October 31st saw the 499th anniversary of the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church in Germany and, as some would say, lit the fuse that started the Reformation. I would argue that the Reformation began sometime before this and that Luther just added fuel to the fire so to speak. It is always difficult to date these things in history. Events such as the Reformation do not usually have hard and fast start and end dates but yet a long line of events strung together.
Phyllis Tickle in her book The Great Emergence, writes about the 500 year Rummage Sale of the Church. Tickle points out that since the legalization of the Church by Constantine every 500 years the church shifts. It is not that the old gets thrown out or is no longer valid it just loses its place of primacy in the life of the people. Tickle suggests that from Constantine in the late 4th century, the Great Schism of the 11th century, the Reformation in the 16th century, and now the Postmodern era in the 21st century this rummage sale has been on going.
As Luther’s Reformation comes to its 500th year (in 2017) the question is are we starting a new Rummage Sale or has it already begun?
Josh Daffern, on his blog New Wineskins, proposes another 95 Theses for the next 500 years. I do not agree with all of them, just as I believe not all of Luther’s were agree with, but it is appoint of discussion. What will the Church look like in another 10 years? Are we, as Church, prepared for what is coming? We are already into this shift and how the Church reacts now will determine her future.
Check out the list and see what you think.
