LCMS Convention hymn of thought

Here is my hymn of the day.

Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word (LSB #655)

Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son
And bring to naught all He has done.

Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow’r make known,
For You are Lord of lords alone;
Defend Your holy Church that we
May sing Your praise eternally.

O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.

LCMS Convention hymn of thought

As the 64th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod really got underway today, I think it fitting that certain things be kept at the forefront of the minds of the delegates.  I’ll post a hymn each day or so during the Convention which I think focuses our attention on what is at the heart of the Convention – the Gospel.

Church of God, Elect and Glorious (LSB #646)

Church of God, elect and glorious,
Holy nation, chosen race;
Called as God’s own special people,
Royal priests and heirs of grace:
Know the purpose of your calling,
Show to all His mighty deeds;
Tell of love that knows no limits,
Grace that meets all human needs.

God has called you out of darkness
Into His most marv’lous light;
Brought His truth to life within you,
Turned your blindness into sight.
Let your light so shine around you
That God’s name is glorified
And all find fresh hope and purpose
In Christ Jesus crucified.

Once you were an alien people,
Strangers to God’s heart of love;
But He brought you home in mercy,
Citizens of heav’n above.
Let His love flow out to others,
Let them feel a Father’s care;
That they too may know His welcome
And His countless blessings share.

Church of God, elect and holy,
Be the people He intends;
Strong in faith and swift to answer
Each command your Master sends:
Royal priests, fulfill your calling
Through your sacrifice and prayer;
Give your lives in joyful service—
Sing His praise, His love declare.

I particularly like the words from stanza two, “Let your light so shine around/That God’s name is glorified.”  This is my fervent prayer of the Convention – that God’s name is glorified.  That means that all persons there respect one another and that all actions made by the Synod in Convention are in lines with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.  If said actions are made this way, then God’s name will indeed be glorified.

Thoughts from history for the 2010 LCMS Convention

As we as The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod prepare for our 2010 Convention, I think it is wise to remember words from J.A.O. Preus, the 9th president of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.  These words come from his presidential report to the delegates of the 1977 Convention.

As a church we have been known and are still known as people who are vitally concerned that the Word of God be preached in its truth and purity, that the entire program be based upon God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and powerful Word.  The Word brings the church into being, and the Word is truly our rule and norm for faith and life in all the activities that we carry on.  We cannot yield one jot or tittle of God’s holy Word.  And the Word is the means for carrying out our mission.  It is all we have.  It is all we need.

We have emerged from a serious doctrinal controversy, in which we are probably the only Christian church in America and probably the only Lutheran Church in the world which seriously and earnestly confronted the issues raised by modern historical-critical methods of Biblical interpretation and honestly and forthrightly dealt with them…

The strength of our beloved Synod has always been a unique blend of concern for a pure doctrine which has brought about our strong confessional stance, coupled with the overwhelming desire to carry out the Great Commission. 1

1) Quoted from A Seminary in Crisis by Paul A. Zimmerman, available from Concordia Publishing House.

HT: Issues, Etc – Web Extra: Profiles in Presidential Leadership in the LC-MS

Law & Gospel 2.0

I received an email about a new work that Concordia Publishing House was working on.  This book was a required read during my seminary days (and it should be a yearly read for pastors regardless).  This translation was done in 1986 reproduced from the German edition of 1897.  Now CPH has come out with a new edition geared toward both pastors and laity.  I received it earlier this week and have been able to take the plastic off of it, but nothing more.  I’m looking forward to reading it soon.

DOXOLOGY: The Gathering Review

The Gathering Review

April 25 – 28, 2010

On Sunday, April 25, I began my journey to Allenspark, CO for the first of three parts for DOXOLOGY, The Gathering.  This part of the program was held at the St. Malo Catholic Retreat Center, as will be the second part.  Due to MapQuest “forgetting” to tell me to make one all-important turn, I found myself driving 90 minutes out of the way and getting lost.  Fortunately, I found a Walmart and after purchasing a GPS, made my way to the retreat center just in time for dinner, having missed the welcome and event preview session.

There were 25 men from various congregations in The LC-MS and a few from the WELS.  Some pastors gathered have been in the ministry for a few short years, while some have been in the ministry for 20+ years and everything in between.

During the time of The Gathering, we met for worship three times a day at the Chapel on the Rock (Morning Office, Afternoon Office, Evening Office), an integral aspect to DOXOLOGY and the spiritual life of the pastor.  Sunday evening consisted of a single module or session.  Monday and Tuesday consisted of 5 modules each and Wednesday consisted of 2 modules and a section for closing comments and preparations for the second part of the program, The Encore.  Each module lasted anywhere from 75 minutes to 120 minutes, with a 30 minute break between sessions.  In order to minimize the amount of time DOXOLOGY has the pastor away from the parish, it was necessary to maximize the information taught.  Therefore, a day began at 7:00 am and ended around 8:45 pm.

The following modules were conducted during The Gathering:

  • Word, Sacrament and Psychotherapy
  • Shepherding Souls: The Classic Model for the Care of Souls
  • A Noble Task: A Christ-centered Paradigm for Pastoral Self-Care
  • Pastoral Ethics and Spiritual Care Challenges
  • The Silent Epidemic: Compassion Fatigue
  • Authority vs. Power: The Pastoral Pitfall
  • What Pastors Need to Know About EQ (Emotional Intelligence)
  • Out of the Depth: Sadness, Despair, and Recovery
  • Depressions, Dysfunction, and Despair: Clinical Realities & Treatment
  • Lead Us Not in Temptation:
    Sexual Misconduct
  • Deliver Us from Evil:
    A Christ-Centered Strategy

The best way to summarize the information received is very similar to drinking from a fire hydrant.  The information came at you very fast and was very information-packed.  During this time, we met in both the large-group setting and also in smaller group settings to look at real-life casuistry issues and to discuss how we would provide pastoral care in such instances.

The objectives completed during The Gathering included:

  • Immersion in a worshipping community at the heart of the program’s experience through the praying of the Daily Office.
  • Affirmation of pastoral vocation, reflection and refreshment for ongoing pastoral work by exploring the essential habits and practice of the classic care of souls and the application of Christian counseling concepts.
  • Enhancement of personal skills through didactic and discussion models to sharpen professional competencies essential to the art of counsel and care.
  • Cultivation of essential tools and strategies for responding to the burgeoning (growing) personal needs of today’s parishioners.
  • Formation of working peer groups of pastors to address matters of congregational casuistry from the perspective of shepherd of souls.
  • Creation of ongoing mentoring and coaching relationships between participants and consulting theologians and/or psychologists.
  • Provision for facilitated conversations among pastor participants for interpersonal support and encouragement (the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren).
  • Renewal of personal pastoral habits in prayer, meditation and ongoing pastoral growth.
  • Optional personal consultation, help and healing for pastors’ emotional and/or spiritual concerns (care of psyche and care of soul).

Overall, The Gathering proved to be very informative and covered a lot of information within a short amount of time.  At The Encore, (June 18-20), I will be bringing with me a layperson from the congregation to take part in DOXOLOGY as well.  During The Encore, there will be 12 modules, 4 for both pastors and laity, 4 for pastors only and 4 for laity only.

The third and final part of DOXOLOGY, The Reunion, will take place August 27-29 at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska.  For The Reunion, the pastor’s wives are invited.  Wives in attendance network with other women who share the unique blessings and challenges of living out their marriages in the context of parsonage life.  This event allows clergy to hear presentations on pastoral work from some of the finest theologians and practitioners in the area of spiritual care and will allow for a fast-paced and intensive review of their training in the earlier portions of the program.  Dr. John W. Kleinig, renowned Australian scholar and pastoral theologian, will serve as the featured presenter for the 2010 Reunion.

Calls come, but not enough

This last week, Tuesday and Wednesday specifically, both of the seminaries had their vicarage assignment and candidate placement services.  Unfortunately, assignments and calls were not enough.  At Concordia Theological Seminary, it was said that there were a few vicarage-eligible men that did not receive a vicarage assignment.  This is not too terrible, as these men may petition for a delayed vicarage.  The most grievous fact is that there are approximately 30 men who, having completed their studies, having met all their requirements, and having been certified by the faculty, did not receive a call into the Office of Holy Ministry.  Of 60 eligible men from CTSFW, 21 did not receive a placement.  Lord willing, that will change and change soon. 

Rev. Matt Harrison On Friday, April 30, Rev. Matthew Harrison, Executive Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care (and God willing, future president of The LC-MS), preached at CTSFW.  The sermon is only 6:40 in length, but I think a very well-preached sermon.  To listen to it, check out his blog here.

Drive to DOXOLOGY –1, Jared – 0

Yesterday began my trek to Allenspark, CO for the first of three DOXOLOGY events.  I followed the directions that MapQuest gave me.  Unfortunately, that will be the last time I follow MapQuest as it led me about 90 minutes out of my way because it failed to tell me one all-important turn to make.

Driving around and around and around, I finally stopped in a sporting goods store to purchase a GPS because I was beyond lost and quite frankly, I’m not even sure I could have found my way back to where I just got off from.  They had one unit and was way more than what I wanted to spend.  (As a side note, I stopped in Walmart real quick Sunday morning and thought about buying a GPS “just in case”, but decided against it, thinking I would be ok.  Bad idea.)

I found a Walmart and ran in and purchased me a TomTom XL 325•SE.  It’s not the top of the line, but it got the job done.  With “Samantha’s” help (the name of the female voice), I made it to my destination at Saint Malo Catholic Retreat, Conference & Spiritual Center.  I started my trip at 9:30 am and arrived at 6:03 pm.  What should have taken me 6 hours, 3 minutes according to MapQuest, took me 8 hours, 30 minutes.

I made it just in time for dinner, rather frazzled to say the least.  I got my stuff, ate, threw my computer in my room and went out to the car to get the rest of my stuff. 

The weather here is kinda nice.  I ran out to the car this morning to get something out of it and found the car covered in snow.  Yes, COVERED in snow.  If I’m outside later, I’ll try to snap a picture of the car.

That’s all for now.  I’ll be posting a review of DOXOLOGY once I return to Gillette (or I may make some smaller post each night, don’t know).

95 Theses

Luther 95 Theses

NINETY-FIVE THESES

OR

DISPUTATION ON THE POWER AND EFFICACY OF INDULGENCES

 

Out of love and zeal for truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following theses will be publicly discussed at Wittenberg under the chairmanship of the reverend father Martin Lutther,1 Master of Arts and Sacred Theology and regularly appointed Lecturer on these subjects at that place. He requests that those who cannot be present to debate orally with us will do so by letter.2

In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” [Matt. 4:17],3 he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

3. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortifications of the flesh.

4. The penalty of sin4 remains as long as the hatred of self, that is, true inner repentance, until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope neither desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority or that of the canons.5

6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by God; or, to be sure, by remitting guilt in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in these cases were disregarded, the guilt would certainly remain unforgiven.

7. God remits guilt to no one unless at the same time he humbles him in all things and makes him submissive to his vicar, the priest.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to the canons themselves, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit through the pope is kind to us insofar as the pope in his decrees always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.6

10. Those priests act ignorantly and wickedly who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penalties for purgatory.

11. Those tares of changing the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory were evidently sown while the bishops slept [Matt. 13:25].

12. In former times canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties, are already dead as far as the canon laws are concerned, and have a right to be released from them.

14. Imperfect piety or love on the part of the dying person necessarily brings with it great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater the fear.

15. This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, to say nothing of other things, to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ the same as despair, fear, and assurance of salvation.

17. It seems as though for the souls in purgatory fear should necessarily decrease and love increase.

18. Furthermore, it does not seem proved, either by reason or Scripture, that souls in purgatory are outside the state of merit, that is, unable to grow in love.

19. Nor does it seem proved that souls in purgatory, at least not all of them, are certain and assured of their own salvation, even if we ourselves may be entirely certain of it.

20. Therefore the pope, when he uses the words “plenary remission of all penalties,” does not actually mean “all penalties,” but only those imposed by himself.

21. Thus those indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences.

22. As a matter of fact, the pope remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to canon law, they should have paid in this life.

23. If remission of all penalties whatsoever could be granted to anyone at all, certainly it would be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to very few.

24. For this reason most people are necessarily deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of release from penalty.

25. That power which the pope has in general over purgatory corresponds to the power which any bishop or curate has in a particular way in his own diocese or parish.

26. The pope does very well when he grants remission to souls in purgatory, not by the power of the keys, which he does not have,7 but by way of intercession for them.

27. They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.

28. It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church intercedes, the result is in the hands of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed, since we have exceptions in St. Severinus and St. Paschal,8 as related in a legend.

30. No one is sure of the integrity of his own contrition, much less of having received plenary remission.

31. The man who actually buys indulgences is as rare as he who is really penitent; indeed, he is exceedingly rare.

32. Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

33. Men must especially be on their guard against those who say that the pope’s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to him.

34. For the graces of indulgences are concerned only with the penalties of sacramental satisfaction9 established by man.

35. They who teach that contrition is not necessary on the part of those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessional privileges10 preach unchristian doctrine.

36. Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt,11 even without indulgence letters.

37. Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.

38. Nevertheless, papal remission and blessing are by no means to be disregarded, for they are, as I have said [Thesis 6], the proclamation of the divine remission.

39. It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the bounty of indulgences and the need of true contrition.

40. A Christian who is truly contrite seeks and loves to pay penalties for his sins; the bounty of indulgences, however, relaxes penalties and causes men to hate them—at least it furnishes occasion for hating them.

41. Papal indulgences must be preached with caution, lest people erroneously think that they are preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend that the buying of indulgences should in any way be compared with works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys indulgences.

44. Because love grows by works of love, man thereby becomes better. Man does not, however, become better by means of indulgences but is merely freed from penalties.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God’s wrath.

46. Christians are to be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they must reserve enough for their family needs and by no means squander it on indulgences.

47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of indulgences is a matter of free choice, not commanded.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting indulgences, needs and thus desires their devout prayer more than their money.

49. Christians are to be taught that papal indulgences are useful only if they do not put their trust in them, but very harmful if they lose their fear of God because of them.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.

52. It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.

53. They are enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is devoted to indulgences than to the Word.

55. It is certainly the pope’s sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The treasures of the church,12 out of which the pope distributes indulgences, are not sufficiently discussed or known among the people of Christ.

57. That indulgences are not temporal treasures is certainly clear, for many [indulgence] preachers do not distribute them freely but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, for, even without the pope, the latter always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outer man.

59. St. Laurence said that the poor of the church were the [treasures of the church, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without want of consideration we say that the keys of the church,13 given by the merits of Christ, are that treasure;

61. For it is clear that the pope s power is of itself sufficient for the remission of penalities and cases reserved by himself.

62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last [Matt. 20:16].

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth.

66. The treasures of indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.

67. The indulgences which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to be such only insofar as they promote gain.

68. They are nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the grace of God and the piety of the cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of papal indulgences with all reverence.

70. But they are much more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams instead of what the pope has commissioned.

71. Let him who speaks against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed;

72. But let him who guards against the lust and license of the indulgence preachers be blessed;

73. Just as the pope justly thunders against those who by any means whatsoever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences.

74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those [who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth.

75. To consider papal indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.

76. We say on the contrary that papal indulgences cannot remove the very least of venial sins as far as guilt is concerned.

77. To say that even St. Peter, if he were now pope, could not grant greater graces is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.

78. We say on the contrary that even the present pope, or any pope whatsoever, has greater graces at his disposal, that is, the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I Cor. 12[:28].

79. To say that the cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence preachers, is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people will have to answer for this.

81. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of the laity,

82. Such as: “Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial.”

83. Again, “Why are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?”

84. Again, “What is this new piety of God and the pope that for a consideration of money they permit a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God and do not rather, because of the need of that pious and beloved soul, free it for pure love’s sake?”

85. Again, “Why are the penitential canons, long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and through disuse, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences as though they were still alive and in force?”

86. Again, “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus,14 build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?”

87. Again, “What does the pope remit or grant to those who by perfect contrition already have a right to full remission and blessings?”15.

88. Again, “What greater blessing could come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these remissions and blessings on every believer a hundred times a day, as he now does but once?”16

89. “Since the pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his indulgences, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons previously granted when they have equal efficacy?”17

90. To repress these very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.

92. Away then with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace! [Jer. 6:14].

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!

94. Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their head, through penalties, death, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace [Acts 14:22][1]


1 Luther spelled his name Lutther in this preamble.

2 There was actually no debate, for no one responded to the invitation. The contents of the ninety-five theses were soon widely disseminated by word of mouth and by the printers, and in effect a vigorous debate took place that lasted for a number of years.

3 The Latin form, poenitentiam agite, and the German, tut Busse, may be rendered in two ways, “repent,” and “do penance.”

4 Catholic theology distinguishes between the “guilt” and the “penalty” of sin.

5 The canons, or decrees of the church, have the force of law. Those referred to here and in Theses 8 and 85 are the so-called penitential canons.

6 Commenting on this thesis in the Explanations of the Ninety-five Theses (p. 114), Luther distinguishes between temporal and eternal necessity. “Necessity knows no law.” “Death is the necessity of necessities.” Cf. WA 1, 549.

7 This is not a denial of the power of the keys, that is, the power to forgive and to retain sin, but merely an assertion that the power of the keys does not extend to purgatory.

8 Luther refers to this legend again in the Explanations of the Ninety-five Theses below, p. 178. The legend is to the effect that these saints, Pope Severinus (638–640) and Pope Paschal I (817–824), preferred to remain longer in purgatory that they might have greater glory in heaven.

9 Satisfaction is that act on the part of the penitent, in connection with the sacrament of penance, by means of which he pays the temporal penalty for his sins. If at death he is in arrears in paying his temporal penalty for venial sins, he pays this penalty in purgatory. Indulgences are concerned with this satisfaction of the sacrament of penance—they permit a partial or complete (plenary) remission of temporal punishment. According to Roman Catholic theology, the buyer of an indulgence still has to confess his sins, be absolved from them, and be truly penitent.

10 These are privileges entitling the holder of indulgence letters to choose his own confessor and relieving him, the holder, of certain satisfactions.

11 To justify the placing of absolution before satisfaction, contrary to the practice of the early church, theologians distinguished between the guilt and the penalty of sins.

12 The treasury of merits is a reserve fund of good works accumulated by Christ and the saints upon which the pope could draw when he remitted satisfaction in indulgences.

13 The office of the keys: the preaching of the gospel, the celebrating of the sacraments, the remitting of sins to the penitent, and the excommunicating of impenitent sinners.

14 Marcus Licinius Crassus (115–53 b.c.), also called Dives (“the Rich”), was noted for his wealth and luxury by the classical Romans. Crassus means “the Fat.”

15 See Theses 36 and 37

16 The indulgence letter entitled its possessor to receive absolution once during his lifetime and once at the approach of death.

17 During the time when the jubilee indulgences were preached, other indulgences were suspended.

[1]Luther, M. (1999, c1957). Vol. 31: Luther’s works, vol. 31 : Career of the Reformer I (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther’s Works (31:25-33). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

Reformation (Observed)

Today, we in the Lutheran Church celebrate the Reformation (Observed).  The theme for today is the reformation of the Church; that is, reforming the practices that the Roman Catholic Church had instituted. 

A monk by the name of Martin Luther became very outspoken of the practices which the Roman Catholic Church were doing: praying to saints, worshipping the relics and other practices.  Two practices that sparked Luther’s angst the most were the selling of indulgences and the doctrine of salvation by good works.  All of this prompted the posting of his Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, or what has popularly become known as the 95 Theses. 

Enjoy this lovely video celebrating the Reformation.