One woman’s personal connection to Reformation Sunday has led her to take the 500th anniversary celebrations of Trinity Lutheran Church in Fresno, Calif., above and beyond.
Liz Davis and her twin sister, Deb, were baptized on Oct. 28, 1951, at 3 months old. Until this past year, Liz was not aware of the significance of that date, but after doing some research found out that Reformation Sunday also fell on that day, creating a wonderful and inspiring connection. (In the photo above, Liz is held by her father Lloyd.)
“As lifelong Lutherans, my twin sister and I are honored to share our baptism anniversary with an event that changed the world 500 years ago,” Liz said.
Charged with the special connection and past experience on her congregation council, Liz started conversations in May 2016 on how different efforts could be made to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. By August, she had spoken with the council, and a team of five had been assembled to plan a series of engaging activities for the year leading up to the anniversary.
“The biggest challenge, initially, was thinking up events we could host. However, we ultimately thought of so many that there wasn’t enough time to do everything,” she said.
To date, Trinity has held a book sale with special deals from Augsburg Fortress (at left) resulting in 96 sales and a library full of resources about Martin Luther and the Reformation. From there, showings of the 2003 movie “Luther” and Rick Steves’ “Luther and the Reformation” were featured.
During Lent, a five-week study was held on Luther’s Small Catechism, unpacking the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Sacrament of Holy Baptism and Sacrament of Holy Communion.
To Liz, the most impactful aspect of the events is the dialogue that comes afterward.
“Many in our congregation are lifelong Lutherans. … They support and participate, so listening to their questions and comments is pretty special.” she said.
Looking forward, Trinity has a Reformation Trivia Night on Sept. 29 and an Oktoberfest dinner and accordion entertainment on Oct. 21. On Oct. 29, Reformation Sunday, the celebration will wrap up with a luncheon and commemorative presentation on the year’s activities. There will also be a raffle drawing for a Luther 
Rose quilt made by Anita Frede (at right), a member of Trinity. The proceeds will go to Lutheran Disaster Response and Trinity’s music department to honor Luther’s love of music.
If you want to have anniversary activities but do not know where to start, Liz assured that “there is still time and lots of choices, big or small.”
Bible studies on the catechism with free resources from your synod’s resource center, movie screenings, German dinner nights or musical Sundays with just Lutheran hymns are all easy ways to get your congregation involved.
Liz’s hope is that everyone can grow in their faith as a result of the activities.
“Celebrating and learning about the Reformation helps us to better understand the foundations of our Lutheran faith,” she said.
“As we grow [in our faith], we can’t help but want to share the joy we feel with others. My joy comes, in part, from hearing others respond in a meaningful way.”
