For the last few weeks, most of my devotions have been “reruns,” ones that I posted previously and now used again. The reason for that was Cheryl and I were part of a “Footsteps of Luther” tour in Germany. We had a fabulous time with a wonderful group of people visiting sites that were significant during the time of the Reformation throughout Germany.

On Palm Sunday we were in Eisenach attending worship at St. George’s Church. Luther had preached there a few times, and later Johann Sebastian Bach was baptized in this church.

Wednesday of Holy Week we were in Berlin and attended the noontime prayer service in the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral). The place was packed with visitors, but an announcement was made that from 12:00 until 12:30 everyone must be seated, no photography would be allowed, and no one would be able to enter or leave the cathedral during that time. One of our group members suggested we should try that at home: lock everyone in during the service!

Both of these services included wonderful organ music, readings from God’s Word, and a sermon. But it was all in German. I could pick up on sentences here at there, knew when they were saying the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed, and the Benediction, but most of the time we did not know what was being said.

I wondered if that is how the people felt before the Reformation, when worship services were all in Latin, a language the common, uneducated people did not understand

That was one of the huge developments of the Protestant Reformation. Luther translated the Bible into the language of his people, German, so they could read it for themselves and let it speak to their hearts. He also started leading worship in German, preaching in German, and writing hymns in German. All this to share the wonderful message of salvation by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ with the people in a way they could understand it.

It was good to be back home for Good Friday worship and the Festival of the Resurrection services this past Sunday. I heard in my native tongue the lfe-altering proclamation of Jesus’ death to pay for my sin and His victory over death to assure me of complete forgiveness and eternity with Him. It was good to hear.

Lord, help me do what I can to clearly proclaim Your message of love and grace and mercy to the people I meet today.