When you think of Martin Luther do you think of:
A) An African American civil rights leader?
B) A German monk pounding 95 Thesis on the church door?
The answer is B! The African American civil rights advocate, Martin Luther King Jr and his father, Martin Luther King Sr. changed their names after Martin Luther King Sr on a visit to Germany was inspired by Martin Luther, the German Reformation leader. And yes, Martin Luther did post 95 Theses on the church door – which served as a local posterboard.
Here’s your next question:
A) In his Theses – or statements- Luther argued that heaven cannot be bought or earned by what we do but that it is by God’s grace through faith that we are saved.
B) Luther was arguing for indulgences and loved the catchy phrase "as soon as the coin in the coffers ring, the soul from purgatory springs."
The answer is A. Martin Luther hated that phrase – used by Johann Tetzel to make people feel guilty so that they would spend money that they did not have to buy their relatives out of purgatory. Luther’s 95 theses were arguments against the sale of these indulgences because Luther said, you can’t buy your way into heaven. We are saved by God’s grace through our faith. Luther’s arguments, then printed by Guttenberg and spread like wildfire throughout the region because he wrote what people really believed to be true – but had previously not dared to say.
Here's another one – this one is tricky:
A) Luther argued that it was what we did – and not what we bought that got us into heaven.
B) Luther insisted that salvation was by God’s grace alone, through faith
Well… maybe it is not so tricky. The answer is: B. It’s written right in the passage from Galatians above - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.
Final question:
A) Martin Luther believed that vocation was the holy calling of priests, monks and nuns.
B) Luther argued for the priesthood of all believers and expanded the understanding of vocation to include any work conducted in faith that honored God and served one’s neighbor.
The answer is B! Luther redefined vocation to include ordinary work – whether it is paid or not – by ordinary people. He gives these examples: “a mother provides food, clothing, and a well-kept home for her closest neighbors—her children and husband. The cobbler provides quality footwear to his customers and a reasonable living to anyone he might employ. The farmer supplies food for the greater community.”1
Luther’s understanding of vocation came from his deep study of scripture, like the passage from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The last sentence of this passage says, “For we are what he-God- has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”
Based on this reading in Galatians – and others - Luther stressed that our good works were not going to get us to heaven. We couldn’t --no matter how had we tried – earn or buy our way into heaven. This was a big question in Luther’s day. How do I get to heaven? How does my family get to heaven? Based on scripture, Luther was able to proclaim then and I can proclaim to you now: Salvation is the free gift of God given to you by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
This is Good News – and in Luther’s day, this was a new message. Ordinary people had been so bullied by indulgence sellers threatening hell and damnation if they didn’t pay the dues that this word of God’s grace and mercy and the promise of salvation came as a surprise. For those who have grown up in the church, this is not new news. However,
the question for people then and now is: What does God’s gift of grace mean for the way that you live your life? How do we respond to this gift?
Luther answers that question by looking to scripture and we can too. As it says in Galatians, “For we are what he -God- has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”
This “way of life” is what Luther understood as our “vocation, our calling.” Before Luther redefined the term, a vocation or calling only referred to the religious callings of priests, monks and nuns. But Luther understood vocation and callings to refer to every opportunity that a Christian has to reflect God’s love and serve our neighbor.
And so vocations includes every job – paid or not – that a Christian could do honorably such as a cobbler, a farmer, a baker or a mother or father and every opportunity to do something that reflects the love of God and serves the neighbor. For God has equipped you with skills, talents and a passion to use these gifts in your life.
Educator, theologian and writer Frederick Buechner once said, “Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world's greatest need.” In other words, your vocation is using your God-given gifts that bring you joy and serve your neighbor . Not everyone finds this in their work life. However, wherever we are, and whatever situation we find ourselves in, we can use the gifts that God has given us in ways that both give us joy and serves our neighbor.
However, sometimes we don’t recognize the gifts that we have and share or what an impact that our actions have. For example, one of our members has used her gift of creativity to make beautiful birthday cards that we mail out every week. I hear from recipients of these cards that they mean a lot to them.
Showing hospitality and listening to others is also a gift. Taking the time to have a cup of coffee and asking “How are you doing” – and actually listening or the answer – can make a huge difference in someone’s day. Today, some of you have worked hard to create a brunch for all of us after worship. These tasks which you take on maybe without thinking about them as sharing a gift of your time and talents actually do make a difference for someone else who is hungry for fellowship, a good conversation and a feeling of welcome. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation.
One of the needs of our neighborhood is hunger. There are many in our neighborhood and in our schools who struggle with what we call “food insecurity.” We have families who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. But many of you volunteer with Near Foodshelf or deliver food to Every Meal or drive for Dinner at Your Door or who give donations to provide the food to Near, Every Meal, Dinner at Your Door or ELCA World hunger. You serve – you do good works – and that serves our neighbors near and far. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation.
As a congregation, we have been a teaching congregation for many years. Joanna is our 14th consecutive intern – and there were more in your past. Working with interns gives me – and us as a congregation great joy. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation.
Finally, we worship together as a congregation whether it is online, in your home, in our parking lot or in the sanctuary. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation. And this is why we support the ministries of Faith-Lilac Way. This is where God has called us to love and serve our neighbor. Thanks be to God. Amen.