The Past - Shaping our Future
On Friday, 31 October, while many celebrate Halloween, the Anglican Church marks Reformation Day—a time to remember a moment that changed the course of history. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, challenging corruption in the medieval church and sparking the Protestant Reformation. That bold act gave rise to Protestant churches across Europe and shaped the faith we still hold today.
At the heart of the Reformation were five key truths, known as the Five Solas. Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone—reminds us that the Bible is God’s ultimate authority. Solus Christus—Christ alone—teaches that only Jesus can make us right with God. Sola Fide—faith alone—means we receive salvation through trust in Christ, not our own efforts. Sola Gratia—grace alone—proclaims that salvation is entirely God’s gift. And Soli Deo Gloria—to God alone be the glory—calls us to live every part of our lives for His glory. These principles distinguished the Reformers from the Church of Rome and continue to guide evangelical faith today.
The Reformation also shaped Anglicanism. While England’s break from Rome began with political motives under Henry VIII, real spiritual reform came under Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer’s work produced the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, which still define Anglican worship and belief.
Cranmer’s goal was simple but powerful: ordinary people encountering the living God through Scripture. He wanted “that the people, by daily hearing of holy Scripture read in church, might continually profit more and more in the knowledge of God, and be more inflamed with the love of His true religion.” The Book of Common Prayer made Scripture accessible and wove it into daily life, shaping worship, prayer, and faith. Anglican worship, at its best, is not ritual for ritual’s sake—it is biblical worship, centred on Christ and grounded in grace.
This foundation remains central for Anglicans today. Canon A5 of the Church of England states that our doctrine is grounded in Scripture and expressed in the Thirty-Nine Articles, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal. When the Church of England in Australia became the Anglican Church of Australia in 1981, it retained these same principles. The Thirty-Nine Articles, still printed in the back of Australian Prayer Books, continue to uphold the Reformation truths of Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and God’s glory alone.
So as we mark Reformation Day this year, we do more than remember history. We celebrate a living legacy—a faith rooted in God’s Word, shaped by grace, and centred on Christ. It’s a reminder that the gospel isn’t just a story of the past; it’s the foundation of our lives, our worship, and our mission, calling us to live for the glory of God alone.
Yours in Christ,
Lee Shirvill
Senior Minister
Parish of Hoy Trinity
Four Centres - All One in Christ Jesus
30 October 2025