Having been raised Lutheran, I can remember when my church had a Reformation Day celebration that included a fair in the church gym. One of the few things I remember well was that my friend and I got to man the booth selling indulgences. I have no recollection of who got to be Martin Luther but I do vaguely recall that they didn't actually get to nail the 95 Theses to the door of the church (which, mind you, doesn't work particularly well on metal and glass doors).
I don't know that as a Lutheran I grew in my faith much. I remember falling asleep during the sermons and cutting Sunday School and going across the street to the Wawa. I remember watching a movie biography of Martin Luther and thinking that he came off as somewhat of a dork. I remember the high school Sunday School class being given the choice of going through some workbook (whose content I don't remember) or actually studying the Bible and the overwhelming choice was the workbook.
My journey of faith over the next several years took me to Methodist, Baptist, Evangelical Free, non-denominational, Presbyterian, and probably some other churches that I can't remember. But when I look back on this past year, one of my favorite movies that I got from Netflix was Luther - the 2003 movie featuring Joseph Fiennes in the title role. One of the books that has challenged me to think more deeply about my faith was On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther's Heidelberg Disputation, 1518. It makes me think that maybe those years growing up weren't as empty as I remember. After all, God causes all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and are called acccording to His purpose.
So, this Reformation Day, I am thankful that God is continually reforming me, conforming me to the image of His Son and that nailing some complaints on a church door all those years ago helped me to realize the importance of nailing my Savior to the cross.
Posted as part of Tim Challies' Third Annual Reformation Day Symposium.
