Pastor's Pen
A monthly message from the hand of Vacancy Pastor Renstrom
November 2026
Reformation
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Okay. This is a do-over. The first attempt at a newsletter article for this month failed. Spectacularly. So, we get a do-over. A reformation, if you will. Reformation! Light bulb flash! Yes! A new idea!
Reformation. We Lutherans are all about reformation…from reforming this newsletter article, to our being reformed in Baptism, to Reformation Day, the birthday of the reformed Church. Let’s start with the basics of Reformation Day.
On October 31, 1517, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther set forth his arguments (95 Theses) for the reformation of the Christian Church. The teaching of the “western” Christian Church of that day was regulated by the Roman Catholic Church and was heavily focused on the work of the individual as being necessary for forgiveness. They did teach about Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the grave to pay for the sins of the world but, along with that, they taught that a person’s good works, including the buying of indulgences, were required to get into heaven at one’s death. Luther’s initial work was his arguments against the practice of buying indulgences (a special grant you could buy to reduce your sin penalty) because it led people away from the grace, the free gift, of Jesus, given by faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord. In the terminology of this article, Luther said that the church needed a do-over. It was teaching the wrong thing and needed to revert to the true teaching of the apostles…a do-over. And God used Dr. Luther to start the reforming of his Church.
Moving along…What is your baptism date? As I am writing this, mine has just passed. On that day, I was reformed—reborn to use a more scriptural term. When I was conceived, I inherited the original sin of Adam and Eve, just like you did when you were conceived. I was born with that sinful form, a form that, if left alone, would keep me out of the blessings of heaven and ultimately put me in the curses of hell. But my parents had heard the Word of the Lord, and knew that this little boy child needed reforming. So, they brought me to the baptismal font where God gave me a do-over, a reformation. He used the hands and voice of the pastor to baptize me in the name of the Triune God. In that baptism my sins were all forgiven—just like in yours, your sins were all forgiven—and I started over, this time formed in the likeness of Jesus Christ, all because Jesus, the Son of God, was born as a man, lived, suffered, died and rose again to pay for my sins and the sins of all believers.
I still don’t live perfectly, but by grace, through faith, I get a do-over when I hear the word of God saying, “I forgive you, in my name, because of what my Son did for you.” You see, God loves do-overs! They’re not free. They cost God a great deal. They are too expensive for us to purchase. But as Dr. Luther teaches us according to the word of God, they come to us a gift.
Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Tim J. Renstrom