I do not want to comment the blog post or the the citation from Pastor Weedon, which are quite good and well-thought-out. Instead I want to focus on the saying at the beginning of the post, because it is not only some “saying”, but has a distinctive tradition which is quite problematic.

“The church is always being reformed” = Ecclesia semper reformanda is not a saying used by the reformers or any other 16th century lutheran theologian. As Erwin Mühlhaupt in his 1968 essay "Immerwährende Reformation?" shows (reprinted in: Luther im 20. Jahrhundert : Aufsätze, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1982, 267-275), this dictum is rooted in quite another tradition. The topic (but not with these words) first appeared in the programs of radicals in the 16th century: Thomas Müntzer, Bernhard Rothmann (radical baptist of Münster) and Sebastian Franck (mystic spiritualism). Is was again used (now for the first time with exactly this wording) by the reformed pietists Joducus von Lodenstein (1620-1677) and Jean de Labadie (1610-1674). In all cases it was meant to be a weapon in the battle to transcend the reformation of Luther (or Calvin, respectively) for something more revolutionary (Müntzer, Rothmann) or legalistic/spiritualistic/monastic/whatever. This reformed heritage even granted the favor of Karl Barth who used the saying in his own writings.

For Luther reformation is something which belongs to the works of God, not of men. He decrees time and manner for a renewal of his congregation – and when he has achieved his goal, the act of reformation ends. Luther has rarely used the word “reformation”, and the CA does not even contain it. Ecclesia semper reformanda – this is not a part of the commission of the church.

Of course, this is right. But sadly here in Germany many theologians in the state churches (Landeskirchen) often forget that it is God's work through the Holy spirit and instead push for action quoting "Ecclesia semper reformanda" and thinking to be in good reformatorial tradition without asking what God teaches in his word. They are in tradition with the heritage of said saying, but hardly with the teaching of the lutheran church.

This is quite the contrary to what Pastor Weedon said in his blog, and having a friend who as Pastor also often is troubled when he looks how strong and appealing the catholic church is in contrast to the "weak", divided and "unattractive" lutheran church I will gladly point him to Pastor Weedon's blog hoping it wll comfort and strengthen him in executing his office.