All Things Seen & Unseen

The 31st October is the day that some celebrate as Reformation Day! What is Reformation Day? It's the day that Protestants celebrate Martin Luther's (1483-1546) sending 95 Theses complaining about the selling of 'indulgences' in his parish to the  Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeberg.   Some believe that he nailed the Theses (in Latin) to the door of the church at Wittenberg , October the 31st, at 2 pm 1517 . This action signalled the beginning of a mighty 'protest' across nations against the Papal church's teachings on indulgences and the spiritual supremacy of the Pope as the (Western) Church's leader. What were Indulgences? The Roman clergy were authorised to absolve the guilt of contrite sinners (based on Jn 20.23). But according to Romanist theology, absolution did not mean that the threat of punishment was removed. Therefore, indulgences would be bought as penances for the punishments of sins committed. In Luther's time Johan...

I don't know how many countries celebrate this odd evening but it hasn't traditionally been part of Australian life and therefore, most Australians I think, still find it foreign and macabre.  Our American and Canadian friends seem to be wholly into it with all its paraphernalia, even Christians. The church I grew up in frowned upon it and thought it all of the devil! Last year we had some high school pupils come to our door unexpectedly 'trick and treating' but I just ignored them. They turned our outside light fixtures upside down as a punishment for not responding to them and then left us alone. This year I didn't know what to expect but I had my wife bring inside anything outside the front door that could be interfered with. She thought I was unduly anxious about a non-event but I asked her nicely anyway. Being a dutiful wife she complied.