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Hallo again to all.
In our readings and conversations on the Protestant Reformation, we find much more focus to be on the Protestant — the Protesting — than on the Re-formation of the Church that influences so much of our polity and theology. Most commonly thought of: the removal of indulgences and disputation of purgatory—which are, admittedly referenced in a solid two-thirds of Luther's theses. Justification through faith is, of course, at the heart of the Reformation, as is the primacy of scripture. Rather we found ourselves stopping to look at the development of what was re-formed, and how that has changed over the last 500 years, and in what ways. Buildings became less and more ornate, laity became more and less empowered, the Holy Eucharist has come and gone and come. Putting God back at the centre (which also has gone and come). Perhaps also, this re-forming of what is now a large portion of the Church Universal has allowed Christianity to live and thrive as long and vibrantly as it has. Last evening, we were reminded of a quite different sort of re-formation. A more recent one. We attended an 'Evening with' an octogenarian-minus-one Jewish-American folk musician. Reforms happen all the time around us. Sometimes they are slow, trickling in ways that are barely noticeable, over centuries, other times they are fierce, violent wars for independence or freedom, but most often, reform is brought about by passionate people trying to change the world and serve God and God's creation in the best way they can, serving the call, whether knowingly or not, to re-create God's kingdom on earth, in their own communities. See you again next week.
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