Reformation Sunday is October 29

By Susan Shinn Turner

Please join us on Sunday, Oct. 29, for the concluding event of St. John’s year-long commemoration of the Reformation’s 500th anniversary.

The 11 am service features a variety of St. John’s musicians, with brass and festival liturgy. Dr. Vergel Lattimore, president of Hood Theological Seminary, will be a featured guest. The 9:27 service includes a new acoustic-contemporary version of “A Mighty Fortress” and dramatic spoken word poetry on the history of the Reformation.

Please note: there will be no 8:30 am service.

“We’ve spent this year reaching beyond the church walls as we observe the Reformation,” Rob Durocher notes. “We’ve hosted the community for the Reformation Symphony in September, and 30 of our choir members participated in the English-language premiere of ‘In God’s Own Country’ at the Meroney Theatre. It’s been a very special year.”

“I hope you’ll make a special effort to join us on Oct. 29 as we come together as a congregation to observe a very significant day in world history.”

Of note: The Miller Sunday School class is sponsoring a special one-day exhibit on Reformation Sunday in the room that will become the church museum, just to the right of the Welcome Desk. The exhibit features a collection of Lutheran books from the Reformation period, made possible through the generosity of David Pope, a member of St. John’s, Statesville. Pope has been collecting German-language religious books since the 1960s. The exhibit will include both Luther Bibles and collections of his commentaries, including his essays on the Psalms, printed in 1556.

The books will be on display from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm on Reformation Sunday. Dr. Freeze will be on hand at the end of both services to answer questions about the exhibit and the planned museum. At 2 pm, Freeze will give a short talk, “Printing, in Historical Context” in Peeler Hall. The public is invited to attend.

It’s not often that we join together for a 500th anniversary, so we hope you’ll join us for this very special occasion. And don’t forget to wear red!