Trinity Lutheran Church to celebrate Reformation Sunday

Trinity Lutheran Church will celebrate Reformation Sunday on October 30 with a service at 10:30 a.m. It’s celebrated in recognition of the Protestant Reformation.

Trinity Pastor Jodi Golden-lund stated, “The Protestant Reformation was a religious reform movement that occurred in Europe from 1517 to 1648. It also gave birth to the Protestant faith. One of the key figures in the Reformation was Martin Luther. He was a Catholic monk and scholar who lived in Germany during the 16th century.

“At that time, the Catholic Church was powerful and corrupt. Luther objected to many of the church’s policies and practices. One stated that salvation came from a combination of faith and good works. Luther believed that we are saved by faith, alone. Luther also was outraged with the practice of indulgencies.

“Indulgencies were writs that the church would offer people for money. In exchange, they would get letters of pardon which guaranteed the forgiveness of sins for their loved ones. Luther became so disturbed with this practice that he wrote his famous 95 Theses. These were arguments against indulgencies. On Oct. 31, 1517, he posted the document on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

“His efforts might have gone unnoticed except for the invention of the printing press by Guttenberg. His theses were printed and widely circulated. They stimulated debate and angered the Pope. He issued a decree excommunicating Luther as a heretic. Luther was condemned and ordered to be killed. Fortunately, he escaped into exile. He then spent his time studying, writing and translating the New Testament from Latin into German so all could understand it. His writings spread across Europe. The reformation was underway.”

The public is invited to attend the Reformation Sunday service and lunch following. For information about the service and all of Trinity’s ministries, go to www.tlcporterville.org or call 559-784-4202.