Reformation Day is October 31st. On it, we remember Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the castle church door. It was not done in anger or division. It was done in Love, inviting others to come and have dialogue about these particular topics. The goal was to hold all other things loosely, as we held onto Jesus firmly. To seek a living and faithful vision of being the body of Christ.
I still remember the words of an older woman at a previous church. We were having a discussion about the grace of God, and being thankful. I believe her intention was to illustrate just how gracious she believed our God was. But the statement she made caught me off guard: “I believe there will even be Catholics in heaven.” I stumbled through a knee-jerk response about yes of course, because Jesus and all that.
Discussions about Heaven vs. New Creation aside for now, I remember trying to control the contortions of my eyes in that moment. I wanted to affirm the graciousness of God, and also knew this was not the place to point out the oddness of her statement. But it has stuck with me. In over 2 decades of ministry now, I can verify – she’s not alone in her view, unfortunately. She’s probably not even to blame for some of the residual anti-Catholicism (Catholiphobia?) woven into the fabric of her faith. I’ve read at least one account of Christian missionaries from the late 1800’s heading overseas to minister in areas overrun with “Muslims and Catholics”. We have had some unfortunate missed opportunities to work together for the Loving purposes of Jesus. But we’re all responsible for what we’re actively weaving today, and so it seems worth this reminder.
A reminder that seems obvious: What we now call “The Catholic Church” was the primary/largest body of Christ-followers for at least the first 1,500 years. (There have continued to be great contributions to our shared inheritance in Christ after that as well – but that’s for another blog post.) That means there are treasure troves of writing, worship, art, theology, and testimonies from faithful women and men who were pursuing life by the Holy Spirit of God sent by the resurrected Jesus Christ. To assume the Protestant Reformation started the “one true Church”, is to turn our backs on incredibly rich history, gifts of wisdom, and beautiful words of devotion by those who wrestled with and enjoyed their faith in Jesus. The historic Church gave us gifts like The Didache, The Patristic texts/Desert Fathers, Apostle’s Creed & Nicene Creed. We have artistic expressions like ancient Icons, Beowulf, the Book of Kells, and illustrated manuscripts. We have practices like Breath Prayers, Fasting, the Eucharist, Confession (to one another), Lectio Divina, Annoining with Oil, Prayer Labyrinths, Visio Divina, Ora et Labora, and plenty of others to draw from – like different shaped buckets all uniquely great at dipping into the refreshing (& transformational) Living Well our Father has revealed in Jesus and made available by His Holy Spirit.
This week invites us to step, even if cautiously and experimentally, into those deep waters as we recognize “All Saints’ Day” (November 1st). While all around us we have silly costumes, candy, and celebrations of harvesttime – we followers of Jesus have a unique ability to embrace these moments for something greater. How often can you so easily approach any of your neighbors to say hello, learn more about each other, and express gratitude for their presence? If you’ve already spent time building relationships, what a great opportunity for us to be purposeful in mentioning, “My faith tradition has a celebration this week of the ‘saints’ – people who lived in ways that exemplified the Love revealed in Jesus. Who is someone you’re thankful for – as a person who revealed Love to you?” Take a moment to listen to their heart. Share your own memories of someone who shared the Love of Jesus in your own life. Talk about how such Love brings healing, and offer to pray for any areas of their life in need of healing.
In Mark 9, John approaches Jesus and says, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.” (Mark 9:38-41)
There are so many more words we could say. There is much wisdom in we Protestant brothers and sisters re-cognizing (to “know again”) the importance of “Confession” in our spiritual practices. The amount of healing God has wired such moments for in our brains, especially as these things occur in the power of His presence….Lord, help us to remember. If you want to rediscover “Confession” without going to a “Confessional”, check out www.discipleshipbands.com. It’s an incredibly valuable practice for our spiritual, emotional, mental, and relational health.
All of this to say – let’s share more fully in the rich inheritance of Jesus, all of His followers, and His Kingdom together.
We fam. 🙂
words from wick 