On Oct 31, 1517, a German Roman Catholic monk named Martin Luther could not hold it in any longer: the church’s practices and beliefs were corrupt and he had 95 points of contention that were being ignored. And so taking matters into his own hands, he nailed his document to the church door in Wittenberg. The leaders and church magistrate were being challenged and held to account for their power hungry ways. Martin Luther’s one act of protest, soon took on a life of it’s own, and inspired believers everywhere to search for and find access to God.
Before long, the movement had a rallying cry and some ideas rose to the forefront and these key ideas came to represent the basic convictions of reformers everywhere. These acts and declarations gave birth to what is now known as the Protestant Reformation.
The key ideas held by many in the burgeoning reformation are commonly known as the “Solas” – Christus (Christ), Scriptura (Scripture), Fide (Faith), Gloria (Glory), and Gracia (Grace).
So what was the core issue?: The Gospel. What has God done to make all that is wrong, right? How do we gain access to this Good News?
So what does all this mean for us? While nearly 500 years has elapsed since the events we are commemorating, here at OAC we want to learn from and embrace the best of our protestant heritage and ask that God inspire us to recover the heart of the Gospel for our time.
Join us on November 4th, for a special Reformation Worship service and for a special panel discussion with guests from Vancouver School of Theology and Regent College.
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