REFORMATION IN GERMANY #2 LUTHER'S WITTENBERG

                                       WITTENBERG

Stadtkirche- Wittenberg

On our way back  to Biskirchen from Berlin  (by common consent of our family- the most fascinating city in Germany) we decided  to  take  a detour  to Wittenberg - the  town where Luther  (an Augustinian monk) had lectured at the University, and more significantly, where he had nailed his famous  "95 Theses" , to the  door of the Schlosskirche.

This event began the Protestant Reformation.

Schlosskirche - Wittenberg

I find it always  awesome to stand in a place where so much history had been made.  Although  much of what  one sees is not 'original', since a number of wars  and the "2nd law of Thermodynamics" have, since then caused much  damage to these structures,  it is nevertheless  a humbling thing  to walk where the great men have walked.

The door of the Schlosskirche , where the 95 theses were nailed

                                           LUTHER'S 95 THESES

Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, essentially  focus on  the nature of true repentance. Luther  took  the Roman Catholic practice of the sale of indulgences to task. Indulgences  were  guarantees of the forgiveness of sins  in exchange for money. These guarantees were provided by the Pope.   Confession and forgiveness  therefore became  a financial transaction rather than a matter of  genuine contrition. Luther's theses argued that the sale of indulgences was a gross violation of the original intention of confession and penance, and that Christians were being falsely told that they could find  absolution  through the purchase of indulgences.

The  Castle Church  in Wittenberg  also held one of Europe's largest collections of  holy  relics  that had been collected   by Frederik III of Saxony. At that time  the  veneration  or viewing  of relics was purported to allow the viewer to receive relief from temporal punishment for sins in purgatory. By 1509 Frederick had collected  apparently  over 5,000 relics, purportedly including vials of the milk of the Virgin Mary, straw from the manger [of Jesus], and the body of one of the  babies  massacred  by King Herod.

As part of a fund-raising campaign commissioned by Pope Leo X to finance the renovation of  St Peter's Basilica in Rome, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican  priest  started to sell indulgences in the German territory.   Even though Luther's prince, Frederick III, and the prince of the neighboring territory, George , Duke of Saxony  forbade the sale in their lands, Luther's parishioners traveled to purchase them anyway. When these people came to confession  they presented their  indulgences which they had paid for, claiming they no longer had to repent of their sins, since the document promised to forgive all their sins.

Luther became very angry  that they had paid money for what was theirs by right as a free gift from God. He felt compelled to expose the fraud that was being sold to these uneducated and superstitious people.  The Ninety-five Theses outlined the items to be discussed and issued the challenge to any and all comers.

               WITTENBERG  TODAY

Wittenberg  today is a  town of about 50 000 inhabitants, and even though Wittenberg has  an enormous spiritual  history,  and even though tens of thousands  of vistors visit Wittenberg  every year  (Wittenberg  and Wartburg  are  recognised World Heritage Sites)  one doesn't get the impression that this town is abuzz with spiritual vitality.

I  got the  impression  that the town  really  reflected   the ethos of the   buyers and sellers in the temple precincts  in Jerusalem. Way back then in the days when the Lord Jesus walked upon the face of this earth,  the temple had ceased to be the great spiritual renewal center for which it was designed by God. The big buzz in the temple  then  was commerce  - not  prayer  or worship. It appears that modern Wittenberg is trading  on its past, making money out of history  and selling Luther  relics  without embracing the red hot  faith of Luther .

"Oh Lord , in your wrath remember mercy ! "  (Habakkuk  3:2)

 

The majestic  pulpit of the Schlosskirche

"O land, land , land hear the Word of the Lord."    - Jeremiah 22:29

Reformation in Germany #1

The bulk of my 2 month sabbatical was spent in Germany , the land of my fathers . My father was born in Hamburg and my mother was born in Ansbach. They emigrated to Namibia ( Walvis Bay)  in the 50's ,  after WW II .
Although I had been in Germany twice before , I had never actually  lived there -  I never had  developed a feeling for the place .
This time it felt actually as if I had lived there.

Gemeinde Freier Evangelischer Christ - Biskirchen

I was very warmly received by the " Gemeinde Freier Evangelischer Christen" in a little village called Biskirchen . Biskirchen is  situated  on the B49  between Wetzlar and Limburg  along the river Lahn  - indeed  a beautiful part of Germany .
The  church in Biskirchen  is   doctrinally   a 'Reformed Baptist  Church'  .  It is a lively and loving little congregation led by two capable elders  , Henrik Riesen and Tobias Glaum . These two men are both teachers at local schools  , fathers of a young family , good  preachers and  highly committed to their  local church .
This church has only been existence for about 5 years , but it already bears the marks of a sound  church .
Through this  church's hospitality and goodwill I was able  to explore the spiritual scene  in Germany somewhat.

It is clear that the land of the Reformation  has fallen prey to the common pitfalls  so well described in the Bible . Spiritual  prosperity   is  frequently followed by material prosperity , and this in turn , if not carefully checked , leads so easily  to spiritual apostasy and various forms of idolatry .
The  spiritual gains made  during and after the 16th  Century  Reformation are still  clearly visible . Germany is a land sown through with church buildings -  many impressive church buildings , may I add .

Berliner Dom - A Lutheran Church

The  evidence of  churches and cathedrals , all built in a  bygone era,   testifies that this is indeed a bygone era . Such buildings  are no longer built in our day . The  cathedral of the modern man is the shopping center and the sports stadium ! 
The Germans are generally very proud of their church buildings, even though few will actually attend services there on a Lord's day .  Much money is poured into the maintenance  and upkeep of these  splendid edifices . Some of this money comes from the  German tax payer  and other money comes from entrance fees  and music concerts  that are being regularly held  in these churches . An average  German congregation  that meets in these buildings would hardly be able to maintain  such  buildings  with their own means .

The lack of spiritual vitality and life is evident  .  A visit to  the church  in Wittenberg , where Luther penned his 95 theses on the door  of the castle church ,  and  a visit to the Wartburg in Eisenach where he translated  the Scriptures , confirms  that . At the Wartburg  for instance,  far less prominence was given  to  Luther  than to a woman called 'Elizabeth ' canonized by the  Catholic church as a saint . I will write more about this experience in my next blog .

The land of the Reformation is  evidently sorely in need of  another  Reformation . Thank God then that there is a  very small  movement of  Reformed Baptists  at work . We do not despise  the day of small things . We must encourage these churches  to persevere . Pray for them ! Biskirchen  is perhaps  a drop in the bucket - but they are already doing much to reach out   to  find like minded  churches  who will perhaps one day band themselves together  for greater  unity and prayer  for Germany !   I for one am praying and am  looking  forward  to such  possibilities.