Reformation 2016

Reformation | October 31, 2016

The doors of Castle Church, Wittenberg

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk, posted his 95 Theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Because it was common for scholars to post disputations to the door, there was no fanfare and no reason to give it a second glance. Yet, this particular sheet of paper sent shivers down the spine of Christianity. 

It’s the second time in history that the fate of humanity has been nailed to a piece of wood.

The church of the Middle Ages had become massive and exceedingly wealthy. Church leaders became the power brokers in all things religious and political, in some cases creating a theology that did little more than maintain the church’s power and authority. After centuries of growing fat with worldly prosperity — often on the backs of the working poor — the church was soon to be shaken out of its slumber. The 95 Theses became a rallying cry for reform. 

No one ever imagined that reforming the church would literally change the world. But that’s precisely what happened. 

Jon Bloom expounds on the impact of the Reformation: 

Wherever the church opened the door to Jesus, repentance and reformation was like chemotherapy to the cancer of spiritual corruption, and recovered belief in the gospel of Christ spread spiral health through much of Europe, then on to the New World, Asia, and Africa. It spawned massive evangelism, church planting, Bible translation, and frontier missions efforts. And in its wake, it brought about all manner of social good: stronger families, honest commerce, economic empowerment for the poor, hospitals and clinics for the sick, education for the  masses, encouragement for the scientific enterprise, democratic forms of civic government, and on and on.

October 31, 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, what Time magazine calls one of the most important events of the last 2000 years. This Reformation (October 31, 2016) begins a one year celebration — a year marked by special worship services, Reformation concerts by the Salisbury Symphony and the Lenoir-Rhyne A Capella Choir, a play jointly produced by St. John’s and the Piedmont Players, and the opening of our Lutheran Heritage Museum. It’s a lot to look forward to, to be sure. 

Let’s not let October 31 go to waste. Instead, use it as an opportunity to reconnect with our Lutheran heritage and recommit to the time-honored disciplines of faith. 

May God’s blessings rest upon you and the church he serves as Shepherd and Lord. 

Peace+

Pastor Rhodes

Happy 500th!

Reformation 2016

Happy 500th anniversary! 

Well, not quite yet ... but beginning this Sunday we'll begin a year-long celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. And what a celebration it will be!

Incredibly St. John's has been around for more than half of these 500 years. As the third oldest Lutheran church in North Carolina and the founding church of the NC Synod, our roots run deep in this community and in American Lutheranism. 

So how do we celebrate? Oh, let me count the ways ..... Let's begin with a festival service of celebration this Sunday at the 11:00 service. The service will include The Reformation Brass, a fantastic new anthem offered by our Chancel Choir, Bishop Tim Smith presiding at Holy Communion, and Martin Luther himself (really!). If you're a 9:27 worship-goer, you'll enjoy the Reformation story retold in dramatic fashion. 

During the year to come we'll welcome the Lenoir-Rhyne A Capella Choir in concert, the Salisbury Symphony will perform "The Reformation Symphony" in our sanctuary, and next October we're co-producing with the Piedmont Players and the repertory theater group of Saxe Gotha, Germany, the world premier of "In God's Own Country," a play that captures the early history of Lutheranism in America. Also to look forward to: the grand opening of our new museum, the only professional quality museum that tells the story of Lutheranism in North Carolina.

There's much to celebrate, to be sure. But the best way of celebrating is by joining in worship and giving thanks for the opportunity God has given us to serve as his church in our community. 

So pull out your party hats and let's celebrate! I'll see you in worship. 

Pastor Rhodes

A divided nation

A divided nation | October 12, 2016 We live in a nation that is divided. In this moment, we are divided by culture, race, politics and just about every other difference you can imagine -- or so it seems. We see protests and riots and debates on television. We scroll through our newsfeeds and become overwhelmed with dissenting opinions. It's easy to get a sense that nothing could ever change for the better. The toxic combination of declining virtue alongside unfiltered opinions creates an environment that causes even the most hope-filled person to shudder. How do we have healthy, faithful conversation during a time such as this? That's where Q Commons comes in. Join us tomorrow night, October 13, from 7 to 9 pm in the Faith Center, where Dr. Ravi Zacharias will present his case for how we can influence our culture for good in a time that feels anything but unified. He'll be joined by political commentators Ross Douthat and Kirsten Powers who will talk about the upcoming election. Hip hop artist Lecrae will speak openly about the racial divide in our community.  I hope you'll join us as we seek to Engage a Divided Nation. It all begins tomorrow night at 7. For more information visit QCommons.com/StJohns. See you there! Peace+ Pastor Rhodes