The Gift of Order
Johannes Bugenhagen was a pastor, professor, and prominent servant of the Lutheran Reformation. While Luther may have been much of the catalyst for and the face of the Reformation, Bugenhagen was in many ways the boots on the ground and a tactical force behind the ideals of the Reformation taking root. For these reasons, Pastor Johannes Bugenhagen is a noteworthy saint for Lutheran households to remember on his commemoration of April 20th.
Johannes was born in 1485 in Pomerania, Germany, causing many to know him as “The Pomeranian.” He went on to study classics at Greifswald and entered the ministry as a priest at age 24 after a handful of years as a school rector and as an instructor in a Belbuck monastery. During these years Bugenhagen was brought into the the Reformation conversation after interacting with Desiderius Erasmus’s writings, but Luther’s Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church is what captivated him and brought him to Wittenberg, where resided in the Melanchthon household for a time while he studied theology. Bugenhagen’s preaching and teaching abilities stood out, and before long he was invited to lecture at the university.
Bugenhagen and Luther became close friends, and Johannes even officiated the wedding of Martin and Katharina, acted as Luther’s father confessor, attended Luther’s deathbed, and preached at his funeral. Johannes remained close to the Luther family after Martin’s passing and saw to it that Luther’s wife and children were taken care of.
In 1523 Johannes became pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Wittenberg and undertook many of the organizational tasks related to bringing the thoughts and ideals of the Lutheran Reformation to churches. During this time Luther would often preach in his absence when St. Johannes was abroad planting the seeds of justification through faith alone. St. Johannes went to over half a dozen churches over the course of the Reformation, where he developed church orders to outline the churches’ confession, liturgy, general life of the church, and mission to the community. In full-circle fashion, he also paid visits to Pomerania and developed a church order for his hometown congregation. He is rightly remembered as truly having “the gift of order.”
Bugenhagen was the husband of Walpurga and the father of three children who lived into adulthood, one of whom followed in his footsteps as a professor at the university. He retired from his work at St. Mary’s in Wittenberg before his death in 1558 after a life well lived as a servant of the Gospel.
Brief History
Johannes Bugenhagen clearly emerges as an important and key player in the Reformation by helping the Protestant reforms get their footing within local churches. Bugenhagen’s church orders saw to this along with his own way of life, which included a staunch promotion of marriage for pastors. He was the first of the reformers to marry and, as mentioned, officiated the wedding of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora. Together, these couples’ legacy of marriage and family life left a significant impact on the Lutheran church as we know it today.
Bugenhagen also had a hand in the development of the Lutheran Confessions to which the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and her pastors subscribe to this day, including his work on the Smalcald Articles.
Collect
O eternal Shepherd, look favorably upon Thy flock and guard it by Thy continual protection: inspire all Pastors through the faithful example of Blessed Johannes to be diligent in their ministry; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghose: ever one God, world without end. Amen
Lessons
Resources
Issues, Etc. interview with the Dr. Robert A. Kolb on Johannes Bugenhagen
Propers found in Daily Divine Service Book: A Lutheran Daily Missal, edited by the Rev. Heath Curtis
Images:
1. Portrait of Johannes Bugenhagen, Robert Boissard, France, 1597-1599.
2. Johannes Bugenhagen, Lucas Cranach, Germany, 1537.
References:
1. Gassmann, Gunther, Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism, The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2001.
2. “Johannes Bugenhagen, Team Player” The Lutheran Witness, Robert A. Kolb, 2023.
3. “Johannes Bugenhagen,” Reformation 500.
