Reformation Sunday
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
Virtually all Lutheran calendars and lectionaries make provision for the celebration of Reformation Day, cognizant of the fact that it is necessary to move the festival from October 31st to the previous Sunday (unless, of course, October 31st falls on a Sunday). Most Lutheran churches continue to observe Reformation Sunday, despite the good and growing relations with the Roman Catholic Church, which have developed with the onset of the ecumenical movement following Vatican II. But the tone of Reformation worship services has changed markedly, speaking to the need for a continuing reformation in the whole Catholic church. Ecumenical concerns, which confess the scandal of the denominational divisions in the church, are among the highest priorities of a "Reformation Today." The common interest in biblical studies, as well as theological discussions between the churches of Christendom, support such a continuing reformation toward reunion and unity today. Vatican II sparked interest in ecumenical worship services, often sponsored in alternate years by Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations. But preaching on Reformation Sunday must do more than press for unity among the churches of Christendom; it must speak to the need for "reformation of the mind, heart, and soul" of each Christian - a phenomenon that is connected to baptism and daily dying and rising in the Lord. The Word must also be spoken so that it addresses the situations encountered in the world, which Christians must attempt to do something about through their discipleship: the suppression of basic human rights, enslavement by politics and economics, drugs and alcohol, poverty, hunger and starvation, the care and preservation of the earth and its resources, crime and its roots in materialism and secularism. These cannot be addressed in a single sermon, of course.
The Prayer of the Day (LBW)
An older collect has simply been rewritten using modern language to highlight one of the basic emphases of the Lutheran/Protestant reformation, the authority of the sacred scriptures. It is, in a way, a "demanding" prayer, for the address includes a request: "Almighty God, precious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon your faithful people." The key phrase follows, one of Luther's concerns, which was expressed in his hymn, "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word." "Keep them steadfast in your Word ... protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the church your saying glace ..." The final portion, asking for "peace" in the church, also expresses one of Luther's original intentions, namely, that the church would be reformed, not divided into a multiplicity of churches.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 46 - this is really the only psalm that Lutherans could use as a responsory, or the Psalm of the Day, on Reformation Sunday. Luther's love of this psalm prompted him to write his hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God," which has been widely acclaimed and employed in various worship services. Recently, I heard a Roman Catholic radio program introduced with the use of this hymn. In many respects, it does speak to the situation of the whole church in the world, which is under attack from the forces of secularism, materialism and indifference. When combined with "a mighty fortress," it is often used as a preaching text for Reformation Sunday.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord God, our refuge and strength, when the restless powers of this world and the waters of hell rise up against your holy city, watch over it and keep it safe. By the river that flows from the throne of the Lamb, purify this new Jerusalem as your chosen dwelling, for you are with us, our stronghold now and forever.
The readings:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Older lectionaries assigned 1 Samuel 3:19--4:la to Reformation Day, or Sunday, but the LBW has moved the Jeremiah text from the First Sunday in Advent to Reformation Day. All of the lectionaries also place Jeremiah 31:31-34 as the first reading on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, Cycle B, which is probably where it should be, because it mentions the new covenant that God will make between himself and his people. This "second use" of Jeremiah 31 makes Reformation Day into a festival which celebrates the renewal that the covenant God has made with his people, particularly in the life and death of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah, speaking for God, tells how reformation and conventional renewal will come about: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." This speaks to the reality of the continuing reformation in the church. He also touches on the ecumenical hope of the day: "And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, '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 I will remember their sin no more."
Romans 3:19-28
This reading could not be replaced in the LBW, or any other Lutheran lectionary, because it speaks so directly to one of the cardinal doctrines of the Reformation and Lutheranism, justification by faith through grace. No one can be justified by good works, by the keeping of the law, in the opinion of Paul, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God exhibited his righteousness in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, giving redemption as a free gift to any and all who will receive the forgiveness of their sins and their salvation in Jesus Christ. Faith alone, not works, justifies human beings in the eyes of God, and that faith is freely given to repentant sinners who seek it through the Lord Jesus Christ. There is, according to Paul, no one or any way that anyone can win, or earn, his or her own deliverance from sin and death, as well as entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Unless God gives these gifts, they are completely beyond the realm of attainment by sinful human beings.
John 8:31-36
Here is another of the traditional readings for Reformation Day/Sunday. Its great appeal is, partly, that it describes the situation that Luther and the Reformers found themselves in their dispute with the Roman Catholic hierachy. More importantly, it "builds" on the Roman's reading and informs people that by "continuing in my (Jesus') word" they, first, become disciples of Jesus, and second, will be set free from sin and death by God's own truth. Salvation and redemption cannot come to people simply by their claim to be children of God. Only those who are set free by Jesus Christ can know complete freedom from the forces of evil and darkness - from sin. Without the truth of God in Jesus and his word, human beings really have no hope of heaven.
A Sermon on the Gospel, John 8:31-36 - "Reformation Today."
"You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." That's been something of a religious cheer, led by the pastors of the churches for the last four-hundred-and-seventy-plus years. Quote those words to people in South Africa, China, or the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, who have just been warned by Russia to put a check on their nationalistic desires, and these people might laugh at you. Such people, once they stopped their sarcastic laughter, might respond, "We know the truth, but that hasn't helped us a bit; we are still slaves to human masters, whom we despise." Say those words to people who have been victimized by other persons, and they might simply say, "Get lost. The truth never helped me a bit. (Just yesterday, local newspapers told the story of a man who had been on trial for murder; an eyewitness testified that she saw him kill another man - she was there. But the jury was hamstrung by a technicality, and several of the jurors were in tears when the verdict was delivered; they had to abide by the law and the orders of the trial judge. The widow of the murdered man said: "He got away with it. He murdered my husband and they let him go. This is going to stay with me as long as I live." The parents of the accused man were, of course, overjoyed. They had stuck by their son and used all their assets, including remortgaging their home, in his defense, but they could still say, "It was worth it. He is our son and we love him." (The truth, as it was reported in the trial, didn't resolve the case for the victims.) And what of church people, who have heard the truth read and spoken to them Sunday after Sunday, but nothing really changes in their lives?
1. The truth spoken to believers confronts people with a profound message from God himself - all have fallen short of the glory of God, and no human being is able to extricate himself from this situation. God's truth declares: "I still love you, despite your sin, and I have done something about resolving this situation. It took the death of my Son, Jesus to set you free. That is the truth, the absolute truth of God." "The truth will set you free" - indeed! God says, "You have my word on it."
2. But freedom from sin - from the "modern apples" of secularism and materialism which enslave people in the quest for affluence and a pleasure-related life - doesn't come from knowing alone. Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples" - and only then he adds, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." That means hearing and responding - living every day in awareness that Christ is the Lord and that all things - in time and eternity - are in his hands. It means actively entrusting one's life and destiny to him - here and now - and forever! It means "doing the word" - in faith and obedience.
3. It has been said that the great problem that the church faces in this age has to do with discipleship. Numerous people believe - and parts of the church are growing by leaps and bounds - but how many people are actually "doers of the Word?" How many of us are genuine disciples, investing ourselves in the work of the Lord as a real response to the word that has set us free? The whole world would be changed - quickly - if all Christians, who have heard and believe the truth, responded by committing themselves to active discipleship wherever they are.
4. There is no better news than to hear - and know - that God loves you, has forgiven your sins through Jesus' death and gives you new life in his resurrection in your baptism. "Your sins are forgiven - and the gates of heaven are open for you" is Good News indeed. And that news sets us free to be disciples of the Lord and to do his work all the days of our lives. That's the heart of what reformation means today.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Jeremiah 31:31-34 - "How God Is Unifying the Church."
1. He does it by making a new covenant with his people - through his Word. His Word is reshaping the church today, just as it did over four-hundred-and-seventy years ago.
2. He is writing the Word on human hearts once again, making his people his own. The Word has taught us once again that there is but one God - and one church, which is his not ours.
3. He has ended the era in which one denomination thought it knew more about God and the faith than other denominations. "Know the Lord" (as we know him) is not acceptable in churches composed of sinners.
4. He is the Lord God, Father of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. We know that he is rebuilding the church today - setting it free from pride and prejudice, making it one in his Word, so that the church can be all he wants it to be and do what he wills in the world.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Romans 3:19-28 - "Second Chance."
1. The law of God never really worked, because people couldn't fulfill its demands, thereby breaking the covenant between God and his people. He gives people a second chance to be his people in a very strange way - through the cross of Christ.
2. But the law remains a powerful force in the world, in the lives of those who have heard it and know it. The law convicts people of their sins - "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory" - and drives people to their knees in penitence and confession. The law opens the way for a second chance.
3. The law also convinces people that they cannot save themselves. The prayer of penitent people is not only a "mea culpa," it is also, "Lift me up to new life and give me the blessed assurance that I belong to you, O Lord, now and forever." Only the Lord God can save us - and he does so in Jesus Christ.
4. So we celebrate new life, a second chance - all of us who bear the name of the Lord, who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Even now we come forth from our "graves" to praise him, to love him, and to serve him and his people here and now.
The Prayer of the Day (LBW)
An older collect has simply been rewritten using modern language to highlight one of the basic emphases of the Lutheran/Protestant reformation, the authority of the sacred scriptures. It is, in a way, a "demanding" prayer, for the address includes a request: "Almighty God, precious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon your faithful people." The key phrase follows, one of Luther's concerns, which was expressed in his hymn, "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word." "Keep them steadfast in your Word ... protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the church your saying glace ..." The final portion, asking for "peace" in the church, also expresses one of Luther's original intentions, namely, that the church would be reformed, not divided into a multiplicity of churches.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 46 - this is really the only psalm that Lutherans could use as a responsory, or the Psalm of the Day, on Reformation Sunday. Luther's love of this psalm prompted him to write his hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God," which has been widely acclaimed and employed in various worship services. Recently, I heard a Roman Catholic radio program introduced with the use of this hymn. In many respects, it does speak to the situation of the whole church in the world, which is under attack from the forces of secularism, materialism and indifference. When combined with "a mighty fortress," it is often used as a preaching text for Reformation Sunday.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord God, our refuge and strength, when the restless powers of this world and the waters of hell rise up against your holy city, watch over it and keep it safe. By the river that flows from the throne of the Lamb, purify this new Jerusalem as your chosen dwelling, for you are with us, our stronghold now and forever.
The readings:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Older lectionaries assigned 1 Samuel 3:19--4:la to Reformation Day, or Sunday, but the LBW has moved the Jeremiah text from the First Sunday in Advent to Reformation Day. All of the lectionaries also place Jeremiah 31:31-34 as the first reading on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, Cycle B, which is probably where it should be, because it mentions the new covenant that God will make between himself and his people. This "second use" of Jeremiah 31 makes Reformation Day into a festival which celebrates the renewal that the covenant God has made with his people, particularly in the life and death of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah, speaking for God, tells how reformation and conventional renewal will come about: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." This speaks to the reality of the continuing reformation in the church. He also touches on the ecumenical hope of the day: "And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, '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 I will remember their sin no more."
Romans 3:19-28
This reading could not be replaced in the LBW, or any other Lutheran lectionary, because it speaks so directly to one of the cardinal doctrines of the Reformation and Lutheranism, justification by faith through grace. No one can be justified by good works, by the keeping of the law, in the opinion of Paul, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God exhibited his righteousness in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, giving redemption as a free gift to any and all who will receive the forgiveness of their sins and their salvation in Jesus Christ. Faith alone, not works, justifies human beings in the eyes of God, and that faith is freely given to repentant sinners who seek it through the Lord Jesus Christ. There is, according to Paul, no one or any way that anyone can win, or earn, his or her own deliverance from sin and death, as well as entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Unless God gives these gifts, they are completely beyond the realm of attainment by sinful human beings.
John 8:31-36
Here is another of the traditional readings for Reformation Day/Sunday. Its great appeal is, partly, that it describes the situation that Luther and the Reformers found themselves in their dispute with the Roman Catholic hierachy. More importantly, it "builds" on the Roman's reading and informs people that by "continuing in my (Jesus') word" they, first, become disciples of Jesus, and second, will be set free from sin and death by God's own truth. Salvation and redemption cannot come to people simply by their claim to be children of God. Only those who are set free by Jesus Christ can know complete freedom from the forces of evil and darkness - from sin. Without the truth of God in Jesus and his word, human beings really have no hope of heaven.
A Sermon on the Gospel, John 8:31-36 - "Reformation Today."
"You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." That's been something of a religious cheer, led by the pastors of the churches for the last four-hundred-and-seventy-plus years. Quote those words to people in South Africa, China, or the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, who have just been warned by Russia to put a check on their nationalistic desires, and these people might laugh at you. Such people, once they stopped their sarcastic laughter, might respond, "We know the truth, but that hasn't helped us a bit; we are still slaves to human masters, whom we despise." Say those words to people who have been victimized by other persons, and they might simply say, "Get lost. The truth never helped me a bit. (Just yesterday, local newspapers told the story of a man who had been on trial for murder; an eyewitness testified that she saw him kill another man - she was there. But the jury was hamstrung by a technicality, and several of the jurors were in tears when the verdict was delivered; they had to abide by the law and the orders of the trial judge. The widow of the murdered man said: "He got away with it. He murdered my husband and they let him go. This is going to stay with me as long as I live." The parents of the accused man were, of course, overjoyed. They had stuck by their son and used all their assets, including remortgaging their home, in his defense, but they could still say, "It was worth it. He is our son and we love him." (The truth, as it was reported in the trial, didn't resolve the case for the victims.) And what of church people, who have heard the truth read and spoken to them Sunday after Sunday, but nothing really changes in their lives?
1. The truth spoken to believers confronts people with a profound message from God himself - all have fallen short of the glory of God, and no human being is able to extricate himself from this situation. God's truth declares: "I still love you, despite your sin, and I have done something about resolving this situation. It took the death of my Son, Jesus to set you free. That is the truth, the absolute truth of God." "The truth will set you free" - indeed! God says, "You have my word on it."
2. But freedom from sin - from the "modern apples" of secularism and materialism which enslave people in the quest for affluence and a pleasure-related life - doesn't come from knowing alone. Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples" - and only then he adds, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." That means hearing and responding - living every day in awareness that Christ is the Lord and that all things - in time and eternity - are in his hands. It means actively entrusting one's life and destiny to him - here and now - and forever! It means "doing the word" - in faith and obedience.
3. It has been said that the great problem that the church faces in this age has to do with discipleship. Numerous people believe - and parts of the church are growing by leaps and bounds - but how many people are actually "doers of the Word?" How many of us are genuine disciples, investing ourselves in the work of the Lord as a real response to the word that has set us free? The whole world would be changed - quickly - if all Christians, who have heard and believe the truth, responded by committing themselves to active discipleship wherever they are.
4. There is no better news than to hear - and know - that God loves you, has forgiven your sins through Jesus' death and gives you new life in his resurrection in your baptism. "Your sins are forgiven - and the gates of heaven are open for you" is Good News indeed. And that news sets us free to be disciples of the Lord and to do his work all the days of our lives. That's the heart of what reformation means today.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Jeremiah 31:31-34 - "How God Is Unifying the Church."
1. He does it by making a new covenant with his people - through his Word. His Word is reshaping the church today, just as it did over four-hundred-and-seventy years ago.
2. He is writing the Word on human hearts once again, making his people his own. The Word has taught us once again that there is but one God - and one church, which is his not ours.
3. He has ended the era in which one denomination thought it knew more about God and the faith than other denominations. "Know the Lord" (as we know him) is not acceptable in churches composed of sinners.
4. He is the Lord God, Father of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. We know that he is rebuilding the church today - setting it free from pride and prejudice, making it one in his Word, so that the church can be all he wants it to be and do what he wills in the world.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Romans 3:19-28 - "Second Chance."
1. The law of God never really worked, because people couldn't fulfill its demands, thereby breaking the covenant between God and his people. He gives people a second chance to be his people in a very strange way - through the cross of Christ.
2. But the law remains a powerful force in the world, in the lives of those who have heard it and know it. The law convicts people of their sins - "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory" - and drives people to their knees in penitence and confession. The law opens the way for a second chance.
3. The law also convinces people that they cannot save themselves. The prayer of penitent people is not only a "mea culpa," it is also, "Lift me up to new life and give me the blessed assurance that I belong to you, O Lord, now and forever." Only the Lord God can save us - and he does so in Jesus Christ.
4. So we celebrate new life, a second chance - all of us who bear the name of the Lord, who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Even now we come forth from our "graves" to praise him, to love him, and to serve him and his people here and now.
