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Before our devotions, here are a few sights from today in Eisleben, where Luther was born and died. 

Here is our group at his birthplace.  See yesterday’s email for more details.

Our next stop was the church in which he was baptized as an infant.  The church is now dedicated primarily to baptisms and has been renovated into a more modern (and accessible) interior.  The acoustics were amazing, so we joined hands around the baptismal pool and sang the doxology.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the modern pool, with Matthew 28 engraved on it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ceiling is amazing.  The intricately painted portion is how it would look in Luther’s day.  But our tour guide was quick to point out that you should NOT walk while taking pictures of the ceiling.  A number of tourists have fallen into the fond – about 4 feet deep!

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the museum of his birthplace, there is a model of the home where he grew up in Mansfeld.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luther also died in Eisleben, having travelled there to try to resolve a disagreement between two dukes.  While there is a very good museum commemorating his place of death, the actual location has been incorporated into a hotel which is not open to the public.  However, given that he was a very famous man in his own time, there are numerous accurate accounts of his death – from a heart attack at the age of 63.

This is a replica of the kind of bed used at the time – in which people slept in a reclined position, but not lying down.

 

 

 

Our final stop was at St. Anne’s church, formerly Roman Catholic, but turned Lutheran at the time of the Reformation.  While more churches have burned, were bombed in WWI, or were neglected to the point of decay by the East Germany government, this church is intact as it was in the time of Luther (although it has been expanded.)  It was built in the early 1500’s. 

The altar.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pulpit (a later addition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bell Tower – still in use

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 19, 2022: Eisenach/Wartburg

 Dominating the landscape high on a hill stands medieval Wartburg Castle, where troubadours and knights once gathered to compete in annual contests.  It is most famous, however, in that in 1521, after failing to recant his writings, Luther was “kidnapped” by Prince Frederick the Wise and placed in protective custody at the Wartburg.  He lived in disguise as “Junker Jorg” (Knight George) for 10 months, in which he translated the Greek New Testament into German in just 11 weeks.  In addition to Wartberg Castle, we also visit Eisenach today, where Luther spent several of his school years, singing in the choir at St. George’s church, where Bach’s family worshipped as well. 

 

A bit of history (very little today!)

Founded around 1050 AD, the town developed on an important trade route where it earned a reputation as a great cultural and jousting center.  By the 1200’s, Eisenach was established as a center for music and culture, boasting musicians such as Bach, Pachelbel and Telemann.

Luther and the Bible

Translating the Bible into the German language was one of Luther’s greatest contributions to humanity and the future of Christianity.  Simply from a secular point of view, his German New Testament consolidated diverse regional languages and dialects into a united German language.  That, combined with the invention of the printing press around 1440, the gift of literacy was given to the people of Germany.

Luther’s translation was ground-breaking from a spiritual point of view as well.  Prior to this, the scriptures and all theological and liturgical content was in Latin, a language only the upper echelons of society could read or understand.  Additionally, the only approved version of the Bible was the Latin Vulgate, dating to the 4^th Century, which contained numerous doctrinal variances in support of Roman Catholic doctrine.  So very few people had access to God’s written word, and the text those few leaders accessed was significantly biased.

So while in protective custody at Wartburg, Luther set out to translate Erasmus’ Greek New Testament into German, literally giving God’s Word to God’s people.  The first printing of this Bible went to Prince Frederick in appreciation for the protection he gave Luther.  Later, Luther would also translate the mass into German and begin using German in worship, preaching, lectures and writings.  Just imagine what it was like for people to hear scripture read in a language they could understand!  What a revelation it must have been for the people to hear their first sermon, to sing their first hymn, in their own language.  In so doing, Luther connected with the masses in ways other reformers had not been able to do.  This populist approach to the faith brought him a surge of protection which would keep him alive for many years to come.

Reflection verses                                                                                                                  Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

 II Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Reflection questions

Can you imagine a life without God’s written Word being accessible?  How do you use the scriptures in your life?  How has they shaped your faith?  In what ways do you take the Bible for granted?  What steps could you take to grow spiritually through Bible study?  What questions do you have about the Bible?  Now would be a great time to ask!

To our modern-day sensitivities, it seems only right for all people to have access to God’s Word.  However, in Luther’s day, when education levels were so low and people had lived in darkness for so long, many felt it was dangerous to place the Bible in the hands of ordinary people, believing that only the church should interpret God’s Word.  In what ways has the Christian faith flourished from placing the scriptures in the hands of the people?  In what ways has the Christian faith suffered from placing the scriptures in the hands of the people?

Hymn of the day                                                                                                                Thy Strong Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A look ahead ~

Tomorrow we will tour the Augustinian Monastery, seeing the cell in which Luther lived and worship in their chapel!