Reformation Day is October 31 of every year. That is the day in 1517 when Dr. Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was Luther's act that caused the initial furor that resulted in the Reformation. Luther had earned his Doctor of Theology degree in Wittenberg and was a respected professor there, as well as the assistant pastor of the Castle Church. Luther chose October 31 because it was the day before All Saints' Day. The Castle Church's front door opened on a main street of the city, and it was a good place to post a notice for public viewing. Luther knew that on the next day, November 1 — All Saints' Day — the church would be filled with worshipers, many of whom were educated and literate. His act of posting his Ninety-Five Theses on the door was the equivalent of publishing a journal article, taking out a newspaper ad, sending out spam emails, writing a new post on a blog, or updating one's status on Facebook. Reformation Day is most often observed today on the Sunday prior to October 31.
At our United Methodist 2008 General Conference, we took an historic vote to join the Lutherans in dialogue about how we might stand together as churches. A study guide, called "Confessing our Faith Together" is available for discussion. News articles about the recent votes this past summer by the Lutherans to affirm this continuing conversation appeared in many sources throughout the church.
My intention is to mention these facts on Sunday and to share through my sermon what being in dialogue with Lutherans is all about.
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Full communion is not a merger. But it means that the two churches express a common confession of Christian faith; mutual recognition of Baptism and sharing Holy Communion; join worship and freedom to exchange members; agree to mutual recognition of ordained ministers for service in either church; express a common commitment to evangelism, witness and service; engage in common decision-making on critical matters; and a mutual lifting of criticisms that may exist between the churches.
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