SEASONS OF THE CHURCH YEAR
2026 OCTOBER 25
REFORMATION SUNDAY
Why Being Lutheran Matters
The heart of the Lutheran Reformation is this: “Our churches also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ’s sake through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ, who by His death made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes (or reckons) as righteousness in His sight.
Faith alone justifies a sinner, because faith alone receives Christ’s gift of salvation. St. Paul says that we are justified by grace through faith. Grace means that it is a gift earned by Jesus Christ and given by the Holy Spirit. Faith receives the gift. That means that faith holds on to Jesus, to His merits, His suffering and death, His resurrection, His conquest over sin, death, hell, and Satan. Faith saves, because Jesus saves. And faith justifies, because it holds on to Jesus Christ, who is our righteousness before God.
https://christforus.org/NewSite/index.php/2025/10/29/why-being-lutheran-matters/
TEXT
Romans 3:19-26
New International Version
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
REFLECTION
And this is why we celebrate the Lutheran Reformation. What brought Luther out of his madness, fighting with God and His Law? It was the Gospel! It is the text we consider today, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received through faith!” When Luther stopped listening to these false teachers in the Church, who told him to do what was in him, so God would not deny grace, and when he started reading what God says in Holy Scripture, Luther learned that God’s grace is not found in himself. You do not find God’s grace by trying your best. God’s grace is found in God! Specifically, God’s grace is found in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who has made atonement for our sins by His blood!
https://christforus.org/NewSite/index.php/2025/10/29/why-being-lutheran-matters/
HYMN
The Church's One Foundation
Lutheran Worship
Used under License
1 The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the word;
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.
3 'Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
Hear the Sermon on YouTube
(posted shortly after the Service but not live streamed)
youtube.com/@oslcchatham6321
BECOME A PART OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY
We welcome you to worship with us.
Services follow the liturgical order of worship which Christians have used historically.
Our music is traditional style, using Lutheran Worship and other sources.
The Gospel is central to our worship, and God comes to us through His Word and Sacraments for forgiveness of sins, life and eternal salvation.
HOURS
SUNDAY SERVICES
to the end of December at 1:00 pm
COMMUNION
The first and third Sundays of the month