Searching for a Reformation

I just concluded a Reformation Tour through Europe with 47 other people. We traveled through eight countries (Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy) in nine days. It was a whirlwind! The tour was led by a Romanian pastor that our church has supported for close to 30 years. Our group included pastors, church planters, and believers from Romania, Croatia, France, Australia, and the USA.

I love church history and this kind of tour was definitely on my “bucket list.”

But I did not realize how much more powerful, enriching, and edifying it would be with 47 others. I learned a simple principle:

Joy is multiplied by the number of people who share it. 

If I would have traveled the same path and experienced the same sites by myself, it would have been nice. If I would have experienced it with just my wife, it would have been doubly nice. But experiencing it with other believers in Jesus Christ from different backgrounds, stories, ethnicities, personalities, languages, and life experiences was quinquagintuply nice!

As I reflect on the trip, here are a few random thoughts that strike me:

1. We need to know church history.

We live in a rootless, ever-changing culture. Deep down I think we are all longing for something enduring, something stable, something spiritual, something historical. That is why, strangely enough, many young people are searching out Catholicism and Orthodoxy, as well as a host of other ancient beliefs and practices. But in the simplicity of the Christian faith, there is an enduring root. We have a creed that echoes back to the first century. We have a “cloud of witnesses” that have left us a legacy of faith. We have Scriptures which are breathed-out from the beginning of time. We have a God who is eternal. It is to our detriment to not appreciate the history of our faith.

2. The Word of God is powerful.

The clarion call of the Reformation (and the Renaissance as well) was “back to the sources”! What lit the fire of the Reformation was a hunger for the Word of God in one’s own language. The great “crime” of Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, William Tyndale, and the other Reformers was to preach, teach, and translate the Scriptures into the language of the people. Unfortunately, the Church itself was the greatest obstacle to this hunger for God’s Word. But once the Word of God was unleashed, the fire could no longer be contained. May that same fire be unleashed today through the Word of God empowered through the Spirit of God!

3. Power corrupts.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Reformation, it was a movement, particularly in the 16th century, to translate the Scriptures, to preach the Word of God, and to reform the greed, corruption, and immorality of the Church. Yes, the Church. Popes, monks, priests, and clerics had become so enriched with power and money that they did all they could to stop people from challenging their authority, confronting their immorality, and reading the Word of God, even to the point of burning their opponents at the stake. It is a sad story…but, oh, so relevant. The old adage–Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely–still rings true today. Even the Reformers themselves, who faced persecution and oppression, often persecuted and oppressed others when they gained power in their own jurisdictions. No one is exempt from the corrupting influence of sin, materialism, pride, and power.

4. God works through weak people.

I admire all the Reformers…but they all had their issues. Luther struggled with a foul mouth, stubbornness, and animosity toward the Jews. Calvin struggled with anger and authoritarianism. Zwingli struggled with handling disagreements and persecuting his opponents. They are all flawed characters who reflected the failures of their times and the weaknesses of human nature. If the Lord tarries and history looks back on us, then our own flaws and failures will also be on display. The Lord always works through weak vessels so that ultimately the glory belongs to Him and to Him alone.

5. We need to stand for truth despite the cost.

The most impactful moment for me on this trip was standing outside the doors of the Castle Church at Wittenburg. This was the very place where the Reformation began, where Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door, where Luther challenged the corruption and greed of the Church. Inside the church, we sang A Mighty Fortress together as a group. The words rang out and echoed off the walls. Standing in that place, the words hit me with a power that they had never had before. It became clear why Luther had to rest in God as his only refuge. He was literally standing against the world. His life hung in the balance. Yet he kept preaching and teaching the Word of God. May we have his same courage today.

6. The simple faith is the true faith.

On this trip, I saw some incredible cathedrals. They were ornate, beautiful, impressive, even breath-taking. The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Strasbourg is almost too magnificent to describe.

But if you had to ask me where I sensed the Spirit the most, it was in the simple, unadorned, white chapel in Herrnhut, Germany. Here the Moravian Brethren have been worshipping God, loving one another, and praying together for over 500 years. The followers of Jan Hus found refuge in this place in the 1400s and they eventually sent out missionaries all over the world. Some even sold themselves into slavery so that they could preach the gospel to the slaves in the new world. The guide who showed us the church was herself part of the Moravian church and she spoke with such enthusiasm and joy that you sensed that her faith was real and authentic. We sang in this church as well and even though the building was not impressive and the words did not echo off a towering cathedral ceiling, we still had a sense that we were joining voices with believers through the ages who gave their all for Jesus Christ. God is not looking for impressive buildings, ornate robes, and religious rituals. He is looking for those who would worship Him in spirit and in truth.

7. Jesus Christ is true Savior and Lord!

I love Jesus Christ. I love His Word. I love His church. I love the fellowship of believers. In Christ, I am joined to the legacy of believers throughout history, to the unity of the body of Christ throughout the world, and to the glory of the people of God throughout eternity. I am part of something bigger than myself. I am part of a story that stretches from eternity past to eternity future. I am part of the body of Christ. He is my Savior. He is my Lord. He is my Redeemer. He is my Friend.

Ultimately this is all that matters.

Ultimately this is all that lasts.

Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever!

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