Yesterday, October 25, 2015, churches in many locations celebrated Reformation Sunday.

The Latin phrase, Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda! is familiar to many people, especially people who have been part of the reformed tradition for a number of years. I learned it as “The Church reformed, and always in need of reforming!” Over the years I have learned that many people are happy to be part of “The Church reformed” – but often much less willing to be part of the Church “always in need of reforming.”

In my experience – More people like being right better than needing to change.

It seems easy to agree with the idea that is represented by the first part of this slogan, but much harder to find agreement with varying interpretations of the words following “and” – a small but important word defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as, Coordinating. Introducing a word, phrase, clause, or sentence, which is to be taken side by side with, along with, or in addition to, that which precedes it (Oxford English Dictionary).

My question for today is – what do we mean when we say Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda! or in English “The Church reformed, and always in need of reforming!” How should our actions respond to our understanding of the words?

It is my hope that a number of you will respond to this post to begin a community discussion – remembering that it is important that comments always be friendly and respectful.

On Wednesday I will write about the origins of this phrase as well as more of what I understand it to mean.

Please make others aware of this site, and join us in a continuing discussion. A community discussion requires more than a single writer.

Grace and peace

This blog started in March, 2011, and since that date I have made 247 posts to this website. The name of the site – humanbeingsanon.com – refers to a book that I was writing at the time – Human Beings Anonymous – a 12 steps volume intended for people who think that they have no problem with addictions. The book is still not finished but it is closer to reality now than it was back in 2011. I am hoping that restarting this blog will push me on toward the finish line.

Along the way two other books entered in to the writing project list. One – a sort of autobiography with lessons I have learned during my life has the intended title of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pulpit. That project has also had a beginning or two, and is still waiting patiently for my return to the project. The third project as yet has no title but a lot of the content has already been written. It is to be a set of reflections on the current state(s) of music ministry in the church. The original inspiration for this book was an earlier volume that has always been one of my five favorite books. Published in 1981 by Westminster Press, it carries the title Faithsong: A New Look at the Ministry of Music and was written by Thomas L. Are, a person who had an immense influence on my work in music ministry from the early 1980s to the present. While everything in that volume is still valid, the church of today is not the same as the church in the concluding years of the twentieth century.

I have some friends who will read this post and ask, “So what is the problem?” or “So why did you stop writing” or “Why can’t you settle on a single project?” The only honest answer I have is “I don’t know.”

But I do have some thoughts on the matter.

My original design for this blog was to write a post every other day, to invite readers to join in a community discussion, and for us all to engage in a group learning process. My rule has always been the same – I am happy for people to disagree with what I write but I do insist that we engage in civil and polite conversation. Many of the most important things I have learned in life have been from people with whom, initially, I completely disagreed. I could see no possibility for us ever to agree, but with further discussion and time, sometimes I completely changed my mind so that I agreed with their conclusions. However, sometimes neither of us could find a way to change our opinions, but we always managed to move forward with great respect for the other person and their conclusions.

I know that people have read what I have written – a few have commented – a few responded that they like the blog the next time I saw them, but there has been very little community discussion of topics. Generally, I write about things which still perplex me – leave me uncertain – topics that I have already had one or more complete changes of what I believe. It has never been my intent to write as if I even had any of the answers.

So here we go yet another time. All of the blogs are still available to read if you would like, or if you would like to suggest a topic I will make an attempt to start a discussion on that topic. But – I do not want to be the only person writing my conclusions on the subject. I hope that some of you will assist me in this endeavor. A quick perusal of the previous posts will open some doors to ideas and issues that I think could benefit from community discussion and learning. So – you have my invitation. On Monday I will post something about something and then we will see where this journey takes us together.

Grace and peace

With pleasure we announce that this blog site humanbeingsanon.com will resume active status this coming Saturday – October 24, 2015.

We are grateful for the people who have followed the postings on this site in the past and we hope you will resume with us. Also, please inform your friends that this blog exists – all are encouraged to join in the discussions by commenting on the material found here.