Lutherans looking Bach

Young Chang

Don’t worry.

You’re not the only one who might be seeing red.

Hoards of people will be wearing the festive color and worshipping

at Newport Harbor Lutheran Church this weekend in honor of

Reformation Sunday.

“We celebrate the reformation and we remember the founder of the

reformation, Martin Luther,” said William Wells, minister of music at

the church. “Red is the celebratory color and red is also the

liturgical color for the day.”

The prominent theme for the day will be music. Music leaders at

Newport Harbor Lutheran have chosen a Bach cantata titled “God’s Time

is Best.” Performing in the program will be harpsichordist Malcolm

Hamilton, the Chancel Choir and the DaCapo Players Orchestra of

Balboa Island.

The cantata was originally written for a funeral in Bach’s time

and is played in remembrance of a life lost.

“In this case, we’re remembering Martin Luther’s life,” Wells

said. “I think contemporary society looks at death as a very dark,

somber, sad subject. But in the baroque time, and especially in

Bach’s writings and setting of texts, it’s a looking forward to what

death brings for the Christian.”

Luther’s posting of his 95 theses on Oct. 31, 1517, was intended to start an academic debate with the Catholic church. But the act was

instead viewed as a “manifesto of reform,” Wells said. The result was

the beginning of the Reformation, which led to the start of the

Lutheran church and Protestantism.

“We celebrate Reformation Day for what Martin Luther accomplished

in posting those theses, and that is the rediscovery of the gospel of

salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ,” Wells said.

Pastor Charles Endter, who will give a short message Sunday, said

he will focus his talk on getting back to the basic values of the

Christian faith.

“I hope that [the congregants] will leave with an appreciation of

the heritage of the church and what some of the reformers did in

refocusing the church on basic tenets,” said the pastor, who is

leading the church while Pastor David Monge remains on leave for

illness. “I hope that they leave with an uplifted, positive spirit

about the church.”