Reformation

Day

October 31st

 

Introduction to Reformation Day:

It is the anniversary of the day Martin Luther is said to have posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany (October 31, 1517), later identified by Protestants as the beginning of the Reformation.  The European Lutheran territorial churches at first commemorated the Reformation on various days, among them the anniversary of Luther’s birth (November 10), his death (February 18), and presentation of the Augsburg Confession (June 25). The centennial celebrations of 1617 focussed attention on October 31; in the sesquicentennial year (1667) Elector John George II decreed this date as annual Reformation Day in Saxony. German Lutheran and Union territorial churches have come gradually to follow this example and specify October 31 or the Sunday preceding it.

 

Date Celebrated on:

We celebrate Reformatoin Day on the the 31st of October or the Sunday before.

 

What does first Lutheran do to celebrate this day?

We here at First Lutheran Church on October 31st celebrate the actual day by posting the 95 Thesis on all the exterior doors of the church. We also celebrate our Lutheran heritage the Sunday preceding the 31st of October by lifting up Martin Luthers reforms to the church and singing the hymns of Luther and other reformers. This is also the day that we confirm any of our confirmands that are ready to profess their faith before God and the rest of the community. Though we celebrate that God worked through Luther and the other reformers we also acknowledge that God's desire is for us all to work together and our hope is that just as we profess in the creeds that one day we truly will once agian be one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic church.