Reformation, Retrieval, and Revival
GCD Weekly Newsletter- Reformation Day 2022
On October the 31st, 2020, my wife shaved my head like a monk. She’d asked every year since we’d started dating, but this year she reckoned that I should be up for it because, after all, we were about to head back into lockdown. This is not entirely out of the ordinary for Anna, who throughout the pandemic would give up a portion of her allowance1 to get me to do something ridiculous like taking an ice bath or eating a spoonful of ghost pepper sauce—usually by tempting me with a new book. Having posted my new “do” on social media, I was frequently asked why I was seemingly celebrating what came before the Reformation rather than what came after. My answer then, which we ought to remember today, is that I wasn’t looking back far enough.
I’m expecting to see at least five tweets today explaining that Luther didn’t actually nail his 95 Theses to the door at Wittenburg, but we should nonetheless hear the ringing of a hammer upon nails in our ears today as we celebrate. I am incredibly thankful for Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the reformers closer to home like John Knox and the English Puritans. I’m thankful for them in the same way that I’m thankful to my friend Jess for bringing my wife and I together or for my father-in-law for walking her down the aisle on our wedding day. These men pointed us to the final and ultimate desire of our hearts, the Lord Jesus, and reminded us not only of his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, but the ramifications each of those events still have for our lives today. These are often summarised like so:
Sola Scriptura “Scripture Alone”
Sola Fide “Faith alone”
Sola Gratia “Grace alone”
Solus Christus “Christ alone”
Soli Deo Gloria “To the glory of God alone”
There is no Solus Lutherus, or Sola Calvini Doctrinae Quinque, because while the renewal and reformation of the church, the retrieval of her most sacred doctrines, and the revival of God’s people are all important, the battle was not won at Wittenburg, but on calvary’s hill. You can read more about Luther’s work pointing back to Jesus in an article by Todd Hains over on the GCD website.
Adsum Try Ravenhill is married to Anna and together they are passionate about seeing young men and women discipled within the context of the local church. You can find Adsum through his writing at The Raven’s Writing Desk and alongside Anna as the co-host of the Consider the Ravens Podcast, you can also find Adsum’s articles for GCD here.
As many of you will know, Jonathan Dodson—who wrote the book Gospel-Centered Discipleship after which our organisation was named—recently released a new book called the Unwavering Pastor. In celebration of Pastoral Appreciation Month, the Good Book Company have a live offer to receive two copies of the book for the price of one.
Often I find that when I read a newsletter recommending a book I wonder whether the writer behind the screen actually knows what they are recommending, so for those of you who are as sceptical as I am, let me assure you that I have read, enjoyed, and personally recommended Jonathan’s book and will continue to do so not only for Pastors but also for Church Members. Why not then buy a book, give a copy to encourage your own pastor, and then keep the other to learn how to love your pastor better?
You can find the offer at the links below:
This Week’s Articles
The Adventure of The Great Commission
Trevin Wax
“The resurrection of Jesus Christ must be the starting point for all Christian reflection. It is an astounding turn of events, world-changing news to which nothing else compares. To shrink the good news into good advice diminishes the thrill of orthodoxy.”
11 Tips For Getting Published Online
Benjamin Vrbicek
Sometimes my writing friends reach out to me to ask for advice about how they can make inroads at various publications. Here are eleven strategies I’ve found helpful in my own writing as I’ve pursued publication.
From Burden to Image Bearer: How God Changed My View Of Children
Lainee Oliver
“I saw her interact with her husband and care for her children in real time. She never lectured or tried to change me by telling me how to live. And yet, the Lord used this young mother to shape my view of family, and parenting, and children in a drastic way by simply inviting me into her everyday life.”
Poll of the Week
We both have a monthly allowance just to clarify.