Here She Comes: The New Reformation
Wish I could've been in the room. Scanning the scene. Hearing the rising voices ricochet off cathedral glass. The time, around the 15th century. The major players? The Catholic Church and revolutionary Martin Luther.Penance for sin were indulgences. You must earn it. Adding layers of man-made doctrine over the perfectly worded Gospel of truth, there was a germination or better put, righteousness indignation tipping over in Luther's soul.Salvation.Justification through faith.Grace through Christ alone.No one needs to buy or sell anything.No one needs to pay up.Just...Believe. The works and penance of Christ were ENOUGH.His colleagues ordered him to recant or face abolishment and exile.We all know what his decision was.He bespoke the phrase: "I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen."They tossed him. By the collar.I can't help but to believe that when we are ousted, when we are thrusted from a place we knew so well, and into an unknown path, the greatest opus of our lives leaks out of a sudden shift into temporary darkness.In 1517, he penned and nailed to the hymn soaked wood his academic dispute and denials as it relates to salvation. The 95 theses. Leaning on the elastic declaratives of the Apostle Paul who once stated to the church of Ephesus: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—” Ephesians 2:8.His recantation, from one man, sparked the Reformation. The rest, is legitimately history.The 21st century church is facing a crossroads.Great upheaval within the hearts of many believers.Underneath the layers of man-made traditions and order of services are a band of brother and sisterhood that have grown discontent with the way things are, aching for what could actually be.What's more, the Spirit of God is lifting us from our skin and impressing on the Body a reformation of our time.A call to go backwards and not forward. A call to scale back and simplify. A call back to the sacraments, our forefathers, liturgy, exegesis, Solomon's porch.An alternative way to gather.It's already here. I'm not sure how far this is gonna go. How deep it is going to seep into the fabrics of the Christian community. Yet, all I know is I want to find out.We've been meeting with a few like-mindeds. A force we affectionately are calling Ecclesia Collective. Ecclesia-latin-a called people of God. It's not a church name, but a posture. A mere homage to what it is: A collection of a called people of God gathering in one space.My spirit-man craves more. I'm not alone.I recant. Just like Luther.Ready or not, here she comes: The NEW Reformation.