Martin Luther and a New Age

I just picked up a book titled, "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. I read about half a page and was struck by something very interesting. Martin Luther ushered in a new era for the church. In his time the Bible was only read and understand by the priests, ministry was only done by the priests, and it wasn't all that easy to know and have a relationship with God. Luther revolutionized faith by fighting the institution and inviting people into a personal relationship with God. He insisted that the Bible should be written in a language that the average person could read and understand. He believed that ministry was the job of the people, not just those employeed by the church and he was certain that faith was about relationship, not money and power.

The people of his time must have sensed the greatest freedom as they began to experience this living faith. I bet they read the Bible like it was some great mystery that they had never been priveledged to but now by the grace of God have been given access to. I bet they passionately served God in their churches, sang with all their hearts in words that meant something to them and loved God like they never knew they could.

I wasn't there. But the world of Christian religion has been forever changed because of this time in history. It must have been a great time, a hard time, but a great time.

Looking at the state of the church today I fear that we have lost the power that was given us through this great movement. We are happy to let the priests do our reading for us. We are happy to let the priests do our serving for us. And to sing to God in words we can mean and understand has lost it's value and ferver.

The church today needs a revolution. A reformation movement of a new kind. As my generation sees and is frustrated by the institution we need to stop running for the hills and breaking with our passion for God's kingdom. We must be the life-bringers, the hope-givers, the passion-livers. We must seek and desire the fame of God above all else and in the spirit of Martin Luther, usher in a new era of faith for a new generation.