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Week 1 - Katharina Luther (1499–1550)

by Vicar Lisa

As a follow-up to the introduction from last week, the first woman I will highlight is Katharina Luther, Martin Luther’s wife. Born Katharina von Bora, she was sent at the age of five to a Benedictine boarding school after the death of her mother. At age nine, she was placed in a Cistercian convent in Nimbschen, Germany. In 1515, two years before Luther would nail his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Katharina officially became a nun at the age of 16.

On Easter Eve, April 5, 1523, Luther himself arranged for Katharina and eight other nuns to escape from the convent, hidden among herring barrels in a covered wagon. Luther felt responsible for these women and worked to find appropriate jobs or homes for them. After two years and two failed engagements, Katharina finally suggested to Luther that he marry her himself. Luther had always claimed he would never marry “because I expect daily the death of a heretic.” 

However, he reconsidered his position, especially after he consulted with his parents, who were overjoyed at the prospect of possible grandchildren. He also delighted in the fact that his marriage would surely “rile the pope, make the angels laugh and the devils weep, and would seal his testimony!”

What started as a marriage of convenience, over time grew into a marriage of mutual respect, admiration, and love. Katharina affectionately referred to Luther as “Doctor,” and his letters to her are peppered with pet names, including “Kitty, my rib” and “Selbander,” which is German for “better half.” He also called her “My Lady,” “My Lord,” and, tongue-in-cheek, “Kette,” which is German for “chains” and a pun on her name. It was obvious from some of Luther’s correspondence that the couple enjoyed witty repartee and a lively, lighthearted relationship.

Although Katharina and Luther shared mutual respect and love, Katharina was also not afraid to engage in theological and political discussions with her husband and to challenge him when necessary. His colleagues, knowing how persuasive she could be, often enlisted Katharina to convince Luther of a particular action or response.

Katharina was exceedingly skilled in medicine. She often tweaked his diet to help alleviate his kidney stones, concocted herbal remedies and poultices to quell his depression, and used massage to ease his anxiety.

She was also no ordinary housewife. The family lived in an abandoned monastery called the Black Cloister, where she raised not only her own six children but, at various times, a half dozen nieces and nephews and the four orphans of a friend who had died in the plague, as well as cared for Luther’s frequent guests and student boarders.

Katharina managed all the associated household duties, from cooking and cleaning to gardening and laundry. She herded, milked, and slaughtered cattle; made butter and cheese; brewed beer; planted and harvested a garden and a fruit orchard; managed multiple livestock and poultry, including horses, cows, calves, pigs, chickens, pigeons, and geese; and caught fish from a brook that flowed through the property. She rose daily at 4 a.m., and it’s no wonder, given the amount of work she accomplished in a single day!

When Luther died in 1546, Katharina found herself on her own and finances tight. At the outbreak of the Schmalkaldic War that same year, she and the children were forced to flee Wittenberg, and when she returned, the Black Cloister was nearly destroyed. Financial constraints made living at the cloister impossible. She fled the city once again in the fall of 1552 to protect herself and her children from the Black Plague. During that flight, she was thrown from a horse-drawn wagon, sustained massive injuries, and died three months later.

Katharina Luther was a courageous risk taker; an unsentimental, determined survivor; a savvy businesswoman; an astute advisor; a devoted wife and mother; and a woman of faith. Her legacy as the enterprising and loyal partner of Martin Luther should be acknowledged and celebrated. She may not get much credit in the history books, but Katharina Luther was an integral part of Martin Luther’s success.

 

4th Sunday after Pentecost, June 25, 2023 

10 a.m. Outdoor Worship (weather permitting) with Holy Communion

 

Announcements

  • 5 Loaves: We still need of a couple of drivers to help deliver meals on Saturday morning. It takes just a couple of hours of your town and is a wonderful ministry in our community. If you can help, please email or call Jo Moss or Norine Hazen.
  • Outdoor Services: Because of all the rain we have had recently, the mosquitoes reared their hungry little heads last Sunday and some individuals became bug bait. If you are attracted to bugs or sensitive to bites, you may want to use some mosquito spray. We will have some spray available and will spray the overall area with Yard Guard in advance of the service.
  • First Sunday Potluck: Join us after worship on the first Sunday of each month for a potluck lunch and Temple Talk. The topic of the Temple Talk will be about Church Council and how they operate.
  • Garage Sale: Zion's annual garage sale will be held Saturday, Aug. 5. See Julie if you would like to help.
  • Save the Date: Zion's 135th Anniversary celebration will be held on Sept. 24. We have begun the initial planning for this momentous event! Following Sunday service that day, we will have a cookout, outdoor music, and an ice cream social. There are lots of activities to be coordinated (food, music, decorations, communications, etc.) If you would like to be part of this celebration, please see Paula Little or Vicar Lisa.
  • Flower Update: We share heartfelt thanks for our flower guild and the beautiful additions they make to our worship. You can support their work by dedicating the flowers on a Sunday. The recommended minimum donation is $35, so sign the flower book today.

E-formation

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, June 25, 2023

In the gospel reading for this coming Sunday, Jesus says several surprising things: that he has come to bring, not peace, but a sword; and that followers must love him more than they love their family members. Come to worship to meditate on what these sayings might mean, and at the table, be strengthened to live the surprising life of the Christian.

Matthew 10:24-39

This passage from Matthew’s second discourse suggests that the community of the evangelist was quarreling over leadership, fearful of persecution, and alienated from non-believing family members. Jesus depicted as an eschatological judge, spoke sternly: some people will suffer in hell, families will be split apart, and everyone must carry a cross. Interspersed in the grim scenario are words of comfort. The passage makes clear that early Christian communities were not idyllic. Because the entire gospel is a commentary on the meaning of Jesus’ death, not a chronological biography, chapter 10 can refer to the cross.

Jeremiah 20:7-13

Jeremiah, a prophet who in about 600 bce wrote out his sermons, preached to the people of Judah during a time of exceeding political uncertainty under Babylonian domination. Nebuchadnezzar was to end the Davidic dynasty, destroy the temple, sack Jerusalem, and deport its elite. Jeremiah urged the people of Judah to return to God, for just as God judges the unfaithful, God also restores the penitent. In chapter 20, Jeremiah had been punished by the authorities by being placed in the stocks, and while he lamented his situation, he placed his trust in the Lord.

Romans 6:1b-11

Writing to the church in Rome in a metaphorically complex manner, Paul described baptism as uniting Christians with Christ’s death so that sin no longer can dominate. The cross was not a past event, but baptism is a current existential reality, for baptism connects believers to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Zion's Lutheran Church
zionsluth@gmail.com
719-846-7785