Martin Luther, Brewery Halls, and the Common Man
- Rick Terletzky
- Sep 19
- 4 min read
Part of our vision as a church to Equip All for the Kingdom of God is a passion to see men fulfill their true identity and be restorative to the modern orphan and widow preemptively. This means strengthening them in a way that also strengthens the family and the community; activating them into the role they play. This is a primary reason we focus in on Men's and Women's Group Life. Not only is there a biblical mandate but it also equips them to carry the equipping and encouragement they gain into the home and community to lead there themselves.
With this in mind there is great intention where we gather for our Men's Group Life. In this reflection I am thinking specifically of the needs of Men.
We meet on Tuesdays 7:30pm @ Mcmenamins Roadhouse. As things are about to get underway this season, I am reflecting on a very important phrase that many of men have walked right by without realizing. Hanging off the ceiling of McMenamin's Embrie Hall, at eye level to the second floor loft where we gather, is a crest of The Brewers Arms which reads… “IN GOD IS ALL OUR TRUST”
The motto was adopted in 1544 by the Worshipful Company of Brewers during the Reformation. Prior to this the London based company was associated with the Catholic Church. The custom in mediaeval London was, for those whose work created community gatherings, where discourse could be held, to dedicate their activities to a particular saint. The brewery was formally coined, "The Guild of Our Lady and St. Thomas à Becket”. It was one of the very first guilds to own its own hall in London. Unheard of in fact.
So, to understand the significance of what takes place in 1544 we need to understand two important things: Martin Luther and the nature of a Brewery Hall.
In 1517 Martin Luther, who was a Monk in the Catholic Church, wrote his 95 point thesis and nailed it to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. His whole protest was not to get rid of the Catholic Church but to reform it. Scripture was absent from the public eye. It was not studied or discussed by the common man as we have the freedom to do today. The reformation began to take root and by 1539 the Bible had been translated into English and in the hands of the men of London.
A Brewery Hall was a place of social life. It was where common men gathered to share ideas, laugh, and to be encouraged. Due to water pollution, Intoxication was a huge problem in the 1540’s that eventually regulations had to be put in place. But a Brewery Hall held something that the Church did not have at that time, a place where people could gather to study the Bible. Protestantism, regardless that it was still being persecuted, was on the rise. The truth of the Word of God was being made known more and more. And people were hearing the Word of God in the Brewery Hall.
Because the Guild of the Lady owned its own property, it was free to change its name. What took place was what happens when the Word of God takes root in the social life (not just church life) of a people. The Guild of the Lady became “The Worshipful Company of Brewers” and the motto was its fruit; the evidence of transformation. No longer did they put their trust in the traditional flare of citing a saint for populism. They could have stated "in Martin Luther we trust” but they didn’t. Instead rich theology broke forth.
It is not just “In God we trust” but that ALL our trust is found in Him and through Him. It is not merely that we bet on the weight of God but that we have a God who sufficiently provides and sustains. We have a God who works through us for our betterment and His joy (Phil 2:13). That our faith and trust come from hearing the Word of God. We need God’s Word in our social life.
I have great hope for what can take place at McMenamins when Men study and discuss the Word of God socially together. I believe that God’s Word will change us, mold us into better Men for our families and community. And as God’s Word takes root in us we will fill that second floor of McMenamins with even more who need the Word of God. How amazing would it be to see every chair filled in that loft. I trust my God will work in us and through us. And I believe God will fulfill the plans of why He called Kingship Church to be formed.
So if you consider yourself a common man... know that God has made a way for His Word to reach your hands in all areas of your life.
Join us for Men's @ Embrie Hall. Don’t just show up… I encourage you to bring other men into the social life of the Word of God.
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