Who is that Pounding on the Door

It is Halloween today. It is also the day that Martin Luther hammered his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church, the start of the Lutheran reformation. Martin Luther had a profound on my life. Growing up in a Missouri Synod Lutheran household, it would have been suprising if he hadn't. From the time I remember being intrigued by Martin Luther and how he was so angry he pounded his document on the door of the Church. I also loved the story about how he was walking home one snowy night and saw the moon lighting up the snow on the Christmas tree. He wanted to share the experience with his family and so when he got home, he brought in an evergreen and put candles on it to show how the tree looked.

I became less enamored with Martin when I was in 8th grade confirmation and had to memorize Luther's Small Catechism. It was a HUGE deal. They call it Examination Night. The soon to be confirmands lined up in the front of the church and Pastor would ask each of us a question from the Catechism. If we did not know the answer, we wouldn't be confirmed. Knowing that Mom had been cleaning and cooking all week for the big event, and the whole Etzler reputation rested on my shoulders was extremely stressful. I don't remember much about that night, but I must have done OK because I was confirmed. Of course to me, it was a toss up on what was more exciting, being able to take communion or wearing hose for the first time!

One of the things I love best about Martin Luther are the hymns he wrote. A Mighty Fortress is Our God.. Dear Christians One and All Rejoice, Savior of the Nations Come and We All Believe in One True God, the one that really shows what Martin Luther was hanging those Theses on the door.