Reformation week (Protestant family reunion)

Bonus! Today's discussion is also on YouTube if you'd rather listen, than read.

This upcoming Sunday is a historic day. October 31st will mark 504 years since the historical "beginning" of the Reformation in Europe. While there are many events that could mark the beginning of the Reformation, October 31st remembers the day that Martin Luther publicly brought forward his 95 theses (95 statements) regarding the Roman religion. 

If you are a Protestant, then in some ways this upcoming October 31st is a bit of a family reunion. It's a day to commemorate and remember what unites us, and what distinguishes us. At family reunions, many smaller units of families gather together to remember they are a part of one larger family. So too this Sunday Protestant churches world wide can look back, regardless of their tradition or other distinctive affiliations, and remember their unifying history. 

This doesn't mean that everyone agrees on everything, if you've ever been to a family reunion you know that's not how things work. Each family unit does what is best for them, while trying (when in their best moments) to respect and honor the whole of the many families gathered together. For Protestant churches, this Sunday is a day to remember the ups and the downs of our shared history together. There are distinctives that set apart each family "unit" of Protestantism. Those distinctives shouldn't be forgotten, glossed over, or ignored. Those distinctives are like family photos, reminding us that things have not always been as they are now. 

The Reformation in Europe was a period of politics, war, famine, disease, religion, villains, heroes, speeches, literature, birth, and death. Through all these tragic and memorable moments come the very convictions that each of us hold dear. The Reformation, despite all it's fascinating history and captivating stories, has left many practical, tangible, traceable marks in each of our lives. 

Whether you are Protestant or Roman, the period of the Reformation has shaped your daily life. If you own a Bible in your home in your own language, then that is at least in part due to the Reformation in Europe. If you've attended a worship service in your own language and not strictly in Latin, that is at least in part due to the Reformation in Europe. When you last attended a funeral for a loved one, if you were not charged a financial fee for the assurance of your loved one's eternal state, that is at least in part due to the Reformation in Europe. If you've ever prayed on your own, without the mediation of a priest, that is at least in part due to the Reformation in Europe. These are just a few of the practical ways the Reformation impacts our lives today. 

The Reformation has left a lasting impact on the church globally. Sometimes at a family reunion, you may meet someone who tells you stories of family members who have long since died. In those stories you learn more about where your family comes from, and what stories have shaped your family. If you listen carefully you can even begin to understand why your family operates in the way it does now. Reformation day is a bit like that. It's a moment for Protestant family reunions, and remembering what has gone before to shape what is going on now.