“Reforming” Halloween
Jeff Fuller October 31st, 2007
While I’m out witnessing to people in ridiculous costumes this halloween, many church folk are celebrating Reformation Day. The Christian History Institute notes that:
In the little town of Wittenberg, Germany, on this day, October 31, 1517, a priest nailed a challenge to debate on the church door. No one may have noticed then, but within the week, copies of his theses would be discussed throughout the surrounding regions; and within a decade, Europe itself was shaken by his simple act. Later generations would mark Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 theses on the church door as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
A recent release of the movie Luther, depicts this scene that sparked reformation in the Roman Church. Looking at a single frame capture of this scene, without the context of the rest of the movie, it appears to be a funny dressed man vandalizing a church on halloween. Which makes me wonder how many little priests and monks I’ll share the gospel with tonight? There’s a slim chance priest costumes are in style this year.
So what’s the point of celebrating Reformation Day? Especially when we already have an opportunity to witness to lost people on Halloween!
To me, it isn’t an “either/or” answer. Remembering the reformation AND witnessing to costumed sinners are what October 31st is all about! I am a reformed evangelist. God gave me the desire and passion for Christ and Mankind. Let me explain…
What does it mean to be reformed?
The JollyBlogger put it best when he wrote:
Most who are familiar with the history of the reformation are aware of the famous slogan “always reformed, always reforming,” or said another way, “the reformed church is always reforming,” or for those who may be a bit highfalutin, snobby or otherwise desirous of impressing people with their immense learning “ecclesia semper reformans, semper reformanda.” However you want to say it and whoever you want to impress, the point of the slogan is that the church is always to be reforming its doctrine and practice according to the Scriptures.
To be reformed means to be “always reforming” by shaping what I know about God against what He has revealed about Himself. Being reformed isn’t about slogans like “TULIP” or being confessional… being reformed is about always reforming myself in the likeness of Christ. I began studying theology a few years ago with the mindset of academic pursuit. But God was gracious to show me that I needed to be mindful of Christ daily… hourly… moment by moment. Without a deep abiding love for Christ, evangelism is just an expression of humanism.
What does it mean to be an evangelist?
I agree with J.I. Packer in defining evangelism as theology in action:
When evangelism is not fertilized, fed and controlled by theology, it becomes a stylized performance seeking its effect through manipulative skills rather than the power of vision and the force of truth. Both theology and evangelism are then, in one important sense, unreal, false to their own God-given nature; for all true theology has an evangelistic thrust, and all true evangelism is theology in action.
To be an evangelist means to put into practice the reality of Christ’s atonement. Many Christians rest in that one truth while missing the point. Christ came to save sinners, He didn’t come to set apart some of us for a social club. In practice many Christians are much like hyper-Calvinists, believing that God will save who He wills and doesn’t require any proclamation of the gospel outside the walls of our church buildings. Without a deep abiding love for mankind, theology becomes abstract and exclusive.
October 31st is a great day for reformed evangelists! A day for celebrating the gracious reformation which God is working in us, a day for sharing the message that Christ came to save constumed sinners!
Be sure to check out what others have posted about Reformation Day at The 2007 Reformation Day Symposium.
That’s certainly a good ‘both/and’ or ‘either/or’ way to look at it. If nothing else, you could dress up like Martin Luther (certainly a scary costume) and go door to door saying, ‘indulgences or grace’ instead of ‘trick or treat. That might get a confused look and a good opportunity to share the gospel?
But certainly, a day like today . . . we should be sharing the gospel with them.