Today I was asked what it meant to be part of a Reformed Tradition. The woman who asked it had been part of the Presbyterian Church for over thirty years, but she had never had that term explained, even though she had heard it in a number of sermons over the decades. So this little column is for her, and all of those who might have a similar question.
Our history goes back to the beginning of the church in Acts, but gets new emphasis and meaning in 1517. The Reformation was started by Martin Luther with his 95 Theses on the practice of indulgences. In October 31st of 1517 he posted these theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg (Germany), commonly used to post notices to the University community. In November he mailed them to various religious authorities of the day. Luther wanted the church to reform to its basics of faith in God and grounding in Scripture. This great reformation led to heated debate and resulted in division, and the eventual establishment of new institutions. We all owe Dr. Luther a hearty handshake when we get to heaven. His courage and intellect were used mightily by God.
The four most important traditions of the Reformation, all with much more in common than differences. That emerged directly from the reformation were the Lutheran tradition, the Reformed (Presbyterian) tradition, the Anabaptist tradition, and the Anglican tradition. Subsequent protestant traditions generally trace their roots back to these initial four schools of the reformation. The Reformed Tradition spawned many of the Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Reformed Churches we know today.
At the heart of the Reformed tradition is a commitment to the Word, the sacraments, and discipline. To be Presbyterian is to be part of a "Reformed" heritage associated with the Swiss Reformers of the 16th century. The most notable of these Reformers was John Calvin (1509-1564), who came to Geneva as an immigrant Frenchman fleeing religious persecution. We continue to be influenced through Calvin's rich legacy of writings that illuminate Scripture.
He was the leader of the Swiss Reformed Movement from which the Presbyterian Church was eventually formed. As a young man he was trained in Paris, France, to become a lawyer. But at the University of Paris he became deeply involved in some of the intellectual groups gathering to discuss writings of Luther and other "protestant" or reform movement leaders in the church. Influenced by Luther's teachings. Calvin became a strong believer in the importance of church reform and soon became quite outspoken in the matter--a very courageous thing to do in those times. He was even so bold as to think that he himself might convince the French king, Francis 1st, to give some kind of support to the protestant reform movement. Thus, in 1536, he published a work, Institutes of the Christian Religion, dedicated to convincing Francis of the truth and critical importance of this movement of church reform.
He did not convince the king, but this masterpiece has become one of the great books on theology in the history of the world, still well worth reading today. Under pressure and criticism, Calvin left France for Switzerland, and continued to write and teach and preach. Out of his writings on Scriptures came the heart of the Reformed tradition -- an essential commitment to God's grace witnessed in Scripture, encountered in Christ,and experienced in daily life.
Presbyterians gained an emphasis on "always being reformed" according to the Word of God. The Latin slogan, "Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda" ("The church reformed and always to be reformed") places importance on the church's need to seek constant renewal. The church is a living organism, subject to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The church is always in need of growth and strengthening; we must never cease learning with relevance and sensitivity in response to changing realities. Trusting in the sufficiency of God's grace enables Reformed believers to rejoice in the limitless power of God. Yet in the same breath we are faced with the mystery of God that lies beyond human comprehension. We experience God's mysterious power as Trinity, a triune nature interceding in our lives, nurturing and transforming us, but exceeding our full understanding.
God is sovereign and His awesomeness is greater than our grasp; at the same time, but God allows us to draw closer to God through our experiences of His grace. This in turn enables us to celebrate the Divine presence in our midst, nurtured as we are from grace to grace, from mercy to mercy every moment of our lives. The reality of God's grace is key to our understanding. It is all about grace -- God's grace. In the Reformed tradition all experiences of genuine forgiveness and love are attributed to Divine grace and mercy.
One of the Reformed emphases is that human nature is not perfect, nor are human achievements self-sufficient. Since Calvinists were and are devoted to shaping society as well as individuals on the Biblical foundations, we realize that we need to be involved in our communities and be guided by the Scriptures and the Spirit in all aspects of our lives. The Bible is seen as the Word of God revealing God's orderly, exciting plan for all of life. The name Presbyterian (from the Greek presbuteros, meaning elder) describes the form of church government (connected on four levels with checks and balances), but the beliefs are decidedly Christian with a big C. As the Book of Order begins, "Jesus Christ is the head of the church."
A locally organized "presbytery" reflects the idea that Christ is the head of the church and all members are equal under Christ. Presbyterians are a connectional church, and these connections help reflect the Scriptural truths of unity in Christ. The Reformed tradition stands on a foundational principle of the priesthood of all believers. God calls us out of GodÂ’s amazing love and abundant grace. In Baptism, we are claimed by the Spirit into covenant with God. Each of us is called to a purpose and are given meaning in our lives.
We do not earn salvation, for it is a gift of grace through the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. On the cross, He did all that needed to be done for humanity, once and for all. Salvation as a free gift! Praise God! In response, we live lives ofcelebrationn and obedience, of humility and service. We respond to GodÂ’s gift of grace with the spiritual sacrifice of our lives. The good works we are moved to do flow out as a response to God.
As children of God and ambassadors of Christ, we use and develop our talents to love and serve God in the world in a variety of ways. The Holy Spirit works to give each believer unique gifts. These gifts are used as we join in Christ's work and live in love for God and our neighbor.
The Reformed Tradition is rooted in the Word. Another Latin phrase often used is sola scriptura, "scripture alone." The Reformed Tradition is rooted in the authority of the Bible and the quest to apply scripture to our lives in our times. We see the Bible as the unique and authoritative witness to God in Jesus Christ, an authority without parallel and the basis for decision making in matters of faith and life.
One other Latin phrase which marks the Reformed tradition is sola fidei, "faith alone." The Reformed Tradition holds that is a person's individual faith that justifies them before God. This is made possible by the free gift of God's grace which accepts aforgives, TheThe Protestant Church, including Reformed churches, celebrates two sacraments, both grounded in grace and faith, which are baptism and communion (also called the Lord's Supper or Eucharist). These two sacraments are both rooted in the command of Christ as opposed to the tradition of the church. Baptism is a sign and seal of our inclusion in the household of faith. The sacrament of communion is a means both of remembrance and renewal. In it we remember the sacrifice of Christ by which the new covenant is formed and are renewed by the spiritual fellowship of the meal.
The Reformed Tradition asserts the sovereignty of God and Lordship of Jesus Christ. In that God is sovereign, God cannot be known entirely and cannot be controlled by our actions. God is free to act in whatever way satisfies the divine will, thus we are always reluctant to declare too boldly that our understanding of God is absolute. We only know what we can understand from Scripture by the Spirit's guidance. In the same way, The lordship of Christ focuses our attention on our relation to him as Lord and Master. We are a servant people of a servant Lord seeing ourselves as stewards of God's gifts.
We are all in need of repentance and forgiveness in that we all fall short of what God has created and intended us to be. Biblically, repentance means to change one's mind and to turn in a different direction. It is the act of acknowledging not only our sin, but also our inability to overcome sin on our own. Sin is seen as rebellion against God and the life God intends. It is therefore not only a matter of acts, but also of attitudes and desires. We must repent of our sins and turn to God. When we ask for forgiveness, the Spirit will help us in that area of our lives.
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