“The Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
Dear Redeemer Family,
October is here already! Hopefully, the extreme heat of summer has passed, and we can now enjoy a gentle autumn. October holds a special place for Lutherans. At the end of the month, we celebrate the Reformation, or at least its beginning. It’s a meaningful celebration because it reminds us of Martin Luther’s gift of returning Scripture to the people through his Bible translation (I have a copy on my desk now), and the restoration of the Gospel in its pure form to all believers. In essence, we are freed.
What are we freed from? While we live in the “Land of the Free,” true freedom concerning the next life is different. We face what are called the “ancient enemies,” better known as the “unholy trinity” of sin, death, and the devil. By nature, we are not free from them; in fact, we are enslaved, and there is nothing we can do about it on our own!
But God has acted on our behalf. Through the work and merit of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, we have been freed from these ancient enemies by God’s grace, through our faith in Him. That, in a nutshell, is the Gospel! Sometimes it’s called the Lutheran Banner or Slogan: By Christ, we are freed. And this time, we are truly free!
To celebrate this, on Reformation Sunday, October 25th, we will have only one worship service at 10 am so our entire congregation can celebrate together. Following worship, we’ll enjoy a special “Octoberfest” potluck in the Fellowship Hall. Sorry, no beer-this isn’t that kind of Octoberfest. So mark your calendars or set a reminder on your cellphone, and come prepared to celebrate the 509th anniversary of the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation!
In Christ,
Pastor Rose