Readings

February 18: Martin Luther, Pastor and Reformer, 1546

The Collect of the Day

Martin Luther

O God, our refuge and our strength, who raised up your servant Martin Luther to reform and renew your church in the light of your word: Defend and purify the church in our own day and grant that, through faith, we may boldly proclaim the richesof your grace, which you have made known in Jesus Christ our Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Martin Luther

O God, our refuge and our strength, who didst raise up thy servant Martin Luther to reform and renew thy church in the light of thy word: Defend and purify the church in our own day and grant that, through faith, we may boldly proclaim the riches of thy grace, which thou hast made known in Jesus Christ our Savior, who with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Martin Luther was born November 10th, 1483, at Eisleben, in Germany. His intellectual abilities were evident early, and his father planned a career for him in law. Luther’s real calling lay elsewhere, however, and in 1505, he entered the local Augustinian monastery. He was ordained as a priest on April 3rd, 1507.

In October 1512, Luther received his doctorate in theology, and shortly afterward he was installed as a professor of biblical studies at the University of Wittenberg. His lectures on the Bible were popular, and within a few years he made the university a center for biblical humanism. As a result of his theological and biblical studies, he called into question the practice of selling indulgences. On the eve of All Saints’ Day, October 31st, 1517, he posted on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg the notice of an academic debate on indulgences, listing 95 theses for discussion. As the effects of the theses became evident, the pope called upon the Augustinian order to discipline their member. After a series of meetings, political maneuvers, and attempts at reconciliation, Luther, at a meeting with the papal legate in 1518, refused to recant.

Luther was excommunicated on January 3rd, 1521. The Emperor Charles V summoned him to the meeting of the Imperial Diet at Worms. There Luther resisted all efforts to make him recant, insisting that he had to be proved in error on the basis of Scripture. The Diet passed an edict calling for the arrest of Luther. Luther’s own prince, the Elector Frederick of Saxony, however, had him spirited away and placed for safekeeping in his castle.

There Luther translated the New Testament into German and began the translation of the Old Testament. He then turned his attentionto the organization of worship and education. He introduced congregational singing of hymns, composing many himself, and issued model orders of services. He published his large and small catechisms for instruction in the faith. During the years from 1522 to his death, Luther wrote a prodigious quantity of books, letters, sermons, and tracts. Luther died at Eisleben on February 18th, 1546.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

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Psalm

1God is our refuge and strength, *a very present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;

3Though its waters rage and foam, *and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.

4The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

5There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *the holy habitation of the Most High.

6God is in the midst of her; she shall not be overthrown; *God shall help her at the break of day.

7The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.

8The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

9Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, *what awesome things he has done on earth.

10It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; *he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire.

11“Be still, then, and know that I am God; *I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”

12The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Gospel

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John 15:1–11

1 ”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

Isaiah 55:6–11

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.