Happy Reformation!

Happy reformation! Sometimes, things just don’t work the way that they are supposed to. Do you know what I mean? You buy a car. Everything is going well for a while. But at some point the gas mileage isn’t as good. Maybe you begin to hear some new and interesting noises. The engine needs some work. It needs a tune up to get it back in good working order.

You buy a computer. Everything works well for a while. But after some time the programs don’t load as fast as they use to. It takes longer to boot up or to check your e-mail. The thing has slowed down. You need to do a little work, clear out some files, and maybe defragment the drive. It needs a tune up to get it back in good working order.

You start a diet and exercise program. You get a membership at the gym you are faithful in your attendance and participation. You go three times a week. And all is well for a while. But then an unexpected change in your schedule happens and it throws everything off. Three days turns into two, which turns into every other week, which turns into beginning to put some weight back on. You program needs a tune up. It needs a re-start to get it in good working order.

This is the just the reality of the world that we live in. Things have a way of wearing down or wearing out and once in a while we need to make an adjustment here or there in order to get them back up and running in a state of good working order. I just listed three; my guess is that you could add even more to this list.

With this being the case then, it should not really surprise us to learn that the same thing can even happen with the church. Everything is going good for while. But as time passes, people develop patterns and get comfortable, we begin to lose sight of what really matters. We begin to forget about what is really important. We start to think more selfishly, and more of ourselves. We begin to lose sight of God’s word, and the life that God gives us and calls us to live. When this happens we are in need of a tune up; we are in need of a reformation.  And reformation just happens to be what today is about.

You see the church, and of course you know that I am not talking about a building, I am talking about God’s people. The church can get distracted. We begin to think that the purpose of our existence is for ourselves. We can think that life is about our property and our building and preserving those things; and while they are nice, and we want to be good stewards. We do not exist for the sake of our building or property.

So the church can get distracted. The church can lose sight of the goal. The church can get overwhelmed. After all, we know and understand that sharing God’s love is what we are all about, but there is so much to do. There are so many people that need help, and who need to be loved, where are we going to find the time and resources to do all that needs to be done? There is so much to do that it can be difficult to even find a place to begin or start.

It is at these times, and in these moments where the church needs a tune up. The church needs a reformation. And so we take the time to celebrate this on the last Sunday of October every year. Have you ever wondered exactly what it is that we are celebrating on Reformation Sunday, or even why we bother to celebrate it in the first place?

Well, there are certainly a lot of things and reasons to celebrate. The reformation itself is a pretty significant historical event. It not only changed the church, but it changed the world. That is something that is worth celebrating. The theological heritage that we have inherited from the reformation is also something to celebrate. As Lutherans we have very good theology. It is rich, it is deep, it is beautiful and so that makes this a celebration worth celebrating.

However, when we celebrate reformation we are not just talking about a historical event or theological heritage, although they are certainly great. What we are really talking about and celebrating in reformation is the work of the Spirit in the life of the Church. That is we are celebrating the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.

You see the church is a community of believers, a community of saints that is created and led by the Holy Spirit. We are called, gathered, enlightened, sanctified, and kept in the one true faith in Jesus. The Spirit does not just come in, set up shop and then move on to something else. But he stays with us; lives with us; dwells with us. You can say that the Spirit is always forming and reforming the church. This is reformation. This is what we are really celebrating today. And this is certainly a cause for celebration.

Well if this is the case, and the Spirit is so active in the life of the church, why does there need to be reformation going on in the first place? The answer is simple. The church is made up of people who happen to not be perfect. We mess up. We make mistakes. We lose sight of the goal and what is important and what really matters. When this happens we get off track.

But our God knows this. And so he gives us the gift of his Spirit who works in our lives to get us back on track. To bring about any reforming that needs to be done. The Spirit works through word and sacrament in order to bring this about. These are the means through which grace is poured out into our lives. These are the tools that are used in order to form us more and more into the image of Jesus. These are the utensils through which the Spirit gives and strengthens faith.

The importance of this work and message is even seen in our lessons for today. The first lesson from Revelation shows us an angel with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth. This is every nation, tribe, language and people. This is all the people of the world and that message is an eternal gospel. It is good news. That is what “gospel” means.

This is a work that God does not only leave for the angels. But it is one that in his grace, he has allowed his church to participate in. We get to participate in the work of proclaiming this good news and sharing and making know the love of God in Jesus to the world around us.

We get to live in the reality that, as we heard read in our second lesson, we have righteousness before God apart from the law. We have righteousness before God in Jesus. This means that because of Jesus and for his sake you and I have, and know, and can count on forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. These things are ours. They belong to us. Not because of our works but because of Jesus. And when God does something he always does it right. And, so, as we heard in the Gospel, if the Son sets us free than we are free indeed.

This freedom is freedom from sin, death and the devil. It is freedom to live our lives in relationship with our God. It is freedom from fear and terror, because we know where we stand with God in Jesus. We know the gifts that he gives us are ours. It is freedom to live lives in service to others, so that they too may know this good news that we know; so that they too may know the life that we know.

This is why it is so important for us to understand and see ourselves as a place for life, because we are about the work of making known the life that can be found only in Jesus. We ourselves enjoy this life as we live connected to him. But we also bear witness to others about this life and extend an invitation in order that they too might know the life that we know.

So as we celebrate reformation today, we are really celebrating and giving thanks to our God for the free gift of forgiveness, life and salvation that we have in Jesus, and for the work of the Spirit in the life of the church. That the Spirit is always forming and reforming the church, so that we can be faithful in joining God in the awesome work of making known the good news of life, restoration, and reconciliation in Jesus.

May the Holy Spirit work powerfully in our lives and in our midst through word and sacrament, to always form and reform us more and more into the image of Jesus, more and more into a place for life. And may we experience great joy in living this life. Now and always. Amen.