Reflections on Reformation red

I thoroughly enjoyed Reformation Sunday, which is always one of my favorite occasions in our church year. I love the opportunity to be really, completely, totally Lutheran, to sing “A Mighty Fortress is our God” and talk about Martin Luther. Lutheran history, especially around the time of the Reformation, is fascinating.

But mostly, on Reformation Sunday, it makes me smile to see a church full of people wearing red. It’s bright, it’s cheerful—and yes, it happens to be my favorite color. Maybe you enjoyed wearing Reformation red, too—or maybe you were just wondering what on earth was going on (or maybe you were at a church that hasn't picked up this particular tradition).

I used to always ask, “why red for Reformation?” Red is often used to represent the blood of the martyrs, but that doesn’t quite seem to fit. But eventually, I realized that red is the liturgical color for another occasion, as well—it’s the color for Pentecost, the day when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of wind and tongues of flame. (Red is also the liturgical color for ordinations, which turns out to be another Holy Spirit reference.)

On Pentecost, the color red reminds us of the fire of the Spirit—and that’s what it does on Reformation Sunday, as well. We take this opportunity to reflect on the many ways that the Holy Spirit has worked in the church. We celebrate the activity of the Spirit during the Reformation, working through Reformers like Martin Luther to call God’s people to renewed faithfulness. We also celebrate the activity of the Spirit today, calling Lutheran congregations in Starbuck to form CrossWind Parish in order to better serve God’s mission in our community--and working in many other ways, too many to count, sometimes even when we least expect it.

So when I see red on Reformation Sunday, I always smile, and it’s not just because I’m seeing my favorite color! It’s also because I am reminded that the Holy Spirit is still at work. Even as the season turns colder and the snow starts to fall (yes, that happened this week as well!), the fire of the Spirit comes to us again and again, calling us to renewed faithfulness and new life.

~Pastor Sarah