Discovering Luther - Part 2 of the Becoming Lutheran Series

This past Sunday was my first Reformation Sunday service. It is the celebration of the anniversary of when Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis to the door in Wittenburg. This celebration started our beloved Hallowed Eve (Halloween).

Ha my humor is lame.

What some of you may not know about Martin Luther is that he was obessed with Piety. I'm talking #OBSESSED like a basic girl is about the Starbucks #PSL. It consumed him. If wine from communion were to drip on the floor, he would lick it up. He strived to be humble and to have a contrite heart, and even while praying for such he feared he was not praying enough. He would fast for days and read passages of scriptures for hours. Let me tell you, Martin Luther knew how to church up (get it... turn up? ha )

I can relate to Martin Luther in that way. For years I was obsessed with being the "perfect christian" I wanted people to think of me that way anyway. In my last post I told you about my experience in realizing that I would not find the Jesus I know in the evangelical church. My time there left me wondering what christianity was really about, and it left me feeling exhausted from always trying to be the best christian I can be.

Our pastor in church gave a quick recap on what the Lutheran church is all about and what that means for the Lutheran church today and it reminded me why I was initially drawn in.

While listening to the sermon, I could not help but think about the church before the 95 thesis was nailed up on that door almost 500 years ago. The church was full of judgement and it fed off of fear. The church was selling "get out of jail free cards" or indulgences as they were called. People didn't talk about the love of God, they talked about the Judgement of God. Jesus held a sword and the devil was everywhere you turned constantly trying to swollow up your soul.

It pains me to say this, but my experience in the evangelical church had me feeling not too different than those in the medieval catholic church. While the message of the evangelical church is inherently protestant, and theologically doesn't change the message of salvation, culturally speaking the evangelical church can be very medievally (yes I made up that word).

If you think I am wrong, please think about the number of purity conferences you went to, please think about the modesty talks that happened at youth group, please recall the lectures on having strict quiet times and sermons on "being victorious over sin - so go and sin no more."

Individually none of these things are wrong or dangerous, none of them are unbiblical. However none of them are gospel centric, and when we start hearing more about not sinning, and we get a list of to-dos and to-don'ts and a pamplet on "how to be a christian" it becomes harder and harder to remember what the gospel is really all about.

I remember when the song "Motions" by Matthew West came out. He sings "I don't wanna go through the motions...I don't want to spend my whole life asking what if I had given it everything?" It was a hit, it inspired people to be better christians ( whatever that means) I have to ask though as my husband asked me - how do you give everything when you have nothing to give? There isn't anything that we can give to God that he doesn't already have. Everything we are is already his and he gave it to us.

During my Lutheran membership class I had a very hard time understanding how a person enters salvation. Did I choose to be a Christian? or was it a work God made in me? The Bible says that man does not have the ability to do good. Man doesn't have the ability to choose Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that plants faith in us. This was and still is the hardest concept for me to wrap my head around and all I can do is sit there and say well - however it happened thank you Jesus for saving me.

That is what the Reformation is all about. It is not through pious living that souls enter the Kingdom of heaven. Our goodness is not what determines if we are a christian or not. Luther understood that Judgement Day will not be assigning grades (A to Mother Thersa and C to the family down the street that goes to church on Christmas and Easter) It is pass/fail. Either you believe in Christ or you don't.

I can't tell you how many hours I have spent wondering if I was a real Christian. Because my thinking followed the following logic:, If I believed and the Holy spirit was with me, why would still struggle with X or why don't I feel Y. I blame this way of thinking on a church culture that is obessed with perfect and pious living. we all have heard the whispers, "well if she was a real christian she wouldn't talk like that or if he was really dedicated he wouldn't be dating that girl." Having Luther's understanding of who Jesus is, and how salvation is sprung is not just fufilling, it is a relief!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28