All right, all right, join the Journey family, friends, and guests.

You're listening to Join the Journey podcast with your host, Emma, daughter.

Thanks for joining and happy Reformation Day.

Today, we're reading Psalm 129, but you might be thinking,

what in the world is Reformation Day?

Isn't it Halloween?

And you're right, it is Halloween.

But Reformation Day is a holiday that commemorates a significant moment in history when the Protestant Reformation began.

It all started back in the year 1517 when a German monk named Martin Luther famously nailed

his 95 thesis to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther, he had some

serious issues with certain practices of the Catholic Church, particularly the selling of indulgences,

which was basically a payment people could allegedly make to reduce the punishment for their

sins. His bold move set off a chain reaction that led to big

changes in the church and eventually a whole new branch of Christianity, Protestantism. For many

people, Reformation Day, it's a time to celebrate the idea of personal faith, freedom of thought,

and the importance of questioning authority or checking the things you're being taught against

the scriptures.

Luther wasn't alone in his views. Other reformers like Calvin and Zwingli, which I never know how to say his name,

Zwingli. Rebecca's given me a head nod, yes. Also pushed for changes, each adding their own ideas to what became a movement.

And over time, this led to the creation of many Protestant

denominations, like Lutherans, Baptists, and Presbyterians. Celebrating Reformation Day can be

seen as honoring the spirit of reform, the belief that people should read their Bibles for themselves

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