"I love to tell the story; 'twill be my theme in glory to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love."

 

We're approaching our recognition of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran reformation; the events set in motion by Martin Luther in 1517 that have led to the existence of our church body that still bears his name. This is a complex and multifaceted story that is still unfolding and I wanted to reflect for a moment on why we continue to talk about it.  

 

In short, it's about Jesus.  

 

The reformation, and the story of Martin Luther continue to be a part of our church life because we believe the core of Luther's purpose was to point to an even older, more powerful story, that of Jesus crucified and risen. The language Luther found to tell that story profoundly changed the conversation about, and gave voice to an understanding of, the good news of Jesus that had been lost in the wider church of his time.  Luther was a complicated and far from perfect person, but his witness points us to a God of amazing and perfect love.  

 

This is why we tell these old, old stories. Even as we find ever changing ways to tell them, they continue to move us and shape our lives in incredible ways.  

 

God's peace be with you always.