Martin Luther once said, "I felt that I had been 
born anew and that the gates of heaven had been  
opened. The whole of Scripture gained a new 
meaning." And from that point on the phrase,  
“the justice of God” no longer filled 
me with hatred, but rather became  
unspeakable sweet by virtue of a great Love.
Luther had been studying the Bible. St. Paul’s  
letter to the Romans to be exact. When he 
finally came to understand that was not up to  
human beings to make themselves worthy in the eyes 
of a righteous God. Luther had tried. He quit his  
study of law, entered a monastery, and was so 
rigorously observant that his health suffered.  
The word of God only seemed to bring 
condemnation. It tormented him.
  
But in an instant that all changed. From hatred 
to love. From despair to joy. From death to life.  
Here was the Gospel, the Good News. We receive 
forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God  
out of grace for Christ’s sake through faith.
Luther knew he had to get the word  
out, literally. He laid hold of 
technology, the printing press  
and modernized communication, translating the 
bible into the vernacular. Ordinary people could  
now read, or at least hear God’s promise 
of love, freedom and grace. Scripture was  
no longer the property of the educated elite. 
God’s saving message could speak to all people.  
In a way, Luther’s translation of the Bible, 
completed 500 years ago this year, combined with  
the technology of his day made it possible 
to tell the old, old story in a new way. 
  
The gospel has not changed, the world has. The 
ELCA is rooted in tradition, the saving love  
of God given as a gift, grace. But we must become 
radically relevant. People today might not use the  
vocabulary of the churchsin or redemption 
or grace – But people are still looking for  
meaning and belonging and love. We need to take 
a page out of Luther’s playbook and translate  
the gospel into the cultural vernacular.
We’re moving toward Future Church and we have  
a goal to engage one million new, young, diverse 
people by the end of this decade. Not to fill pews  
and offering plates, but to welcome them into the 
way of Jesus, where they and we find community,  
justice, and love. If we have experienced 
the infinite and intimate love of Jesus,  
why wouldn’t we want to share that with everyone?
We pray that the Holy Spirit would activate  
each of us for this life-giving work.
We can tell the old, old story in a new way.