A sermon for October 27, 2024, Reformation Sunday, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church – Buffalo, NY .
| Sermon Video |
| ⏵ 8:30am worship |
| ⏵ 10:30am worship |
| Sermon Text |
| ⏵ John 8:31-36 |
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb? Zero … because Lutherans don’t “do” change. This is a funny joke, but, in reality, change is a necessary part of life and a necessary part of faith.
Is change “bad”? Are traditions and being traditional “bad”? Quite often, it feels as though people talk about tradition in terms of being “stuck” or change as being “forced to move”. Is there a way to understand both change and tradition differently – in a way that change and tradition are not opposites, but can actually happen together?
We have seen the issues and challenges Martin Luther raised that brought about the significant changes of the Reformation – and yet, Martin Luther didn’t die a Lutheran, but a Roman Catholic. In fact, many Lutheran practices have strong connections to Roman Catholicism.
We saw the changes Jesus brought – many of them quite radical – and yet, Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. He said that the commandments to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves encapsulated everything that came before. And we should remember that Jesus didn’t die as a Christian, but as a Jew.
You may know that Holy Trinity was formed because families whose children were learning English in school wanted English worship services. The congregation we grew out of was intent upon having German-only worship services. Even with that rift and huge changes for each of the resulting congregations, both congregations remained Lutheran.
The point of the Reformation isn’t that “everything must change” because “all tradition is bad” and “all change is good.” The point of the Reformation is to be so open to the truth of Jesus that we are set free to challenge both tradition and change.
Tradition should not be about preventing us from progressing and adapting; instead, it keeps us rooted in who we are as we give thanks for the people who handed the tradition on to us. Change, done well and faithfully, doesn’t turn our backs on or disrespect those who came before us, but clarifies our mission and purpose and thereby honors the people who came before us and the traditions they passed to us.
Today’s reading from John’s gospel portrayed Jesus speaking with a group of Jewish believers. He said to them: “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). The “truth” is that neither our traditions nor change make us free. True freedom is being willing and able to follow the movement and call of the Holy Spirit. The truth is that you and I are here so we can know and experience for ourselves God’s unfathomable love for us. The truth is that you and I are here to welcome others, including children, to know and experience God for themselves, too.
With the freedom we have in Jesus, we hold tradition and change together. Jesus shows us that tradition ought not to be stagnant … which means that the church and each of us must constantly evolve in response to God’s message to the world.
I have been experiencing some of my own changes over the last few weeks in response to what I believe is God’s call to hold both tradition and change. Like many of you, I’m increasingly concerned about our election – the election itself, but also what the aftermath will be for our community. At the same time, I’m becoming more and more a Buffalonian so I’m embracing our “City of Good Neighbors” approach.
This I know: after the election … after the inauguration … we will still be the City of Good Neighbors … we will still be community, and that is much more important that pulling away into groups based on political affiliation. I believe that the united voice of the many and varied faith communities around Buffalo have a powerful message in this time, and these voices could be used in at least three events.
The challenge and change for me was to step out of my own head and step out from the walls of Holy Trinity. I would have loved to host all three events here, but it seemed better work together with the Network of Religious Communities and the National Federation for Just Communities. So, as of this past Thursday night, these events are not owned by me or Holy Trinity, but the larger community of faith. So collectively, four congregations around Buffalo will be places of prayer and meditation the Monday before the election. Holy Trinity will host a Thanksgiving event for the inter-faith community. There will be a Pre-Inauguration event.
This collarative network of events reflects the truth of Jesus sets us free to experience our own reformation … to step out of what is comfortable and familiar … to experiment with ways of holding tradition and change together with a sense of peace and joy.
Through my own experience and reflecting on Reformation Day, I saw that Luther’s pattern was to be aware of the people around him, curious about the people and his own faith traditions, and then to actively engage. Are there ways you and I use this pattern in our own lives as we increase our awareness of the people around us, become more curious, and engage as we live out the truth of Jesus wide welcome and are set free to follow where the Holy Spirit moves.
In the name of Jesus … Amen!
Epicurious Lutheran 