Protestant Jack-O’lanterns

Though my family and I have no issues with Halloween, we choose to celebrate Reformation Day. After all, we are Protestants and our tradition was born on October 31st.

In 1517 Martin Luther protested the sale of Indulgences, and changed the face of the Western Church through an ordinary act. He wrote a series of Theses, like most professors of his day, and nailed them to a Church door that was a communal bulletin board.

Here I stand, I can do no other.
-Martin Luther

One tradition that I created for Reformation Day is putting jack-o’lanterns and comical captions in famous scenes of the Reformers. Last year I put one in a painting of the Marburg Colloquy where Luther and Ulrich Zwingli hashed out their theological differences.

On this day we Protestants remember when Luther and Zwingli argued over what Jesus said about jack-o’lanterns.  

This year I jack-‘onlanternized a painting of Luther preaching at the Wartburg in 1521. During that time he was hidden away from Catholic authorities, grew a beard, and was disguised a knight named Junker-Jörg. He also managed to translate the Bible from koine Greek into early Modern German, and helped to lay the foundations for modern High German.

Here is this year’s Reformation scene and comical caption

Today is we Protestants remember Martin Luther’s famous “Kürbislaternen Predigt” at the Wartburg. .  

Faith, like light, should always be simple and unbending.
-Martin Luther

Takeaways

After seeing Luther preaching to nobles with a jack-‘o-lantern, a colleague asked what his sermon points might be. I suppose that he might have left his hearers with these takeaways:

1. The world is in darkness.
2. Christ is the light.
3. Christians are called to bring the light to the world.
4. Sometimes Christians are called to bring the light in ways that are strange and even comical to the world.

Though not a real sermon, I believe that this is what Luther would have taught, and this will be on my heart and mind as I celebrate the Reformation. I pray that all Christians, regardless of their traditions, would bring the light that this world needs, and do so in ways that give others hope, joy, and laughter.

Happy Reformation Day and God bless!