-
- Members of Emanuel Lutheran Church, Modesto, Calif., perform “You Were There—The Reformation,” presented in the style of an old-time radio show.
-
- Emanuel Lutheran pastor, Lyn Crase, takes the congregation back to Martin Luther’s time.
-
- The host interviews a young girl at Martin Luther’s trial.
-
- The Emanuel Players
Editor’s note: Throughout 2017, we’re highlighting reader submissions of ways they’re observing the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Submit your story by sending 300 words or less, plus photos, to livinglutheran@elca.org, with “Reformation story” in the subject line.
On the first Sunday in February 2017, the members of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Modesto, Calif., went back in time 500 years to witness the beginning of the Reformation. The event: an original play, You Were There—The Reformation, performed as a 1940s radio broadcast.
In the show, people who knew Martin Luther are interviewed about their experiences as the Reformation began. The program’s host interviews Luther’s sister, a seminary classmate, a seller of indulgences, a childhood friend, a Roman Catholic church official and a young girl who attended the trial at Worms. All tell their personal stories.
The Reformation is the fourth play in a series that takes parishioners into the past. In the previous You Were There plays—The Birth Of Christ, The Last Supper and The Resurrection—people who knew Jesus share their memories of his life and ministry.
Members of Emanuel volunteered as actors. Written by a member of the congregation, the four dramas are entertaining and educational.
Submitted by Michael Clarke, Emanuel Lutheran Church, Modesto, Calif.
