“Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world.”
(Sent! by God's grace for the sake of the world, July 2006, "Global Missions Event." 5).
Who Cares About the 16th Century?
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The door on the right is the door of the Wittenburg church in Germany. The 95 Theses were nailed here which spelled out church abuses during the Renaissance. Is any of this relevant for the church today? This is the beginning of a short series on some of the main reforms and why we should care.
Clergy marriage
Prior to the Reformation and even in today’s Roman Catholic Church, clergy were/are not allowed to marry. The choice was clear; you could either get married or serve God in the church as a priest. This excluded a number of people with genuine calls of God, yet who did not have the gift of celibacy. It was a requirement the church had put upon candidates for the priesthood that scripture did not. Even before Luther’s time, there were those who were against this prerequisite.
Those who were already priests, but lacked the gift of celibacy, because they could not marry, often had mistresses and children by them. Though this ran counter to their vows, it was overlooked. With the reforms of the 16th century, one did not have to choose between a spouse and service to God. For many today, it is why they have left the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. It is a distinct advantage the Protestants have with this freedom. This is one I am personally grateful for!
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Indeed, Law and Gospel. And when I was a little Catholic girl, I wanted to be a nun. And Ray wanted to join a monastic order in RI, but they said no because of his sight. We are grateful and thankful and now both Lutheran.
This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Trinity Sunday, 6/16/19. The text was John 16:12-15. This is Holy Trinity Sunday. What comes to mind when you think of the Trinity—questions, confusion, a puzzle, a mystery? It seems to me that just when you think you have a bit of understanding, it all starts to unravel as you think of something else. This is a difficult concept to wrap our minds around. For centuries, the early church struggled with a right and proper interpretation and understanding as they formulated the doctrine of the Trinity. The more I read, the more I see the wisdom of Dr. Jerry Christianson who taught The Early Church and its Creeds my first year of seminary. He explained the Trinity as a love relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Just as God is all about relationship, so too the Christian life is all about relationship: our relationship with God, our relationship with each other and our relationship with our community.
Sally at revgalsblogpals posted the following for the Friday Five: I have recently been reading a book entitled Jesus wept , it is all about vulnerability in leadership. The authors speak of how Jesus shared his earthly frustrations and vulnerabilities with a select group of people. To some he was the charismatic leader and teacher, to others words of wisdom were opened and explained and some frustrations shared, to his "inner circle of friends: Peter, James and John, he was most fully himself, and in all of these things he was open to God. So I bring you this weeks Friday 5: 1. Is vulnerability something that comes easily to you, or are you a private person? It comes to me very easily, at times too much so. I feel that I have nothing to hide. Of course, I'm in seminary with a wonderful community of faith. In the parish I suspect I will need to be more guarded in what I share and with whom. 2.How important is it to keep up a professional persona in work/ ministry? I despise p
The door on the right is the door of the Wittenburg church in Germany. The 95 Theses were nailed here which spelled out church abuses during the Renaissance. Is any of this relevant for the church today? This is the beginning of a short series on some of the main reforms and why we should care.
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