add to God's Word so long as it's done with the proper pomp and circumstance. And there are many others who do the same thing in their own way. The Pentecostals, for example, think they can receive new revelations and tongues and miraculous powers so long as it is done with the proper pomp and circumstance. Or the ELCA, which believes that they can decide for themselves what is a sin and what isn't a sin, so long as it's done with the proper pomp and circumstance. The whole world, in fact, is filled to the brim and overflowing with people who never stop telling you what to believe, how to act, even all the way down to what you should eat and drink. They certainly can't be all telling you the truth because they contradict one another. How do we sort out this cacophony of messages, all wanting to teach us? It's as simple as what Jesus says: “If you remain in my words, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus's words are true. I'd like to mention a very useful tool in this regard—Luther's Small Catechism. The Catechism isn't the same thing as Scripture, but, without a shadow of a doubt, what is in the Catechism is drawn from the Scriptures. This tool is extremely useful in the midst of all the different voices so that we can know what Scripture says about how we are to act, in whom we are to believe, how we are to pray, and where we should turn for grace, the forgiveness of sins. Think of the tremendous truths that this little pamphlet: The Ten Commandments teach us what is truly good, truly pleasing to God. Everybody else's ideas about what is good or life-promoting or life-giving are just that—their own ideas. Everyone just does what is good in his or her own eyes, but the Ten Commandments are God's communication to us of his standards. Anyone who takes seriously God's standards for how we are supposed to be will also learn how we are slaves to sin. Our desires are contrary to God's desires. Our desires say, “Do this!” and we can't help but say, “Yes, sir! On the double! On the double!” We are especially slaves to those things that don't look like sins—our own ambitions, our own honor, our own pleasure. We lack what we should have. We do not want to love or sacrifice. We do not love even though God is love. We do not sacrifice even though God showed his love to us in the sacrifice of his own Son. How silly and shallow every other standard for conduct is compared to the Ten Commandments as Jesus explains them in his Sermon on the Mount! But, as Jesus says in our reading, if you remain in his Word, you are his disciple. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Then he goes on to say, “Amen, amen I tell you: Everyone who keeps on committing sin is a slave to sin. The slave will not remain in the house forever.” That is to say, heaven is not a place of evil and sin. The name for a place like that is hell. So how do we slaves free ourselves? We can't! A slave's a slave. If a slave were free it would no longer be a slave. But, as Jesus says, “If the Son sets you free, you will really be free.” We have been redeemed, that is, purchased and won, by the holy precious blood and the innocent suffering and death of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. We slaves of sin, slaves of the devil, have been set free, not by God snapping his fingers, but the Son of God becoming sin for us, suffering in our place, being punished in our place, and thereby bringing about perfect atonement. You remember this Bible verse, I'm sure: “God loved the world in this way, that he sent his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” Jesussaid those words. You remember what Jesus said in our reading today: “If you remain in my words, you are truly my disciples.” Those aren't hard words to be a student of. Jesus is the teacher. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Holy Mother Church isn't the Good Shepherd. Speaking in tongues isn't the Good Shepherd. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry who has their own thoughts about right and wrong, life and death, and what we are doing here on this earth are not the Good Shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has laid down his life for the sheep. He calls out with his voice, “Come unto me all you who are weak and weary, and I will give you rest.” Jesus alone is the Savior. To him be all glory, now and forever. Amen!

Rev. Dr. Daniel Harmelink, Executive Director of Concordia Historical Institute, joins Sarah on the Commemoration day for Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach to talk about the historical context of both men, their connections to the Lutheran Reformation and Martin Luther himself, how their work is important in the history of the Lutheran Church and Christendom in general, and works of theirs that we should know and recognize today. Learn more about Concordia Historical Institute, including how you can visit, at concordiahistoricalinstitute.org. Read about the Cranach Reformation Altar at the LCMS International Center at reporter.lcms.org/2016/cranach-reformation-altar-reproduction-installed.

“Originalism and Judicial Restraint: Lessons from the Lutheran Reformation" with John Ehrett (Counsel, Office of US Senator Josh Hawley)

In the FIFTY-SIXTH session of our Wingin' It series on the Life of Luther, Wade and Mike discuss the person and work of John Calvin and how it intersected with Luther and the Lutheran Reformation. We hope that you will enjoy this discussion. Let the Bird Fly! is supported by the 1517 Podcast Network, which is part of 1517.org. If you haven't done so yet, stop over there and check out the other great podcasts in the network, as well as all of the other excellent content they offer. And as always, please subscribe, rate, and review us on the following sites and apps: iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn Radio iHeartRadio You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. You can also follow our Telegram Channel, where we post our new episodes as well as other content that we think you might enjoy. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you'd like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Image used in this Episode: "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. Image: "Portrait of Luther" by Lucas Cranach the Elder is in the Public Domain.

John 11:32-44When Mary came to Jesus and saw him she said to him, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the other Jews with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said to them, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”Then Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone lying against it. Jesus said to them, “Take away the stone.” But Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone.And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I've said this for the sake of those standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”A few years ago, I preached one of my favorite sermons on All Saints Sunday. It was for my friend, Peggy. Peggy had died over the summer, some of you might remember, and though she was a dear friend of our family's, we didn't find out about her death until a few weeks after the fact, when one of the sermons I mailed her every Monday, was “Returned to Sender.” Peggy lived alone. Her mother and sister had both died already. She had given a child up for adoption years before. And so on and so on. The short of the long is she didn't want a funeral for lots of reasons. So on that All Saints Sunday after learning of Peggy's death, I preached a funeral sermon for a funeral that never was.Many of you know Cross of Grace added a new saint to our list just two weeks ago. Don Campbell died alone in his home on October 20th. Like Peggy, Don was without parents or children to celebrate his life on this side of heaven. His lovely wife of 58 years, Charlotte, died about 5 years ago. Like Peggy, Don was very clear about not wanting a funeral service of any kind. I'm not sure about all of his reasons, but I wasn't surprised by that news. Don was as frugal as he was humble and unassuming. So I'm guessing he just didn't want to spend the money or receive the attention a typical funeral service requires or assumes.And I don't mean to make a habit of this – preaching funeral sermons for or about those who don't want funeral services, I mean – but since we were all going to gather anyway, and since I would have had to preach something this morning, I don't think Don would mind. And, more importantly, I think there's something to learn about “all the saints” thanks to the life and likes of Don Campbell, on this All Saints Sunday.You might not know it – and I wouldn't have guessed it – but Don served in the US Army during the Korean War as a staff sergeant in Psychological Warfare. How cool is that?One of his greatest joys in recent years was the trip he took as part of one of those Honor Flights, to Washington D.C., to visit the memorials there for military veterans.Don was a CPA who served the state of Indiana, private clients, larger firms and hospitals. And he used all of that wisdom, experience, and expertise, to volunteer for a variety of the Lutheran churches he and Charlotte were a part of over the years, too.Don worshiped with us every week at Cross of Grace. He sat in the back – right about “there,” most of the time. And, even though he was 90 years old, he gladly learned to join us for worship, online, via Zoom and YouTube, without complaint when the COVID-19 pandemic demanded we keep our distance.In addition to learning that new technology, Don wasn't afraid to make new friends, either. Not only did he follow many of his pals from Greenfield to this new congregation at Cross of Grace several years ago, but he was charmed by the Blachly family and he became buddies with Linda Duff, too, after joining our ranks. Joining new churches and making new friends isn't nothing when you're 90 years old, I'm guessing.And, of course, there was Charlotte. I visited her often in the nursing home over in Greenfield before she died. She was in the Alzheimer's unit there. And I can't think of a time when I showed up, unannounced, that I didn't see Don already there, too. Sitting with her. Reading the paper. Helping her eat. Or just asleep in a chair. He was a steadfast, patient, loving presence for her, even though she didn't remember who he was or why he was there a lot of the time.So, cheers to Don Campbell, our most recently minted “saint” on this All Saints Sunday.We talked about “saints” and “sinners” last Sunday in our Faith Formation class, with the Junior High kids… about that very Lutheran/Reformation notion that we are – each of us – at the same time on any given day, both “saint” and “sinner.” (“Simul Justus et Peccator,” for those who remember the Latin or who had stricter Lutheran Confirmation teachers than me.) It means we're both broken and redeemed. Both sinful and forgiven. Both lost and found. Both dead to our sin and promised new life again, in spite of it.And as part of that discussion with the kids, I rattled off the names of some saints – the ones who've garnered some notoriety over the years, who have festival days named and claimed for them in the life of the Church, and whatnot – people like St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa – or St. Joseph who some believe is great for real estate sales.But the thing about Luther's understanding about “saints” and “sinners” is the holy reminder that we all are … each of us is … a saint in the eyes and by the grace of God. And we are “saints” in the eyes of God, precisely because we were created in love and created for love and created by the love of our Creator.Don Campbell was and is a saint, not because he served our country, or because he volunteered in the Church, or because he loved his wife well. Don was – and is – a saint because the love and grace and mercy of God created him as such and declared him to be so, in baptism. And Don lived a saintly life in response to the truth and promise of that Good News.Likewise, we are, each of us, “saints,” not because we gathered for worship this morning, or because we did a good deed yesterday, or because we voted this way or that, gave this much money to so many churches or charities, or whatever. We are – and will be – saints, you and I, in the eyes of God because God wants it to be so. And we are called to live our lives in righteous, faithful, saintly ways on this side of the grave, until we realize the fullness of God's promised grace on the other side of heaven – whatever and wherever and however that comes to pass, I don't pretend to know the details of that.When I think about Don Campbell, and my friend Peggy, and every one of those “saints” whose names we spoke just moments ago… (take a minute to be mindful, again, of the saints who have blessed your own life and times) …those faces as you remember them… those lives for which we are grateful. And give thanks for their memory, for the blessings they shared with this world, for the source of the love they were and are, and for the way that love surrounds us, still, and calls us to live with joy and hope, with purpose and peace, in their honor, for their sake, and in the name of Jesus, who does for us what he did for Martha and the crowd outside of Lazarus' tomb: he calls us to believe in this kind of surprising, unmitigated, amazing grace. And he promises that we will see the glory of God – on this side of heaven and the next – when we do.Amen

Today, we celebrate The Festival of the Lutheran Reformation looking at the question, "How Can I Be Sure about My Salvation?".  Pastor Jeske's bible study dives into II Peter 1:12-21. The Festival of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church emphasizes the true Church's unfailing reliance on the Word of God and unflinching testimony to it in the face of persecution. Jesus promised to pour out his Spirit on the Church that we might be God's mouthpiece even before kings. Today the Church prays that the Lord gives us the strength to be faithful and the peace of knowing our lives are safe in his hands.

Today, we celebrate The Festival of the Lutheran Reformation looking at the question, "How Can I Be Sure about My Salvation?".  Pastor Jeske's bible study dives into II Peter 1:12-21. The Festival of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church emphasizes the true Church's unfailing reliance on the Word of God and unflinching testimony to it in the face of persecution. Jesus promised to pour out his Spirit on the Church that we might be God's mouthpiece even before kings. Today the Church prays that the Lord gives us the strength to be faithful and the peace of knowing our lives are safe in his hands.

The Sermon for Sunday, October 31st, 2021, is based on John 8:31-36 Today's Focus: 504 years ago, an obscure monk and Doctor of Theology named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Originally written to spur a private debate, the 95 Theses changed world history by igniting the Lutheran Reformation. The Reformation is still critical today. Each generation must hang on tight to its three central truths: We are saved by grace alone, and not because of our worthiness; we are saved through faith in Christ alone; we receive God's truth in Scripture alone. Sermon Given by: Paul Jenkins Trinity Lutheran Church is located in Woodbridge, VA, USA and is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). If you would like more information about our congregation, please visit www.trinityofwoodbridge.org or www.facebook.com/trinityofwoodbridge Welcome! If you are a visitor, please consider joining us in-person at our worship services each Sunday at 9 A.M. If you would like Pastor Jenkins to contact you, please find our contact info here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/contact-us/ Download the worship folder here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/sunday-worship/ Podcasts of each sermon can be found here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/audio-sermons/ Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License 735256-A and Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI). All rights reserved.

The Lutheran Reformation was never about Luther. The Lutheran Church of today—if it is to be truly Lutheran—cannot be about Luther. It is and always has been (and must remain) about Christ. It's about the purity of the Gospel. It's about the assurance that Christ came to save sinners, and that through…

The Lutheran Reformation was never about Luther. The Lutheran Church of today—if it is to be truly Lutheran—cannot be about Luther. It is and always has been (and must remain) about Christ. It's about the purity of the Gospel. It's about the assurance that Christ came to save sinners, and that through…

Beginning in 2017 we began what, for many of us, will be a lifetime of "500th" anniversaries. 2017 was the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation in the sense that 500 years had passed since the event that is widely viewed as the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation (Martin Luther's 95 Theses). Of course, the Lutheran Reformation did not occur on one specific day. Nor were it's events contained in the year 1517. There will be opportunity to commemorate event after event for the rest of our lives. 2021 presents us another opportunity as this is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's famous "stand" at the Diet of Worms. As Luther took his stand on the Word of God, and on the Word of God alone in 1521, 500 years later we do the same. Here, on the Word of God, we stand.

 Audio recordingSermon manuscript:504 years ago today, October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 theses, or statements, against the Church's sale of indulgences to the door of St. Mary's Church in Wittenberg. Luther making this protest is the reason why October 31st was the date that is chosen to commemorate the Lutheran Reformation of the Catholic Church. But October 31, 1517 was just the beginning of the story. The pope's sale of indulgences was not going to be the main point of contention. Fairly quickly much bigger questions were raised. Who or what is authoritative for Christians? Do Christians need to submit to the pope or to the Scriptures? Who or what determines the doctrines that are taught? What if there are discrepancies and conflicts between the authorities in the church and the Scriptures? We could talk a long time about these questions and issues. But what I'd like to spend our time on today is what became the most important issue during the Reformation. The most important conflict was concerning how a person could be found to be acceptable in God's sight. When God renders his verdict concerning an individual, what will that verdict be? And why? What is the basis for God's verdict concerning the individual? These are the questions behind an important church word that it is good for you to know and understand, which is “justification.” How can a person be justified in God's sight? That is a pretty important and practical thing to know, since our eternal fate is dependent upon it. Before we speak about what Luther and the other reformers rediscovered from the Bible, let's first briefly describe how justification was understood in the Roman Catholic Church. Overall, the most important thing to understand is that according to the Catholic Church if we are to be justified before God it is because of a cooperative effort between God and I. God does his part. I am to do my part. God's part is largely a matter of several different graces or gifts, such as the seven sacraments, and some other less important things. (Included, by the way, among these less important things would be indulgences, which Luther posted the 95 theses about.) God gave these graces to Peter and the other apostles. Therefore, through the ministers of the church, God dispenses his grace to those who wish to receive it. This is God doing his part, and you can count on God doing his part. But, according to Roman Catholic teaching, I also have to do my part. What is my part? First and foremost, I must receive these graces that are given out by the clergy. Then I must live a good life, keeping God's and the church's commandments. Whereas God can be counted on for doing his part, the Christian is not so trustworthy. Even the Catholics recognize that. But there is a remedy for that. The Christian can go to confession with the priest. He can buy indulgences. If the Christian sins a lot, then (even if all else fails) he can still work off his guilt in purgatory after he has died. Purgatory is not taught by the Bible, but eventually it came to be understood as a place where imperfect Christians who have died can go to get cleaned up through suffering, through being purged of the guilt that has been accumulated. Eventually the Christian will have done his part and will be holy enough to become a saint and can enter heaven. There is a lot more that we could say about the Roman Catholic Church's teachings about being justified before God. Great big books have been written about this. Let it be said that the Roman Catholic Church's teaching is not wild and nonsensical. It is not something that can just be written off as stupid. There is a good deal of truth in Roman Catholicism, particularly with what they say about God doing his part. Indeed, the whole overall arrangement makes a lot of sense to our natural way of thinking. There are so many things in life where the one party does his part, and the other party does their part. It seems reasonable that a person's relationship with God should be that way too. But, as we heard in our reading from Isaiah 55 a couple weeks ago, God says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways.” What is often reasonable and helpful in our daily, earthly life can be a roadblock if we transfer that thinking over to the kingdom of God. God doing his part, and we doing our part, sounds reasonable, but that's just not how it works. From long and bitter experience Luther learned how unreliable our reason is when it comes to the things of God. He tried his hardest to do his part. One of his problems, some Roman Catholics have said, was that he was too honest about his efforts. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't achieve what the church taught him he should be able to achieve. This made him very concerned about how he might be judged by God. How would God render his verdict concerning Martin Luther? Wanting to know God's will and judgments led Luther to search the Scriptures. What he found in the Scriptures was different from what the Church had taught him. It is not a situation where God does his part and I do my part. It is a situation where God does everything. I do nothing—at least not anything good. Our being justified before God is completely God's doing. God chose those whom he would save from eternity, before they were even born. The Son became man in order to redeem sinful mankind as the great atoning sacrifice. God causes his Word of salvation to be spoken so that sinners are justified through faith in Christ, through Christ's goodness, instead of the life that they had lived and are living.   The end point for the Christian is not purgatory. It is not a self-improvement project. It isn't a big fat bill of what we owe in order to do our part after God has done his part. The end point for the Christian is joy and thanksgiving at what God has done and is doing. It's like when the Angel spoke to the shepherds on Christmas Night. The Shepherds were encouraged to rejoice: “Fear not, for I bring you glad tidings of great joy that will be for all the people, for unto you is born this night in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” God gives a great gift of salvation to poor, miserable sinners. He distributes his salvation through the Word and the Sacraments. To receive these things we believe them, and thereby make good use of them. It is a dreadful thing to disbelieve these things, because that is calling God a liar. “But,” you might be wondering, “what about our part?” “Isn't there something that we have to do?” “What about our good works?” “The Bible talks a lot about us doing good works.” This is true. The Bible does talk a lot about good works. What is important is that we properly understand these works that a Christian does. They are not our part of the bargain, like it is in the Catholic system. They are an added gift, separate from how God regards us. Good works do not enter in to whether or how we are justified before God. If our works are considered for that judgment, it cannot result in any other verdict than condemnation. But we are not judged according to our works—good, bad, or otherwise—when we believe in Christ. Through faith in Christ we are judged according to a different basis, which is Jesus alone. Instead of good works being something that is required from us for our end of the bargain, good works must be understood as yet another gift from God on top of his justification of us sinners. He declares us not guilty with Jesus's resurrection from the dead. Jesus died for all our sins and atonement has been made. On top of that, together with faith in Christ, God begins to heal our sin-sick heart. Instead of being sold to sin and enslaved to the devil, we are set free to walk in the good works that God has prepared for us beforehand to walk in. The best picture for what is going on here is a picture that Jesus himself uses. He says, “Every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.” As we are of ourselves, as we were born by nature, we are bad trees. We live in ignorance of God, or, if we learn of him, we rebel against him and his will. We care for nothing and for no one except ourselves and what is ours. We are bad trees. We cannot help but produce bad fruit. God creates a good tree by killing the old tree and uniting us with Christ. This is brought about by God converting us to faith in Christ. Those who believe in Christ are well pleasing to God. After all, it was for the purpose of believing in Christ that God sent his only begotten Son to begin with. Thus, through faith in Christ, a person's whole life is sanctified, is made holy. God does not count our sins against us, and all the activities that we do otherwise while believing in Christ are sanctified so that they are acceptable and pleasing sacrifices to God. Even if we pick up a single straw or give a cup of water to a child, such humble acts, done with faith in Christ, are better than anything we might come up with in our sinful flesh to establish our justification before God. Faith has the power to change our whole life. It doesn't change our life in an outward way, where people can see it. It might not even be changed in the way that we can always feel and know. But faith changes our life before God—which is all that matters. Entire lifetimes could be spent studying all the different facets of what happened and what was discussed in the Reformation. There are many other important, godly, and helpful things that we could talk about. But the most important thing that happened during the Reformation was the return to what the Bible says about our justification before God. Our relationship with God is not a matter of the Law. It is not a situation where God does his part and we have to do our part. Our justification before God is a matter of the Gospel. It is a situation where God pardons and forgives us for Jesus sake. He also gives us his Holy Spirit to fight against our sinful flesh. Even where you might anticipate that we are supposed to do our part—with our good works—it is a matter of grace.  For good works to be genuine, and not self-serving, they have to be created by the Holy Spirit. This is what the Bible teaches about our justification before God. Luther understood how hard it was to believe what the Bible says about our justification. He always warned those who were younger than him, who didn't go through the struggles that he went through, that this teaching could easily be lost. That is true. It can be and has been lost in vast swaths of our own Lutheran Church. Our Synod, also, is not immune to this being lost. This is not surprising. The fact of the matter is that our old Adam doesn't like the Gospel and cannot understand it. The grace of God, the giving and giving of God, is incomprehensible to our Old Adam. That is why the miracle of a conversion is necessary. It is only by the almighty power of the Holy Spirit that we can see God and his will for what it really is. If God has bless you and enabled you to know him from the Scriptures and to see from the Scriptures how God regards you, then you will rejoice even while you bear your cross. In order that we may enjoy this good life of knowing God and believing in Jesus, let us not forget to pray in all seriousness what Jesus taught us to pray. Let God's Name be regarded as holy among us. Let God's kingdom come among us. Let God's good and gracious will be done among us.

This was a special bible study looking at the causes and relevance of the Lutheran Reformation.

In Lutheran Theology and Contract Law in Early Modern Germany (ca. 1520-1720) (Verlag Ferdinand Schoningh, 2019), Paolo Astorri shows how the Protestant Reformation influence European law. Martin Luther and his successors led European Christianity away from medieval ideas of penance and the careful accounting that went with it toward theology of grace. Human salvation was thence justified by faith alone, and holy scripture the supreme authority. For the law, this meant that love (charity) and not complicated rules would guide jurists. For the poor, debts were to be forgiven freely, while a rich debtor could now be charged interest by his creditor. In this conversation, Paolo Astorri discusses these changes and other legal – and also political and social – consequences of the Lutheran Reformation. He also speaks about the origins of western law and remarks about other changes in it over the last few centuries. He discusses other developments in the Catholic and Protestant confessions. Dr. Astorri is a Post-Doc at the Center of Privacy Studies at the University of Copenhagen and a member of the faculty at the Catholic University of Leuven, where he completed his doctorate in 2018. He studied law at the University of Macerata and canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. Krzysztof Odyniec is a historian of Early Modern Europe, specializing in sixteenth-century diplomacy and travel. He has also written about Germany in the early 1500s.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today in our worship, we celebrate the Festival of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church. Our worship emphasizes our unfailing reliance on the Word of God and unflinching testimony to it in the face of persecution. We pray that the Lord give us the strength to be faithful and the peace of knowing our lives are safe in his hands. Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word Service Program Want to hear more? Check out our sermon archive. Sermon Archive

The Reformation is closely identified with what we think of as Germany. The Lutheran Reformation certain originated there and the Reformed Reformation had strong roots there too. Heidelberg was one of the great centers of Reformation theology in the late 16th century. . . . Continue reading →

The Reformation is closely identified with what we think of as Germany. The Lutheran Reformation certain originated there and the Reformed Reformation had strong roots there too. Heidelberg was one of the great centers of Reformation theology in the late 16th century. . . . Continue reading →