Plans are underway for Winnipeg, and other parts of Manitoba, to commemorate a rather large anniversary.

The 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenburg, Germany is just seven days away. It was an act which many consider being the spark that ignited the Reformation.

Bishop Elaine Sauer of the Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod of the Evangelica Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) says the date brings with it mixed emotions.

"There's a bit of tension, I think, going on in our feelings," she says. "It's kind of a hard place to be right now. There is some excitement, but there is some sadness . . . there's been 500 years of division in the Christian Church, and we've been part of that. So on the other side, we hold that."

She says that the good news is that the anniversary has provided opportunities for the Church to work on repairing relationships. It's something the larger Lutheran body has been working on since last October during the lead up to the 500th anniversary.

"The Lutheran World Federation leaders came together with Pope Francis in a service of Common Prayer . . . in Canada the Catholic Bishops and some representatives from the ELCIC got together and developed a series of five studies on 'Together in Christ.' They began to look at the history of our denominations together and the beginnings of the Reformation. Moving it more so into an anniversary of rediscovering commonality among us rather than division."

Sauer says that the ELCIC has also been working alongside Mennonites, the United Church of Canada, and other Christian denominations.

"We've just tried to make this more about a commemoration rather than a celebration. To commemorate that together."

Sauer says it's important that rather than focussing on our differences, Christians should focus on our commonality. "At the centre of that, of course, is the true unity of the Church, which can only exist in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Bishop Sauer will be participating in commemoration services on Sunday, October 29 at Ardal-Geysir Lutheran Church at 11:00 a.m., and then at Lutheran Church of the Cross in the Lac du Bonnet at 2:00 p.m.. She notes many other local congregations will be holding their own services, too.

In Winnipeg, the ELCIC is inviting all to participate in special service the evening of October 30, at 7:00 p.m. at Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Cross (560 Arlington Street).