› Reformation Sunday

Sunday, October 25
via Zoom

s Christians, our faith began with the followers of Jesus. But the beginning of our Christian faith as Presbyterian is in the Reformation. Reformation Sunday, the last Sunday in October, marks the occasion in 1517 when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses protesting many of the practices of the catholic church on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Martin Luther, priest, doctor of theology, and professor of Biblical interpretation at University of Wittenberg, fervently proclaimed that the institution of the church is not equal to God. We are called to worship the triune God alone, to claim Jesus Christ as Lord of the church, and to seek the ongoing sanctification of the Holy Spirit.

Martin Luther was also a singer, writer, and composer, who proclaimed music to be “a gift from God, that should inspire, teach, and be filled with joy.” His lifelong passion was that of bringing people closer to God through music. The strong congregational singing of hymns that we have enjoyed for so many years is largely to his credit. The presence of the Psalter (Psalms set to music) is thanks to John Calvin, the foremost leader of the Reformation in Geneva. In worship this morning we will enjoy hymn singing and – recognizing our Scottish heritage as Presbyterians – a bagpiper!

Zwingli’s Plague Song…
In response to the General Assembly 224 call for the “whole church to commit to continuous discernment of how to meet the social justice, economic, and spiritual challenges of the pandemic,” the Presbyterian Historical Society’s (PHS) features a fascinating piece from Ulrich Zwingli’s writings during the plague of 1519 that claimed the lives of more than ¼ of Zurich’s citizens. To view or download it, click here.

To dig deeper into the history of the Reformation, visit PHS’ treasure trove of documents, pictures, and informational summaries by clicking here.