Our Lutheran heritage Christmas through the ages
wanted to dedicate herself to God and give her family’s money to the poor. Her mother didn’t agree—until she experienced miraculous healing after a pilgrimage to the grave of the virgin martyr Agatha. Displeased by Lucia’s generosity, her greedy fiance denounced her to Roman authorities during Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians—a dangerous time to exhibit such piety. Lucia was killed Dec. 13, 304. St. Lucia Day (Dec. 13) has historically been celebrated in
Robert Graetz (left), then an American Lutheran Church pastor, posed with other Lutherans at the August 1963 March on Washington.
475 years ago: Martin Luther’s family likely celebrated with carols and Bible stories, but Christmas itself wasn’t a time for gift-giving. German families typically gave gifts to chil- dren and servants on Jan. 1. The total value of Luther’s gifts to his household in 1539 was more than two taler—quite generous. As well as a treat, children could expect “exhorta- tions to piety, faithfulness and obedience.” (Martin Luther: The Preservation of the Church, 1532-1546 by Martin Brecht; Fortress Press, 1993.) 59 years ago: Robert Graetz (photo above) was called to serve Trinity Lutheran Church, Montgomery, Ala., in 1955. The NAACP branch met at Trinity—including Rosa Parks, whose arrest Dec. 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her seat on the bus sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Graetz is white, and at first his predominantly black parishioners were reluctant to share boycott plans for fear he would tell city authorities. But Graetz and his family became active participants in the civil rights movement. (Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63 by Taylor Branch; Touchstone, 1988.) 44 years ago: the ELCA’s forebears opened their doors to women who had received God’s call to ministry. In Novem- ber 1970 the Lutheran Church in America ordained Eliza- beth Platz. Barbara Andrews was ordained by the American Lutheran Church one month later.
St. Lucia (ca. 283-304) Born more than 1,200 years before the Reformation, Lucia wasn’t Lutheran, but many Lutherans remember her dur- ing Advent. Lucia was born in Syracuse, Italy, around A.D. 283. Her wealthy father died when she was young. Lucia
Malta, the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, and Scandinavian countries. She is the patron saint of fishermen and “Lucia” comes from the root word for light. Some say that after her death she could be seen on Sweden’s Lake Vänern wearing a white gown and a crown of lights. During this darkest time of the year, eldest daughters tra-
ditionally rise early, don white robes, red sashes and crowns of candles, and serve breakfast to their families. While many connect this with pre-Christian winter solstice traditions, for Christians, Lucia represents mercy, purity and devotion. Her crown of candles reminds us of the hope of eternal life.
Luther-speak Your friends and neighbors will be amazed this Advent season when you use these handy Latin terms to confess the foundations of your faith. Luther addressed many problems in the church of his day, especially practices that led peo- ple to trust themselves rather than God and God’s promises. Luther spoke and wrote in Latin and German. While he believed the Bible should be translated from Hebrew and Greek into people’s languages, he often stated the central tenets of the Christian faith in terms even the church hierarchy could appreciate. He summarized God’s message of salvation with these
phrases: solus Christus (Christ alone); sola gratia (by grace alone); sola fide (through faith alone). Later, Lutherans used other phrases including sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), by which they meant not that Scripture was the only authority in the church, but rather that it was the first and true authority by which all others are judged.
Author bio: Gifford, a historian and writer, is a member of Joyful Servant Lutheran Church, Newberg, Ore.
December 2014 41
By Laura Gifford
ELCA ARCHIVES
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