10/29/2023 ~ Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost ~ Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Known in Some Traditions as Reformation Sunday ~ Proper 25 ~ Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/880180589

Re-formed

“You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am Yahweh, your God.” — Leviticus 19:18b.

It was said earlier that today is the Sunday closest to October Thirty-first and in some traditions this is known as Reformation Sunday. Now, we Congregationalists rarely acknowledge this. And yet we are a part of the Protestant Reformation.

This day is known as Reformation Sunday because it’s said Martin Luther nailed 95 thesis to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31st 1517. Most scholars say that’s a fabricated story, simply not true but the 95 thesis are real.

Luther didn’t think of this as protesting something, an act of rebellion. The intent of this priest— he was a Catholic priest— the intent was that of a dutiful church person who wanted to testify, help the church steer toward a Biblically appropriate course.

The fact that we are now better than 500 years into this era raises a question about the Protestant Reformation, itself. To we moderns, does the Reformation seem to be “back there,” distant? If it is back there, distant, what makes it relevant?

Related questions: Christianity is some 2,000 years distant. The Jewish tradition is better than 5,000 years distant. If those origins are “back there,” distant, what makes any of this relevant? (Slight pause.)

Well, let’s start by looking at the word Protestant. (Slight pause.) Most people probably think the word “protestant” means we are protesting something.

But in Latin, the universal language when the word ‘Protestant’ comes into existence, Latin combines pro and testari. Testari is to witness, testify, attest. Pro means for.

So a ‘Protestant’ is one who witnesses, testifies, attests for and to the reality of God and the Word of God in Scripture. To the extent we Protestants protest anything we protest any institutional church when it runs afoul of the will of God and Word of God as that might be discerned in Scripture. So the Reformation was about re-formation, inviting the institutional church to a course correction. (Slight pause.)

These words are in the Nineteenth Chapter of the work known as Leviticus: “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am Yahweh, your God.”

Leviticus centers on Israel’s narrative of faith and that narrative portrays the character of God. Yahweh as a person, a being, not a power to be harnessed or reduced to a tradable, usable commodity. That is how Yahweh, God is portrayed, as a person. Yahweh, God is a reality to be honored.

And Israel’s reflections on faith— these reflections on faith— are always bifocal. Israel never testifies about God without also asking about the character of Israel. Israel needs to embody holiness by listening for and listening to God, God Who is holy.

The text articulates a crucial connection between God’s holiness and Israel’s faithful obedience, a form of human holiness. This is about faith as a response to God’s rescuing, sovereign holiness. Further, these words also tell us about the will of God.

What is the will of God? We should not be corrupt, unjust, partial. We should maintain justice for the poor, the outcast, deal fairly with all those we encounter, do not slander, do not profit from the blood of a neighbor. All that is tall order.

Why is it a tall order? Tell me, in the entire history of humanity who among us or what institution built by humans has escaped from failing, escaped from falling short based on the standards of God? Who among us or what institution has constantly and consistently treated each other with the respect each of us deserves as a child of God?

So this text is about interactions with our neighbors. It calls on us to strive to meet the standards of God, a call to holiness. A link is made between the reality of the neighbor, hence the holiness of neighbor and the reality, the holiness of God. It’s about treating each other as holy and doing this through transformed, re-formed social relations. (Slight pause.)

Re-formation— brings us back to the Reformation— it is better than five hundred years since the Reformation event. So let’s go back in time for a moment— way back. (Slight pause.)

It’s sometimes said Genesis contains the establishing but mythic stories of Israel. But if Abram and Sari actually existed, based on the details and the context of the story we find in Scripture the era described would have placed it about 2,500 Before the Common Era.

Another mythic, establishing tale is of the story of Joseph. The details of the story found in Scripture place it about the year 2,000 Before the Common Era. Next in this Biblical time line, the Exodus story gets beyond myth since there is some factual evidence for the story. Scholars think some kind of Exodus event happened around 1,500 years Before the Common Era.

Moving forward again, we believe the reign of David, a benchmark in the story of Israel, actually happened around the year 1,000 Before the Common Era. And the Babylonian Exile happened between the years 600 and 500 Before the Common Era.

We are confident Christ was born in what we call the year 4 Before the Common Era. So, tell me, do you begin to see a pattern here, something like a 500 year pattern?

Again moving forward, the next date to notice is the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Note: by this time there is an Eastern Roman Empire. The year 476 of the Common Era is the date assigned for that collapse, close enough to be yet another 500 year interval.

This next touchstone we Westerners, do not even acknowledge. The Protestant Reformation is not the Great Schism of the church.

The Great Schism of the Church was the split between the Eastern Church and the Western Church. 1054 of the Common Era is the date most historians use for that. This again is in line with that 500 year picture, is it not?

And we, of course, date the Protestant Reformation to 1517. So guess what? Right now, today we are 500 years after that.

You tell me: is it time for another Reformation, time for another re-formation of the institution we call church? Whether by dint of external forces— for instance the Babylonian Exile or the demise of Rome— or by dint of the fact that human institutions have become broken and adjustment, refocus on God is needed, re-formation seems to me to be in order.

Please note: adjustments due to brokenness are often set in motion by members of the institution and tend to come from the bottom up, not the top down. Can you say, “Martin Luther”? He wasn’t the Pope. He was just a priest hanging out in Germany. And bottom up, not top down sounds very Congregational to me.

All that brings us back to the ancient words from Leviticus. The truth is both we and institutions are always in need of Reformation, in need of re-formation, institutional re-formation and personal re-formation. If that were not the case the words we heard about not being corrupt, unjust, partial, maintaining justice for the poor and outcast, dealing fairly those we encounter, not slandering and not profiting from the blood of a neighbor would never have been recorded. (Slight pause.)

I think the word Reformation sounds like a large thing has happened, a kind of top-down event. But I think re-formation is, as I suggested, bottom up. Now, that poses a serious question for the larger church and for this church. How will we, this church, re-form, re-make ourselves right now? (Slight pause.)

I want to suggest if we do think bottom up is the way re-formation really works— as a Congregationalist I certainly think that— we need to start by concentrating on us.

We need to ask ourselves how can we witness, testify, attest to God and to the Word of God as it is discerned and discernable in Scripture. And yes, we do need to link the reality of neighbor to the reality of God.

Do not misunderstand me. Re-formation happens slowly, one step at a time. But unless we do step toward re-formation at the local church, re-formation will not happen here. And if it does not happen on a local basis, a larger Reformation will never happen.

So it has been about 500 years since the Reformation, has it not? Are due we for a re-formation here in this local church? Your call. Amen.

10/29/2023
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Benediction. This, then, is a précis of what the pastor said before the blessing: “Catholic theologian Richard Rhor says this. ‘We worshiped Jesus, made Jesus into a mere religion instead of journeying toward union with God and the children of God. That shift made us a religion of believing and belonging instead of a religion of transformation.’— Richard Rhor. Re-formation, transformation— I want to suggest being a follower of the One, Triune God means being re-formed and transformed as we witness, testify and attest to God.”

BENEDICTION: God sends us into the world ready and equipped. God is with us each day and every day. We can trust God Whose love is steadfast and sure. Let us commit to doing God’s will and God’s work. And may God’s presence be with us this day and forevermore. Amen.