Reformation - John 8:31-36

Reformation 25 October 2020

John 8:31-36 Rev. Brian W. Hiortdahl

Winston Churchill famously advised, "When you're going through hell, keep going."

It's good advice for 2020.

We've weathered seven months of pandemic, about seven years of political ads, more than seven generations of systemic evil academically named racism, and now nearly two full years of Pastor Brian.

You are almost as far along as Luke Helgager and Brendan Hillig.

They affirmed their baptism yesterday after two years of confirmation classes, which many Lutherans remember being a singularly excruciating ring of hell.

And now I have good news for them that they might not want to hear.

They're not done.

Once upon a time, I received an email from a confirmation family that hit my heart like a

dagger.

Mom was inquiring about the schedule for "graduation."

So I assumed I would never see her son again.

Church was one more box to check, a developmental milestone, a photo op, a stepping

stone to something more important.

It was an honest and probably innocent mistake, and I don't blame her, I blame me.

I blame the church as a whole.

We set up confirmation to produce graduates instead of disciples.

Graduates finish and move on.

Disciples keep going.

Brendan and Luke, you're not done.

Confirmed members, including the ordained pastor: we're not done.

Lutheran church, legacy of the Reformation: we're not done.

We still need to be reformed.

Martin Luther in 1517 didn't fix everything, even though we sometimes sound and act like he did.

We need to keep going.