Oktoberfest and Reformation
Oktoberfest (recently celebrated as a big event on the square in La Grange) originated in 1810, as a festival for the Oct. 12 wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (a Roman Catholic region in southern Germany that used to be an independent entity, like all the other German subdivisions before unification in 1871) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen (a Lutheran, who never converted to her husband’s faith.) Given the enormous profits that might be derived therefrom, the annual festival continues in Germany, mostly for the hordes of tourists who flock to Munich, and for brewing companies that annually sell them a few million gallons of the ever-quaffable German beers.
Reformation, in contrast, is a church festival celebrated by non-Catholic Protestant churches (mostly the liturgically-based ones like Lutherans,Anglicans/Episcopalians, and Presbyterians.) Coming as it does later in October, on the 31st, this day (or the Sunday in October nearest to it) is set aside to recognize the work of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and the other church reformers of the 1500’s who called on the Roman Catholic Church to repent and change, just as John the Baptist had called on individual sinners to repent and then change the way they lived going forward.
Lest we think everyone happily embraces lots of celebrations of festivals, I recall a former pastor at my church making a comment about my own family seeming to look (perhaps too much?) for times to celebrate, saying something like “the Citzlers would have a party just because it’s Tuesday!” [He was not of German background, and perhaps he just happened to be around in the month of October, when we do seem to celebrate many festivals, using any excuse to have a party. . .] My home congregation, St. Paul in La Grange, founded by German-background business owners and a few others, finds it appropriate to commemorate both events, this year with a combined Reformation/Oktoberfest on the last Sunday in October, the 29th. The worship service that day will feature Polka-based music for the service, followed by a catered traditional German meal (probably brats and sauerkraut or schnitzel and noodles, aka, “spaetzle”.)
For many people of faith, our work of both Reformation and Celebration/Oktoberfest continues after October, of course, as we seek to live out that faith in ways more true to the Gospel and to the Life of Jesus, as well as searching for ways to celebrate happy occasions such as weddings and baptisms and birthdays and so on as they arise. We want to let every day be both reformation and celebration: as we awake, arise, wash our faces again in the water of life (remembering our baptism), and then break our overnight fast with food and drink (our German ancestors would have been consuming dark beer and black bread for breakfast!)
Then we proceed to live the rest of each day in the light of that baptism, interacting with other family and friends and neighbors, and working to reform the institutions that support us in our daily lives, whether that is church, neighborhood, business, voluntary organizations, city or county or state government, or our national government and international institutions. Every one of them needs our thoughtful attention and nurturing and reforming efforts. And if we are beyond our own ability to work and support and change them, we can still encourage with a word of thanks or support and pray for the people who do so.
Be kind and gracious to those around you: We all need reform, we all need celebration: that means lots of use of the words “I’m sorry!” and lots of use of our smile muscles along with “Thank you!” For every “I’m sorry” is a reformation, a repenting; every smile and “Thank you” is a celebration of life! Use both, dear friends, to celebrate the rest of this month of October and the rest of 2023!