Today is Reformation Sunday, the Sunday where Lutherans celebrate Martin Luther penning his “95 Theses” or Disputations on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences in 1517 and nailing them to the front door of Wittenburg Castle Church in Germany. As more Sundays have passed, I keep looking to feed my soul with an understanding of why COVID-19 was born and how it has so devastated our world. I have found solace in different programs on U-Tube. Today, I was mesmerized by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I love sitting in church and feeling God all around me. He speaks to me through scripture, music, sermons, and the community of those who also believe. Although I am a Lutheran and I understand Luther’s difficulty with certain policies of the Catholic Church in 1517, I have learned a great deal from other church denominations and see them as outgrowths of Luther’s concepts. So today, the music I heard and the simple message of the Mormons resonated in my heart.
Due to COVID-19, my church’s doors are closed except to very small gatherings; the number of positive cases has sky-rocketed. I don’t leave the house except for important things. I wonder how Lutherans would feel about this simple message if I nailed it to the church doors. You are granted birth each day; that day involves you making many decisions. How you make those decisions and what impact those decisions have on others determines your destiny. At the end of the day, have you loved others, comforted them, and walked beside them? In loving others, we love ourselves, and that love should never end, whether it’s your family, friends, neighbors, or complete strangers.
I miss singing the hymns and participating in the choir or playing the organ. You see, a musician’s soul is shown in their ability to give back to God through their interpretation of His Word with notes and emotions. In hearing the magnificent 5-manual pipe organ and the massive choir and orchestra, I couldn’t tear myself away from my computer. Tears poured from my eyes as I found comfort in the joy of God’s greatest emotional tie to us: music.
The Lord is the Almighty creator of our world, our health and our salvation. We come as thankful people for the harvest, and He will keep us safe from the storms of our life. In His time, He will supply our needs. I come to the Lord in prayer, needing Him every hour. I will raise my “Alleluia’s” to Him who knew my paths before I was born. I will lift up my heart and my voice; I will rejoice in Christ the King. I see new mercies every day in God’s faithfulness; He has provided me with all I needed. He pardons my sins, grants enduring strength for today, offers guidance along life’s paths, and sends a bright hope for tomorrow.
Nothing is more comforting than God’s love and presence with me this morning. Even in my tears, I feel His hand on my shoulder and hear Him saying, “Come to me, all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you peace.” So on this Reformation Sunday, October 25, 2020, I am grateful for everything He has done for our world, our country, my family, and myself. I will wait on the Lord for His mercy endures forever. One day soon in His time, He will wipe away all our tears, and we will fly on wings of eagles.
Anna Hartt
