Pastoral Reflections…
October 31, 2026, was Reformation Day.
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th century religious and political movement that broke the authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe and created Protestantism. Martin Luther, a German monk, started the movement on October 31, 1517, by posting his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. And the rest is history!
A Roman Catholic Church was hosting a community Thanksgiving service, the first for the church and the community. Everyone was excited. With great dignity the priest led his three Protestant colleagues toward the chancel area when he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to put chairs for his guests to sit in during the service. In a frantic state he whispered in the ear of one of his elderly laymen. “Please get some chairs for the guest pastors.”
The elderly gentleman was hard of hearing, so he asked the priest to repeat his request. The priest said a little louder: “Please get up and get three chairs for the Protestants.”
The old man had a puzzled look on his face as he rose to his feet. Turning to the rest of the congregation, he said with a loud voice: "This seems highly irregular, but I've been asked to have you stand and give three cheers for the Protestants.”
Well, it is fortunate and a real blessing today to hear Roman Catholics and Protestants cheering for each other!
How encouraging it is that in recent years many Christian groups are embracing one another and sharing in ministry.
A Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, invited some Lutherans in the area to hold a meeting in St. Louis Cathedral some years ago. He welcomed the Lutherans and said, "We are pleased to provide the cathedral. Please don't nail anything to the doors.”
When Martin Luther nailed those 95 theses on the Wittenberg church door, it was the beginning of new denominations to be formed, and it also brought about reforms in the Roman church.
And so now, today, the good news is that Catholics, Protestants, and others, can concentrate on our common enemies----human sinfulness, injustice, war and oppression.
So, with thankful hearts, three cheers for Protestants, Roman Catholics, and those of every sect who are helping to bring kindness to the world, for kindness is of God! --Blessings! Reverend Cooper Stonestreet