In India its not well known but most Protestant Christians observe Reformation Day in honor of Martin Luther and other Christians who removed false doctrine and destructive practices from the Christian church.
Because the Roman Catholic Church was desperate to raise money to complete St. Peter's in Rome during the Middle Ages, many clergy used fear as a tool to obtain money from poor and unsophisticated people. They told the people that they had to pay money to the church so that their sins and the sins of their families might be forgiven. The people bought pieces of paper called pardons and indulgences from the church so that they could believe that they would go to heaven when they died.
Luther was deeply disturbed by these and other abuses in the church. At the same time he was aware of his own sins and imperfections, and he tried very hard to make himself into a person that he thought God would like. The harder he tried, the worse he felt. He thought he was growing farther and farther away from God, and that it was becoming impossible for God to like him at all.
In despair, he began a deep study of the Bible, especially the letters in the New Testament that were written by Paul, most of all the letter to the Romans, and he began to understand what Paul had told the early Christians over a thousand years before.
In his preaching and writing, Luther began to emphasize two main points: justification by faith and the priesthood of all believers.
Justification by faith means that Christians can never earn God's love or forgiveness. All that Christians must do is to accept God as God, and God will love and forgive and cherish them.
The priesthood of all believers means that every Christian has his or her own personal relationship with God, reading the Bible and worshiping in his or her own language, and praying directly to God without anyone's going in between.
So Protestant Christians give thanks to God on this day for the opportunity to lead lives of faith, instead of lives of fear.
Reformation Day is observed on the last Sunday of October, during the Season of Pentecost. The symbol of Luther and Lutherans is the Luther Rose.
(taken from a web source)
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I read an interesting article on Halloween on the Resurgence webswite entitled
WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HALLOWEEN
You can click on the link
6 Fertilize my soul:
Thank you for this post, it is especially timely for me. Not because of Halloween, but because of Martin Luther and his inability to get closer to God by 'doing' it his own way by working at it.
Thank you for your response Jennifer. Its a great day to celebrate the fact that we are not saved by works and our own efforts but only by faith through the grace og God as it says in Ephesians chapter 2.
Trust you are doing good
In Poland Reformation Day is day free from work for Lutherans. Halloween isn't very popular, because many people think that it is holiday not from our culture, but American. But young people don't understant criticism of Halloween.
Dear Amrita,
Holidays are different in different countries even among Lutherans.
Norway has had an Evangelic Lutheran public church since the days of Martin Luther. Nevertheless, this is the official All Saints Eve in Norway and tomorrow is All Saints Day according to my secular calendar.
The American Halloween has only been celebrated among kids since year 2000. I've had some for trick or treat this evening. ave them chocolate to avoid eggs in my mailbox. Extortion.
I detest the mere thought of allowing children extorting strange grown ups to give them candies.
Martin Luther had many good thoughts and reactions to the sale of indulgence letters. He also was a human and not always inspired by God. Amongst other he disliked Jews to that extent that Jews were excluded from even entering the borders of Norway. Horrible.
He also took part in the escalated witch burning of the dark Middle Ages in Europe.
In spite of his major errors, he meant spiritual liberation to the European countries. Most important, the Bible was translated from Latin to German and further to Danish, Norwegian, Dutch e.t.c.
For the first time people were allowed to read the Holy Scripture for themselves. Imagine what a liberation that meant.
Got to stop here.
I wish you well with your important revival crusade.
It's a huge project and we can all tribute by praying.
Halloween is not popular in India too Zim, neither is much known about Reformation Day maybe they celebrate it in the Lutheran churches
Dear Felisol, thank you for sharing a little bit of history here.
I know how kids react if you don 't give them their treats. Here its in the hindu fgestival - very similar stuff.
Thank you for your prayers.
The prejudice against the Jews has been prevalent everywhere. Sad too see how God 's people were persecuted even by Christians.
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