Reformation before Luther

Though the catalyst to the series of events known today as the Protestant Reformation was sparked in 1517 by Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 theses to the church doors at Wittenburg, the Church had long before been engaged in the process of reformation. In fact, one could argue that ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God has been reforming. The Church continues its process of reformation today.

On a few occasions in my ministry I have heard comments that seemed to disparage the value of theology in our everyday life. One example was in a local church board meeting.

“Brother Middendorf,” the man said with a flourish, “We don’t want a pastor who will be throwing theology around at us. That stuff just confuses people.”

In the awkward silence that followed, several people started to speak, but no one seemed to quite know how to respond. One or two seemed to nod, but most of those around the table were surprised and uncertain.

Friends talk about our ever-changing world and our roles as Christians in it: They call attention to daily news headlines reminding us that winds of change blow continually across the globe. They speak of the developing picture of national leaders and shifts in governments around the world. They remind me of the advancements in science and technology that bring innovation at break-neck speed.

Then they ask, “What does it mean to be the church in this new world?”

Friends talk about our ever-changing world and our roles as Christians in it: They call attention to daily news headlines reminding us that winds of change blow continually across the globe. They speak of the developing picture of national leaders and shifts in governments around the world. They remind me of the advancements in science and technology that bring innovation at break-neck speed.

Then they ask, “What does it mean to be the church in this new world?”

It is customary for many, at the first signs of spring, to begin a time when preparations are made for a thorough cleaning of every room in the house. The phrase “Spring Cleaning” is popular for a reason! I suppose there is something about the signs of new life all around—new flowers blooming, grass growing, and increasing sunshine—that motivate many of us to give everything a fresh, new look.

I thought those parables about scattering seed, planting vineyards, and chasing sheep were as out of date and ancient as my childhood. I grew up in the country picking strawberries every summer for my dad. My uncles farmed corn, beans, and watermelon. I could run the baler as well as any of my cousins.

But I left that a long time ago. And when I entered the ministry, I somehow got the impression that these agricultural metaphors Jesus used just weren’t relevant anymore. In modern times we need new images—business, technology, science. I was wrong, though.

Wesleyan spirituality includes a particular method for growth in God’s grace (which is why Wesleyan Christians are often called Methodists). This method begins with what has traditionally been called the General Rules, what we now call the Covenant of Christian Character.¹ These rules are not a legalism, but a help in our growth in grace and Christlikeness.

Why are so many Christians willing to believe and share only one side of stories? Shouldn’t we be more mindful?

A: It has happened to all of us. We hear a story, an out of context quote, or a prayer concern, and we assume (often incorrectly) that we know the entire story. A college-age child comes home on a holiday break and tells us what the professor said in the classroom. A prayer partner confides in us about a marital frustration. A friend shares a sensationalistic news headline on Facebook.

Q: From the early era on, the church has not observed the feasts, festivals, and dietary laws that God commanded in the Old Testament. Why not?

A: This question relates to the bigger question of what Christians should do with the laws in the Old Testament. Rabbis tell us there are 613 different laws dealing with everything from worship to sex to eating. Do these still apply to Christians? Or have they been set aside or replaced?

ARTICLE OF FAITH XVI: RESURRECTION, JUDGMENT, AND DESTINY

“We believe in the resurrection of the dead, that the bodies both of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits—“they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

16.1. We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life.