It is here! It is finally here. After a summer of collecting a deck of hearts and as we experience Martin Luther in the flesh visiting us in our congregation….it is here! October 2017. The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation! I should dress up as Katharina von Bora (Luther’s wife) for Halloween in celebration. But my daughters are pulling me in the direction of Star Wars and they can be pretty persuasive. But as we find ourselves enjoying Fall time festivals, crisp air, juicy apples, Football games and everything else that comes with Fall, we too are reminded of what Luther believes Christians from a Lutheran perspective should always be focusing upon. I can’t think of a better image than the Luther Rose:
First, there is a black cross in a heart. Black is a good color for Halloween and for death. We are reminded that it is through Christ alone…his life, death and resurrection that is central to our lives. Jesus died on a cross so God could reveal there is no death that scares God. God goes to the blackest parts of our lives, where there is pain, hurt and grief (think about the hurricanes, the wildfires) and remains there with us. Then delicately tries to move us through love into the rose. Where do you or does our community need God’s presence?
The red heart of love surrounds the blackness of life. Love has the last word. Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection have the last word. Life includes death but is not bound by death. What do you love about Fall and why?
The heart stands in the middle of a white rose. This is to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace—it puts the believer into a white, joyous rose. Even in the midst of struggle, where there is hope, there is life. Faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27). This is why the rose must be white, not red. Where have you experienced hope?
This rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that a joyful spirit and faith is a beginning of heavenly, future joy, which begins now, but is grasped in hope, not yet fully revealed. Hindsight is 20/20. Where has God been revealed in your life lately?
Around the field of blue is a golden ring to symbolize that blessedness in heaven lasts forever and has no end. Heavenly blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and better than any possessions, just as gold is the most valuable and precious metal. How do you know you are always surrounded by God and called most precious to God?
The reformation reminds us that God is part of all aspects of our lives. And that God is looking at us through Christ glasses, with faith, hope and love. God is continually finding ways for us to know we are loved so that we may always have hope and respond through faith. We give thanks for Luther this month and especially on All Hallow’s Eve no matter if we are dressed like a monk or a Star Wars Figure. God is here! Also, remember to wear RED to church the weekend of October 28-29!
