Day 02 - Wittenberg / Leipzig

Today we intertwined theology with music. Theologically speaking we started our day with Dr. Thoennes reminding us that Luther wanted the people to “Let God be God.” It was his aim to have God put in His proper place. It was Copernican thinking that revolutionized theology in that everything revolves around God, just as Copernicus formulated a model of the universe that placed the sun, rather than the earth at its center. Everything we do should should be for the Glory of God (Soli Deo Gloria).

While our day was spent on walking tours around our two visited cities (BTW-almost 14,000 steps or 6.3 miles on my Apple Watch), looking at magnificent architecture and pouring over museum documents and historical facts, observing the town’s Castle church door where Luther had hammered his 95 theses in 1517 was an exclamation point to the end of our morning. We learned the original door was made of wood, but was replaced with a bronze one by the Prussians in 1854 where it remains to this day with the 95 these etched into its facing. The history of the door’s structure was not the important take away for me, but rather that Luther had hoped of opening discussion. Much was fueled by the knowledge that indulgences were being sold in the hopes that those who purchased them could obtain salvation. After studying Scripture, Luther knew that salvation was gained by faith alone.

Side note: an inscription on the same church tower read “A mighty fortress is our God.” No coincidence that we started our day with that song.

Our second city visit today was to Leipzig. It presented a very different feel from Wittenberg. Much more bustling and modern rebuilding all around. We visited St. Thomas Church where Johann Sebastian Bach led the 55-voice boys’ choir, composing a new cantata every week. We walked around the city sites, examining statues and memorials, walked through the city center with its vast market square and arrived at our hotel around 5 pm.

I began to wonder what this stop in Leipzig had to do with our Reformation Tour. Our group get-together before dinner then tied up our day. We weren’t just sightseeing. And I got a connection between theology and music. Johann Sebastian Bach signed all his music with his initials JSB, AND then with SDG. He wanted his music to being All the glory to God not himself. And he also knew the importance of Luther’s teachings.

It was said, “there would be no music, if there was no Luther.” But we were reminded that Luther never wanted to be the center of any religion. He knew there was a need for reform, but always stressed the importance of God being in the center of everything we do.

I close with some verses we’ve been encouraged to memorize on our reformation journey.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.””
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:16-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

May you be blessed by my musings today. Soli Deo Gloria.

Clem Jasinski