SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER 2023 – 4.00PM (followed by a light meal)
BRASSALL STATE SCHOOL HALL (enter via Pine Mountain Road, Brassall)
We invite you to this special occasion to worship God as we remember a significant day in the history of
Christ’s Church and hear how the Reformation relates to our day and your life.
A Knock on the Door
In the darkness of night, a lone figure stood at the door . . . .
Which door?
Wittenberg Castle Chapel door in Wittenberg, Germany.
Who stood at the door?
A man named Martin Luther.
When did he stand at the door?
It was October 31, 1517, the evening before All Saints Day, also called All Hallows Day; hence the term Halloween. The Chapel in Wittenberg had a collection of over 19,000 relics, including 13 pieces of the manger, and 3 pieces of Mary’s hair. On All Saints Day, people would gather to venerate these relics in order to decrease their time in Purgatory.
What did he do?
Martin Luther nailed to the door of the Wittenberg Chapel something he had written entitled Ninety-Five Theses.
Why did he do it?
The Sistine Chapel was to be built at a great cost. So a monk named Tetzel sold indulgences to raise the funds. With the approval of Pope Leo X, Tetzel told the people if they bought his indulgence, they would receive complete forgiveness of all their sins. Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses was a protest against this.
Why was this so important?
For hundreds of years, the Word of God had been buried under man-made rules. Luther’s Theses was the tiny spark that God used to ignite a fire that became known as the Protestant Reformation. Because of this day, multitudes came to believe the good news that God forgives sinners by faith alone, in Christ alone and by His grace alone, and not by their works.
Join us at a REFORMATION SERVICE on Sunday 29 October 2023 at 4.00pm.