God’s Beloved & Members of St. John,
Blessings for this month of October. I look forward to a joy filled month with all of you. This October the kids will sing in church with their VBS recap on October 6, on October 13 we will have our Fall Chili Dinner & Raffle after Worship, and on October 27 we will commemorate Reformation & witness our most recent class of confirmands Affirm their Baptism through the Rite of Confirmation.
October is an important month for our church and other Lutheran churches, as we come together in celebration of Reformation – commemorating Martin Luther’s posting of the Ninety-five Theses. This act by Martin Luther is known as the official start of the Reformation, which would later lead to the Lutheran faith.
The official Day of Reformation took place on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saint’s Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther was upset about the Catholic church selling indulgences and wanted them to stop. Luther believed in the freedom found in the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Luther wanted all people to know that we are justified not by our works, but by God’s grace through faith.
The Reformation lives on through faith today. We come together to hear the Word of God where we are challenged, changed, and created anew – birthed from the love given to us in Christ and through the mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit.
May you feel the presence of the Spirit as we come together and as you embark on each new day. May you know there is always a place for you, where you are held in prayer, surrounded by the saints, and united together in Christ’s love.