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The Forgotten Luther

by Vicar Lisa

We know Martin Luther as the Father of the Reformation. His efforts to purge the church of his era led to dramatic changes and ultimately, resulted in the formation of other churches outside the church of Rome. But did you know that Luther was also a social welfare reformer?

Luther stated that “Now there is no greater service of God than Christian love which helps and serves the needy, as Christ himself will judge and testify at the Last Day.” For Luther, social ethics flow from worship; it is the “liturgy after the liturgy.” Luther had long preached about the evils of greed, but he actually did something about it.

Under the rubric of Deuteronomy 15:4, “There will be no poor among you,” Luther and his Wittenberg colleagues proceeded to establish social welfare programs. Luther wanted to develop ways of preventing people from falling into hard times as well as providing remedial assistance. “For so to help a man that he does not need to become a beggar is just as much of a good work and a virtue as to give alms to a man who has already become a beggar.”

His first social welfare ordinance, the “Common Purse” was passed by the Wittenberg Town Council in late 1520. Charitable gifts were collected in church and distributed to the local poor. The next major step was implemented in January 1522. It was known as the “Common Chest” because a chest for the weekly collection and distribution of funds was built with three separate locks and keys. Four stewards were elected based on the knowledge of the town and the citizens’ needs. The only criteria were the need of the recipient.

The list of people who could benefit from the fund was well thought out including poor orphans, children of the poor, poor women in need of dowries for marriage, and so on. It also provided interest-free loans to artisans and vocational retraining. They even put a physician on the payroll. Melchior Fendt worked as the town physician on behalf of the poor. The Common Chest also functioned as a central bank for the community's impoverished members.

Johannes Bugenhagen further developed and spread the Reformation social welfare program through the Common Chest ordinances. According to Bugenhagen, “Faith in active love is the theological basis and practical motivation” for the care of the poor. He maintains that caring for the poor is not a matter of free choice for the Christian but a clear expectation.

I am proud of all that Zion’s Lutheran does for those in need in our community. We have the 5-Loaves feeding program where we provide meals to approximately 260 people at the end of the month when those on fixed incomes are low on funds. We also have the Community Wide Thanksgiving dinner which is open to everyone in the community regardless of need. Last year we served approximately 900 meals for Thanksgiving, and we calculated that in 2023, we served 3,548 meals altogether! We also contribute to the Soup Kitchen and ACTS (a non-profit organization that helps people struggling with utility bills and similar needs to keep people in their homes.) I think that Luther would be proud of our programs and that we demonstrate a faith active in love. Keep on putting faith in action!

18th Sunday After Pentecost – Sept. 22

10 a.m. Worship with Communion

Announcements

  • Fellowship Time: Plan to join us after worship today for coffee and conversation.
  • 5-Loaves Volunteer Needed: Saturday, Sept. 28, is our monthly 5-Loaves meal delivery. If you can help package meals on Friday morning, Sept. 27, or assist with deliveries on Saturday, please let Norine Hazen or Jo Moss know.
  • Blessing of the Animals: At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, Zion’s will offer its traditional blessing of the animals. The blessing will take place on the fenced, lower lawn of the Fellowship Hall. We are reaching out to the community to participate in this blessing. We will be collecting pet food and other pet supplies to donate to PALS. In addition, we have had several items donated for “door prizes”. For more information, talk to T.M. Garner, Julie Wersal, or Jo Moss.
  • Weekly Bible Studies Resume in October: The Rev. Dr. Becky McNeil will lead a Bible Study entitled, The Bible from Scratch, The Old Testament for Beginners by Donald L. Griggs. The books to accompany the course are available on Amazon. We are going to meet two different days of the week, Wednesday and Saturday, which gives us more flexibility. The Wednesday study will be held from 1-2 p.m. beginning on Oct. 2. The Saturday study will be from 10-11 a.m. beginning on Oct. 5. Follow this link for details: https://zionslutheran.tithelysetup2.com/events/weekday-bible-study/2024-10-02.
  • Save the Date: Safeway Pharmacy is partnering with the Senior Center to provide a vaccination clinic. Beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26, Safeway Pharmacy will offer a variety of vaccines at the Senior Center located at 1222 San Pedro Ave. Vaccines available include flu, COVID, Pneumonia, RSV, and Shingles. Bring your insurance or Medicare card.

E-formation – 18th Sunday after Pentecost, Sept. 22

We continue through the autumn’s standard Sundays and are now at the center, that is, the apex, of Mark’s gospel. Our failure to live as servants draws us to holy communion for forgiveness and sustenance.

Mark 9:30-37

Each Sunday we stand before the passion of Jesus Christ, yet we are no better than the original disciples in embodying the countercultural worldview that the crucifixion inaugurated. We must take care not to sentimentalize Mark’s reference to a little child, who in antiquity was more likely to be discarded than pampered. Tying Mark to Jeremiah 11 illumines this excerpt by reminding us that Jesus is like the vulnerable child whom we welcome into our midst through the word and the meal.

Jeremiah 11:18-20

This passage, in which the prophet boldly speaks an unpopular word, is linked with today’s gospel reading to focus on Jesus as the unpopular speaker who was destroyed. However, we gather on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, because Jesus’ name is most certainly remembered among us.

James 3:13—4:3, 7-8a

This Sunday the second reading fits well with the gospel. James decries selfish ambition and calls on the community to live in wisdom, and in Mark Jesus corrects the selfish ambition of the disciples and gathers them around himself, who is servant of all and the Wisdom of God.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785