The legendary account tells us that one cool October 31st in 1517, the priest Martin Luther defiantly nailed his protest notice to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. These Ninety-five Theses were a list of abuses and errors that he understood were a corruption of the purpose and mission of the Church. In reality, the Ninety-five theses were most likely sent to his Archbishop. And the list was not really a defiant protest as much as it was a sincere call for the Church to begin addressing some of its problems that Luther felt had obscured the Gospel message. In any case, Luther hoped that his Theses would be seen and discussed as a step toward renewal of the Church, so that people might know the truth about God’s forgiveness for their lives. The powerful passage from Romans 3:19-28 had fired his soul and he was so overflowing with joy after years of guilt and a need for forgiveness that he had to share the truth with all that he could. Little did he know the enormous impact on the world that his one simple act would have. His willingness to stand up to the pope and emperor in the name of the Gospel of Christ changed the face of history, and the face and direction of the entire Christian Church. We’ve come together today not to celebrate division but rather to celebrate the movement of the Holy Spirit in our Church and our hearts. It is this movement of the Holy Spirit that bring us newness and renewal, both in our personal lives and in the ministry of the Church.
Listen-in or watch below as special guest Pastor Keith Haney delivers this weekend’s sermon. Pastor Haney is the Mission Facilitator/Calling Congregation for the Northern Illinois District.