Reformation Day (October 31) commemorates Luther's posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. This act triggered the Reformation, as they were immediately translated and distributed across Germany in a matter of weeks. The Protestant Reformation was the rediscovery of the doctrine of justification—salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone—and the protest against the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. The century before the Reformation was marked by widespread dismay with the venality of the leaders in the Roman Catholic Church and with its false doctrines, biblical illiteracy, superstition, and corruption. Monks, priests, bishops, and popes in Rome taught unbiblical doctrines like the selling of indulgences, the treasury of merit, purgatory, and salvation through good works.
Well, it's been about four months since our last blog post so we figure it's about time. We went for a walk around our neighborhood this morning and were amazed at the amount of hard-earned dollars our neighbors have put into decorating for Halloween. When reflecting on what this day means to so many, I cannot help but recognize why today actually is worth celebrating. Jesus changes everything, even the church. Yesterday we drove an hour north to College Station to join 85,000 other people in cheering the Texas A&M Aggie football team to victory. We took our friends Josh and Shelly and we all had a great time. While I have been to many games at Kyle Field, it was fun to share one of my favorite sports experiences with Lins. She was most impressed with the Fightin' Texas Aggie Marching Band, though, and this isn't surprising since the precision they march with is one of the more impressive things you will ever see on a football field. The weather was gorgeous, with a cloudless blue sky and a high 70s temperature. Kickoff happened around 2:30 PM and we were joined by President Bush (41) and Governor Perry as the Aggies dominated the tortilla tossing Texas Tech Red Raiders. We then drove back to Houston and enjoyed some quality Tex-Mex as the four of us watched the Rangers lock down their first World Series victory in franchise history. It was a good day.
Back to Reformation Day. I often wonder why we don't put more effort into reformation in our own lives. Many of our relationships, homes, workplaces, and lives in general are in need of reform yet most of the people I know decide daily to continue a life that gives them very little joy or sense of purpose. This is hard to understand. I know we all have bad days, as I have them - from time to time, but I just don't understand why anyone spends their life on causes they don't believe in and don't feel a sense of calling in. So many people in Houston, Texas, and the entire U.S. wake up and wish they could stay in bed. So many go to work and wish they could stay home. So many people work at less than their most productive rate and wish they could work somewhere else. So many wish they could work anywhere else. So many people I know leave work and don't want to go home. They live in houses or apartments that are nothing near what a home should be. So many people wish they could live another life. I DON'T GET IT!!!
If this is you, why not seek reform? Your life is worth what you spend it on. If you spend your life on things you feel are worthless, what does that say about your life? Will you be able to look back on your life, at the end, and say that you spent every day living, breathing, fighting, and dying for something you believe in? Will you look back with regret or with laughter and a smile?
We'll be posting more soon, or so we plan to.
Oh yeah, happy Halloween!
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