Church

Working on LuAnn's church project of procuring donations for the Silent Auction for our Church Festival September 4 has made me think about the church lately. It's made me think of my religious training, and spirituality versus relgion which should go hand in hand to me.

There was only one universal church until the Reformation in the 16th century. In the 16th century, the followers of Martin Luther established the evangelical churches of Germany and Scandinavia. Reformed churches in Switzerland and France were established by John Calvin and more radical reformers such as Huldrych Zwingli. Thomas Cranmer reformed the Church of England and later John Knox established a more radical Calvinist communion in the Church of Scotland.

Life Magazine had an article on Origins and Divisions of Protestantism many decades ago. The flow chart of church origination since the Crucifixtion is very interesting. I remember asking a farmer I was working beside what the original church was and he quickly replied, why the Church of Christ, of course! That is where he worships and all he understood about religion which was fine to me, just not the truth as I understand it.

The Church of Christ didn't appear until this house was built in the 1880's and both happened in America. Although this house is old in modern standards that's 19 centuries after the Crucifixtion. There's a whole lot of history in 1900 years that is missing.

The Reformation started in 1517 when priest Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenburg, Germany. The Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences (now known as the 95 theses)[5][6] debated and criticized the Church and the Pope, concentrating upon the sale of indulgences, the doctrines of purgatory, and the authority of the Pope. Luther maintained that justification (salvation) was granted by faith alone, saying that good works and the sacraments were not necessary in order to be saved. Luther sent a copy of his challenges to his bishop, who in turn forwarded the theses to Rome.[7]

So all of the churches you see today besides the Catholic Church and the Synagogues started only 600 years ago or so.

I find that pretty interesting. Time to go scout fields so have a good day.

Ed Winkle