Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This year Lutherans are marking the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s historic nailing of his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg. Luther drew attention to the fact that the Church was in need of major reforms. In fact, we know the Church must always be open to the promptings of the Spirit, as she and her individual members embrace the task of ongoing conversion and a return to the core message of the Gospel. After all isn’t this what other reformers like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena stressed in their lives of ministry.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus prayed that his followers and friends, the Church, would be one as he and the Father are one. Jesus knew that division and discord would creep into the Church, despite His desire for unity and harmony. This is why the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, should not be seen as a time to celebrate, but rather a time for prayer and conversion of minds and hearts.
On Wednesday, October 25th, Christ Lutheran has invited us to join them for dinner at 6 PM with Vespers to follow at 7 PM. As the guest preacher that evening, I look forward to praying with our Lutheran brothers and sisters. The Good News is that in 2017 there is more that we share in common than not. Still we must continue to pray that one day we will be one again and that the terrible wound in Christ’s body will be healed. I hope to see many of you on the 25th of October.
Peace, Fr. Steve
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