Thoughts for the Day

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Today we look at the Reformation, the religious revolution in the 16th century that resulted in a major split between Roman Catholics and Protestants (ie 'protestors'). It wasn't the first such schism though.

Roman Catholics in Europe had begun to object to certain church practices. These included the sale of indulgences where by paying a sum of money to the church ensured one's sins were forgiven. In 1517 Martin Luther, a monk and theologian pinned 95 complaints (or theses) to the church door at Wittenberg. Luther's subsequent teaching (along with the invention of the printing press) that the only authority for the Church should be the Bible, his emphasis on the poor and outcast, and on people being able to read the bible in their own language was to accelerate dissatisfaction causing the Church in Europe eventually to split between Catholics and Protestants.

Whilst Luther’s ideas were spreading across Europe, King Henry VIII took advantage of this to break away from the Catholic Church (over his desire to remarry) and with the encouragement of his ministers made himself head of the Church of England. In Europe 'Lutheranism' became a religious and political movement particularly in northern Europe, which drove the wider Protestant Reformation. Luther himself was excommunicated by the Pope, and at one point hijacked and imprisoned for eleven years before being released. He died in 1546.

Today there are some 80 million Lutherans around the world with 72.4 million affiliated to the Lutheran World Federation. About a third live in Europe, particularly in Germany and Sweden, but there are large numbers in Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Heavenly Father,
we pray for global Christian harmony and unity.
Guide the efforts of Christian churches worldwide
to work together for Your kingdom.
Help us to overcome barriers and divisions,
and to collaborate in spreading the good news
of Jesus Christ.
May Your love and wisdom lead us to promote unity
and understanding among believers.
Let our global efforts reflect Your grace
and be a beacon of hope in a divided world.
We ask for Your blessing on all efforts
towards achieving unity and harmony.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

(from 'Godsverse')