This Sunday, Baker City’s First Lutheran Church will celebrate its roots by observing the 500th anniversary of the day Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses and sparked the Protestant Reformation.

“Oct. 31, 1517, is when historians mark the Protestant Reformation,” said Ian Wolfe, pastor of First Lutheran. “The Reformation changed the religious landscape, political landscape, education landscape and the economic landscape. It is where our heritage begins as Lutherans.”

To observe the milestone, Wolfe will lead a special worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29 at the church, 1734 Third St.

The congregation will sing from a 1950s hymnal, and Wolfe will incorporate a chant from the 16th century.

He will also share the words of Luther.

“I’m going to use Luther’s sermon — edited. His sermons were notoriously long,” he said.

As for the topic, Wolfe said the message transcends 500 years.

“The matters of faith never really change,” he said.

Following the service will be a special potluck and Jell-O contest.

“Lutherans have a long history with Jell-O,” Wolfe said with a laugh.

Luther’s Story

Martin Luther was born in 1483 and grew up in the western Catholic Church.

“His father prepared him for law school,” Wolfe said.

Luther completed grammar school, Latin school and entered law school.

Then he was caught in a lightning storm.

“He said ‘save me from the storm and I’ll become a monk!’” Wolfe said.

Fourteen days later, Luther joined the Augustinian order of friars. He continued his education, became a priest and earned a doctorate in theology.

But change was coming.

Luther’s 95 Theses, Wolfe said, was presented as points for an academic discussion about the church’s tradition of buying and selling indulgences that shortened a person’s time spent in purgatory (or released them altogether).

“Selling of indulgences was at the heart of the matter,” he said.

See more in the Oct. 27, 2017, issue of the Baker City Herald.