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Showing posts with label Reformation Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reformation Day. Show all posts
For several years now we've celebrated Reformation Day, and while we could do the same things each year and my kids would be perfectly happy, I like to change things up a little to keep the day interesting for them. So this year, the night before Reformation Day, I locked myself in my room for a couple of hours and threw together a spur-of-the-moment plan.
I had been mulling over our options all day, and the idea for this scavenger hunt just came to me. Everything in this post I threw together in an hour, and I was a little unsure if it would come together, but my kids loved it and it also led to some good conversations about theology and the gospel!
You can read more about why we celebrate Reformation Day here. All of my Reformation Day posts, including many more ideas for marking the day, can be read here.
Organizing The Scavenger Hunt
For this scavenger hunt, I hid a series of clues that when put together spell out the word "REFORMATION". On each slip of paper I wrote a household scavenger hunt clue adapted from this website, but any household clue hints will do! Hints like these led the kids from clue to clue, but in between searching for each clue we would pause and do activities related to the corresponding letter in the acronym REFORMATION.
The activités for each letter of the acronym are listed below. I also created a printable of all this information which you can download below, but keep in mind you may want to get all the links opened in your browser ahead of time so you have them ready before your kids start finding the clues.
Resources You Will Need
1. Reformation ABCs. In addition to the printables above, you will need the book Reformation ABCs by Stephen Nichols. I centered the scavenger around this book and you will need to read the corresponding pages in the book for several of the acronym letters. If you are willing to put a little work in to research some of these topics yourself, you could make do without buying the book, but it is a fun one to have around!
2. Optional: Another book or video about Martin Luther. For an optional book option, you can also get another book about Martin Luther to read to your kids so they have more background information about this central figure of the Reformation. We read this Martin Luther pop-up book, because I think it is a great one to introduce Luther and the Reformation to my littler kids in a way they can more easily understand. You may also consider watching the Torchlighters Martin Luther episode, which is a great introduction for kids!
3. Optional: Printed Music For Hymns. I included three hymn options in this scavenger hunt, and I have the lyrics included in the printable I created, but it's sometimes nice to have the sheet music. I recommend downloading "Hymns To The Living God", which is a free hymnal from G3. All three of the hymns are included, and you can print out the corresponding pages by referencing the index at the end of the hymnal. You'll need:
-A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
-O Worship The King
-O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
4. My Reformation Day Scavenger Hunt Printable. This document includes all the information below which you can print as your parent "cheat sheet", the REFORMATION acronym that you can cut into strips and hide for the clues, and lyric sheets for the hymns.
5. Optional: Supplies for the fortress craft. I was excited to find this great craft (originally recommended to me in this blog post), you'll want to get the supplies for that ready ahead of time if you choose to use it. One significant item is toilet paper rolls, so start collecting those before Reformation Day!
6. Candy or another easy snack reward. To keep my kids excited about the scavenger hunt, I built in some small snack moments. We used candy, but any quick snack food will do!
7. Dirt/worm pudding, or another Reformation Day treat. There are lots of ideas out there, but worm pudding is a favorite of our family! You could also do marshmallow hammers, or door-shaped cookies, etc. This is a fun final reward to wrap up the scavenger hunt!
All the rest of the information for the scavenger hunt is included below, or once again, you can download the printable that includes all this information here!
R is for the Rhine River
-Read “R is for Rhine River” from Reformation ABCs.
-Locate the Rhine River in an atlas and see which countries it runs through.
-Eat one candy from the reward bowl!
E is for Erasmus
-Read this: Erasmus published a version of the New Testament translated into Greek and Latin directly from old manuscripts, because of a movement called “ad fontes”, which means “back to the sources”. This was an idea popular at the time of Luther - many thought to get the most accurate information, they should go as close to the original source as possible, especially regarding ancient documents. This movement eventually led to the reformers searching for the truth about what was going on in the church by going back to THE source - God’s Word! Erasmus unintentionally influenced Luther and the Reformation.
F is for Fortress
-Luther wrote the great hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. Let’s do a fortress craft together! Younger kids may also enjoy this coloring sheet.
-Read Psalm 46 and talk about how God is our fortress in times of trouble.
O is for Oxford Martyrs
-Read “O is For Oxford Martyrs” from Reformation ABCs.
-Read Acts 5, and take note of Acts 5:41. Why do you think the disciples, and later on the Reformers, rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus?
R is for Reformation
-Look up the word "Reformation" in the Websters 1828 dictionary.
-Now read about the Five Solas of the Reformation on Got Questions.org. How did the Five Solas address different problems in the Roman Catholic Church?
-Luther hoped to reform the Catholic Church and bring it back to God’s Word. Was he successful? Do you think there are any things in Christian churches today that need “reformation” to be more in line with God’s word?
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
M is for Martin Luther
-Read “M is for Martin The Monk” from Reformation ABCs.
-Optional: Read another book about Martin Luther or watch this Torchlighters Martin Luther episode.
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
A is for “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
-Let’s sing Luther’s great hymn!
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
T is for Tyndale
-Read “T is for Tyndale” from Reformation ABCs
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
I is for Indulgences
-Read “I is for Indulgences” from Reformation ABCs.
-One of the major complaints Luther had for the Catholic Church was regarding indulgences. He rightly thought it was disgraceful that the clergy were telling the people they could purchase a proverbial “ticket to Heaven” (ie: less time in Purgatory) with money. Read the Five Solas again if necessary, and discuss the what the gospel is. How are we truly forgiven and saved? In light of that, can you see why indulgences were such a terrible distortion of the true gospel?
O is for “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” or “O Worship The King”
-Let’s sing one (or both) of these hymns together!
-Read about some of the ways that Luther changed church music (scroll down to where it says “Church Music”). Talk about how we have some wonderful hymns, like the one we just sang, because of the reforms Luther made in music.
-Watch a video about how Luther changed the way we sing in church.
N is for “No Other”
-One of the greatest moments of the Reformation was the Diet Of Worms, when Luther declared:
I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.
Let’s discuss that quote - what did Luther mean when he said “Here I stand, I can do no other?” (As some versions of the quote are rendered). What was he standing on?
-Read the “B is for Bible” page of Reformation ABC’s. How is the Bible like a treasure map? And what (or who) is the great treasure it’s meant to lead us to?
-Let’s pray and thank God for His word, for how the Reformers bravely stood on the Word of God and recovered the gospel. And let’s thank God for saving us by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!
-Finish up with our Diet Of Worms treat (or other special Reformation-themed snack)!
You can download a printable with all this information here!
Enjoy!
For the first time I put together a Reformation Day party, and I think it was a success! I thought I'd share some of the things we did in case anyone else wants some ideas for next year.
Before I get into it, please check out all my Reformation Day posts here! Over the years I have shared a ton of book suggestions and other resources for learning about the Reformation as an adult and with your kids. Every October we spend time studying the Reformers leading up to Reformation Day!
1. Reformation-themed snacks. My sister brought worm pudding as a play on the "Diet Of Worms" which was the counsel where Luther made his famous statement about standing on the word of God! We also made edible hammers out of marshmallows and pretzel sticks. Aside from that we just had fall snacks like apples and pumpkin dip, along with popcorn, and chocolates!
2. Watched a movie about the Reformation. This year we did the Martin Luther Torchlighters animated show, and before the party I had my kids watch a short documentary called "On The Shoulders Of Giants" as an extra.
3. We colored the Lutheran rose symbol. This is a symbol that Luther invented to represent different doctrines, and it was fun to talk about it together while the kids colored! Here is more information about this symbol.
4. Reformation Day games.
Pin 95 Theses On The Door. We played the classic "pin the theses on the door" - I kept it really simple and just drew a dry-erase circle onto the center of our glass door, and blindfolded the kids so they could try to pin the theses printable papers onto the door (we got the printables from this guide).
Five Solas Target Practice. For a second game we drew concentric circles on the driveway with sidewalk chalk, and then wrote the five solas, one in each circle. The kids had to try to toss a stone into each sola circle. It was trickier than it sounds!
5. We sang "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". This is Luther's most famous hymn, and we've been practicing it! It was nice to sing it together as a group!
6. Reformation Day craft. I wanted to include some sort of Reformation Day craft, since my kids are still at an age to enjoy that sort of thing, but we ran out of time! This year we were going to do a printing press activity, which I got from the guide from Brighter Day Press, but if you have rubber stamps at home I think that would also give the same idea! You can read more about what the printing press had to do with the Reformation in this post.
7. Reformation Day shirts. My kids still had Reformation Day shirts that I've made them in the past, and of course we all sported our shirts for the party! Not necessary at all, but fun!
(Me in this year's Reformation Day shirt. I didn't make this one, I got it from Sola Gratia Co!)
We had a really fun time, and the kids are already asking that we do another party next year! This party was obviously focused on elementary school kids, but I am storing away ideas for how to make a Reformation Day party more "grown-up" as they get older.
Every year in the month of October, I dig out all my church history books, and especially books related to the Protestant Reformation. Reformation Day is today, and October is the perfect time to dive into the history of this turning point in the history of the church.
This year, one phrase that has stood out to me is the Latin post tenebrous lux - which means "after darkness, light".
I love that this become somewhat of a slogan for the Reformation. So much is contained in those words.
The Reformation dusted off the light of the gospel.
When I think post tenebrous lux the first thing I think of with all my book reading is, of course, the Reformation itself. Medieval times before the Reformation were indeed dark spiritually. Few ordinary people had access to any part of God's word, and they all had to rely on the Catholic church's presentation of the words of the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, which most people could not read for themselves to either confirm or deny the church's teaching.
Human beings are sinful, and without God's word being available for accountability, this led to alot of unbiblical teaching and corruption. People were taught that they never could know if they would be in Heaven after they died - to claim assurance was considered a sin. They must become righteous in themselves to a certain level in order to receive the grace of God that would usher them into Heaven - if not, they must do their time suffering in Purgatory. But of course, they could purchase indulgences to shorten their loved ones' time in Purgatory - there were cathedrals to be built, and this was the church's way of raising money.
Imagine living in a time when there was no hope of you ever being able to read the Bible for yourself, no hope of ever being sure of Heaven, because who could ever know if they had been righteous enough? What a burden to bear!
The Reformation was a perfect storm of events that God used for the recovery of the gospel, and it made the Bible available to the ordinary man. The reformers discovered from Scripture that we as sinners can never attain to any level of righteousness on our own. All our righteous deeds are as filthy rags.
But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like [b]filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,Have taken us away.Isaiah 64:6
No, it is Jesus's righteousness that wholly saves us, through faith in Him alone. When we trust in Him by faith, a faith given to us by the grace of God, the righteousness of Christ is accounted to us, and His righteousness is perfect. Because of Jesus's death to pay the price of our sin, and His perfect righteousness which He gives to us, we can be perfectly assured of Heaven when we trust in Him alone. No one else gets the glory for any piece of our salvation except God alone. And the reformers knew all this because of careful study of God's word alone, which leads to the next thing that the slogan of the Reformation reminds me of.
Scripture is a light.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.Psalm 119:105
I don't think alot of modern Christians fully understand how rare and beautiful of a thing it is that they are able to hold a Bible in their lap and read it for themselves - indeed, to sometimes have a shelf full of unread Bibles, even. We take Scripture for granted today, but there was a time when there was no translation of Scripture that the masses could read. There was a time when people would go to great lengths and pay a high price, just for a few pages of the Bible. No wonder there was a period of darkness, because the only way we can come to a knowledge of the truth is through the word of God!
The Bible often refers to itself as light, because it is the very word of God, active, effective for bringing the light of the knowledge of Christ to our hearts.
Back then, even a few pages was as a blessed lamp, giving hope to those wandering in darkness. Now so many Bibles "light" our land that we have sometimes forgotten what a beautiful light it truly is.
The Reformation is what allowed us to have a shelf of unused Bibles in the first place - God allowed Luther and the other reformers to recognize the true gospel in Scripture around the same time as Gutenburg invented the printing press. A perfect development at the perfect time to allow God's word to be read by anyone who could read.
Sometimes the world is dark, sometimes so dark things seem hopeless. But God always brings us light, in His wonderful mercy and grace.
Christ is our light.
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6
When I read the phrase "after darkness, light", the other thing that came to mind is Christ Himself. Without the work of Jesus on our behalf, we would be lost in the darkness of our sin. Because He suffered the punishment that we ourselves deserved for our sin, having no sin Himself, He became the perfect sacrifice in our place.
He bought us peace with God with His blood.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace...Ephesians 2:13-14
On that glorious morning, He rose from the dead and conquered death and darkness forever! The darkness that is left in our world today is just the remnants, the last ragings of a defeated foe. Our light has come in the hope we now have in Christ.
So many are still walking in darkness, blind to the light of the knowledge of Christ. They don't know what He has done to save them. They are blind and dead in their sins, relying on lies, perhaps relying on their own supposed goodness to somehow be enough, even though it never can be. Everything we do is tainted with sin, which God cannot have in His presence. Humanity has no hope of seeing His face - except if we give up any notion of our own goodness, confess we are sinners, and cling to the Savior as our only hope.
On this day in particular, many celebrate darkness and make light of death, a morbid coping mechanism. I hope while our culture glorifies death and darkness today, we who have placed our trust in only Christ won't forget that we also are to be the light of the world.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Mathew 5:14-16
We are lights not because of anything we have done, but because of the light God has given us in Christ and His word which we are now called to share. We know the hope that is in Christ, because we ourselves have been brought out of the darkness of our sin and death into the marvelous light of salvation in Jesus. When that really sinks in, how can we help but want to share it? I hope today is a day for you to bask in the light of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, and find some way to reflect that to others. That's why we are still here!
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
Ephesians 5:8
Let's give others a chance to also treasure those words. After darkness, light. After blindness and darkness and sin and rebellion and death - Christ.
Soli deo gloria - all to the glory of God alone.
Happy Reformation Day, friends!
For the last several years, October has become a sort of "Christian History Month" around out house. Not only do we celebrate Reformation Day on October 31st (our preference over Halloween, which we don't celebrate), but we spend more time over the whole month of October learning about other heroes in church history. I even get into the spirit and break out Christian history books and documentaries for myself to enjoy.
For the past three years we have celebrated Reformation Day at the end of October. There was one year where I was going to let it slide, but my kids didn't let me forget! We enjoy learning some Reformation history leading up to October 31st, and I try to incorporate a few fun things to make it memorable.
In the past I have made my kids Reformation Day shirts, we read our favorite church history picture books, and we eat gummy worm desserts as we learn about Luther's famous stand at the Diet Of Worms. We've eaten sausage noodles as we learned about Zwingli's friends eating sausages during Lent (their own form of "protest"), and we considered doing "pin the 95 theses on the church door" as a variation of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey (but I have yet to get my act together enough to make a door poster for the game).
This year I ran across this Reformation Day guide by Brighter Day Press, and I snagged it while it was on sale! It has five lessons about different aspects of the Reformation, plus a bunch of ideas for things to include for a Reformation Day party. I was delighted to see a bunch of craft, snack, and game ideas that I hadn't thought of!
Since Reformation Day falls on Sunday this year, and since we'll be pretty busy on Sunday, I decided to scatter our Reformation Day activities throughout the week leading up to it instead. So we've been doing some crafts together this week, and I have more planned for today and tomorrow, thanks to this guide.
Here's what we've done so far!
Marshmallow Hammers - The kids and I had fun making these on Monday, and then snacking on them as we read our lesson. It's a little hazardous reading Martin Luther by Eric Metaxes on my own this year, because I had to inform my kids that it's actually more likely that Martin Luther mailed his theses to a friend who posted them to the church door with glue - the letter was dated October 31, 1517, which is why we mark the start of the Reformation on that day. It's not as great of an image as good ol' Luther determinedly nailing up his points of discussion, is it? But we still loved making these edible hammers!
A Mini Printing Press - There were actually many who came before Luther who had similar concerns about the Catholic church and their practice of indulgences, but one factor that finally made these problems more widely known was the development of the printing press. Without the Gutenburg Press, the recovery of the truth of the Gospel - that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone - wouldn't have been able to spread like it did! I loved this craft because it was a good demonstration of how a printing press would have worked back then, and why the production of printed material, though a major technological development, was still fairly slow. Can you imagine having to make an engraved plate for each page of the Bible? No wonder it took three years to print 200 copies!
Next up we will be writing with feather quills, and maybe playing "coins in the coffer" (another game idea that was included in the guide). If you want your kids to learn about the start of the Protestant Reformation, I do recommend checking out the Reformation Day Guide from Brighter Day Press (not sponsored, just sharing a good resource)! These are just a sampling of some of the activities that we found in the guide. It's been really fun to work through it together this week, and it has also sparked some great discussions.
For instance, at the end of the first lesson, which was a summary of Luther's life, I asked the kids what was the most courageous thing they thought Luther did. My big kids were very thoughtful about it, and both Wyatt and Gwen said independently that they thought it was brave when Luther stood up at the Diet Of Worms and said his famous words:
"Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures and by clear reason (for I do not trust in the pope or councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."
My eight year old told me she thought that was brave because he stood up for the Bible when everyone was against it. For all of Luther's faults, of which I am aware, this is why I think figures in church history are worth studying despite those failings. You would be hard pressed to find a person in history who did everything perfectly, who didn't get anything wrong. But there are so many historical figures, like Luther, who showed us what it looks like to stand firm upon the truth in the Bible, even when everyone is against it, even when it could (or often did) cost them their lives.
I want my children to have those stories in their minds, to know that standing on God's Word and holding fast to Jesus in a world that makes it so difficult is something that possible and courageous and eternally significant. Learning about church history gives them those examples to hopefully strengthen their own resolve, for right now and when they grow up. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to learn these stories with them each October.
(This great shirt was from Diet Of Worms Apparel, which sadly is no longer in business! I keep hoping one day they will return.)
For the last three years we have been celebrating Reformation Day as a family, and doing lessons together about the Protestant Reformation. My kids have learned so much during this time, and they have come to expect that we'll do something fun to mark Reformation Day!
Since it falls on a Sunday this year, I plan on doing a few activities with them in the week leading up to Reformation Day (stay tuned). But for today's post, I thought I'd just share some of my past posts on Reformation Day as a starting place for resources and ideas. More to come!
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First, recap of why our family chooses not to celebrate Halloween:
In this next post I share so many great resources I found for teaching kids about Reformation Day, plus some resources for learning more as a grown-up:
In this post I explained a few of the fun things we did on our very first attempt at celebrating Reformation Day:
And last year I shared a few more Reformation Day learning resources I found.
Happy Saturday!
Praise ye the Lord, ye servants of the Lord;
Praise ye His name; His lordly honor sing;
Thee we adore; to Thee glad homage bring;
Thee We acknowledge; God to be adored
For Thy great glory, Sovereign, Lord, and King.
Father of Christ - of Him whose work was done,
When by His death He took our sins away -
To Thee belongeth worship, day by day,
Yea, holy Father, everlasting Son,
And Holy Ghost, all praise be thine for aye!
-Hymn from the Apostolic Constitutions, translated by George Ratcliffe Woodward
This week I re-started a book called In The Year Of Our Lord by Sinclair Ferguson, which I've mentioned before. In it, he goes through some significant people and events in the history of the church, covering the highlights of each century since Christ. It's such an interesting book, and one that I'm in the mood to read especially leading up to Reformation Day! I never finished it last year, so I'm hoping to make it all the way through by the end of October.
One thing I really appreciate about this book is how he includes writings from each century at the ends of the chapters, and this short song of praise was written in the 3rd century. Reading this book always gives me a new appreciation for the richness and history of our faith, which I think Protestants can sometimes lose sight of. When we fall into chasing everything that's current or trendy, we miss out on some of the depth that is to be found in those who came before. New isn't better, and our God is unchanging - the same in the beginning, the 3rd century, right now, and forever. I love how reading millennia-old songs of praise to our Lord, written by Christians that passed the faith down through the generations, reminds me of the faithfulness of God to His people.
Happy Sunday, friends!
(Pretty frost on the trees this morning - it's cold out there!)
A couple years ago, we started celebrating Reformation Day. I wanted my kids to have a greater sense of their heritage as Christians, a greater idea of their place in the history of the church and how God is working through His church down through the ages. And since we don't celebrate Halloween, Reformation Day also seemed like a fun and worthwhile thing to celebrate instead.
I wrote a few posts about how we celebrated Reformation Day, some of the resources I like for teaching kids about Reformation Day, etc. Well, I'm always looking for more books and resources to add to our collection, and I found a few that I wanted to share as we get ready for Reformation Day next week! If you are looking for some resources for teaching your kids about church history, or just want to learn more about the Protestant Reformation yourself, here are a few more to add to your list.
Little Pilgrims Theology Free Lesson - I just came across this free lesson plan for a Reformation Day study with your kids! If you would like Reformation Day to be a family event, and you have kids in upper elementary, this would be something to check out. We are planning on working through this lesson together next week! I also listed a bunch of other family resources in this post.
Ligionier's Reformation Day Playlist - The 500th anniversary of the Reformation was in 2017, and even though I somehow missed the fanfare that year, a lot of great resources were created to mark the occasion - including this playlist from Ligionier Ministries by speakers at a Reformation Anniversary conference. (Ligionier actually has a bunch of Reformation Day playlists, but I liked this one because it had longer messages.) I've listened to a few of these messages the last few weeks, and they are so inspiring. Highly recommend checking these out in the week leading up to Reformation Day - I'll be listening to more of these messages too!
Luther: In Real Time Podcast - Ligionier Ministries is also putting out a real-time podcast following the events of the Reformation on the dates they happened historically! The first couple episodes are already out, and I can't wait for the October 31st episode that I'm sure is coming.
In The Year Of Our Lord by Sinclair Ferguson - This is a book I picked up to read in honor of Reformation month - each chapter covers a century of church history, giving some info and stories about church heroes of that time. I also love that it includes a hymn from each century at the end of the chapter. I think this would be a great "highlight" study of church history from the very beginnings of Christianity until now, and it's great as a lead-up to Reformation Day!
You want to know something? Our foray into celebrating the Reformation was almost a one-year occasion. The first year I came up with a few ideas for celebrating, and in my book, it didn't seem like anything too special. The next year we were particularly busy that week, and I thought we'd probably just skip any special marking of the day that year.
But my kids didn't forget.
My oldest reminded me that Reformation Day was coming, and they all told me how excited they were to celebrate and learn about Martin Luther again. So I threw together a haphazard celebration that they thought was amazing, and I'm so glad I did. Because they were right. Even if it's not the 500th anniversary, Reformation Day is worth marking. Protestants tend to be a little historically untethered, as if there wasn't any church history between the disciples and the last hundred years. And it's so unnecessary, because we have rich history to root us, firm historical ground to stand on.
Reformation Day is a day to remember the heroes that came before us, men who believed in God's Word and stood up for what it said, even when it might have cost them their lives. It's a day to take courage from their bravery, and to thank God once again that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from any merit or works of our own. When that truth sinks in, when we trust in Christ alone for the salvation of our souls, and realize that He exchanged our filthy rags of sin for His pure-white righteousness in the eyes of God - well, that truth can set you free. It's a beautiful thing, worth all our gratitude and thanksgiving and praise, to the glory of God.
That's what the Reformation is all about. It's not just about the historical roots of what Martin Luther did that day - it's ultimately about the most glorious gift of what Christ has done to save us. That's worth celebrating every day, but Reformation Day is a good opportunity each year to turn our eyes to Jesus anew.
This morning I was still laying in bed when I heard my kids shouting from their rooms.
"It's Reformation Day!"
Last year we played up Reformation Day quite a bit, but I wasn't feeling very organized this year, so I didn't plan anything.
"Mom, it's Reformation Day! Did you make us new shirts? Can we have chocolate pudding with worms in it again?"
So I guess it's a tradition now.
I'm spending the morning perusing my bookshelves, digging out that video about Martin Luther that we rented from the library, and trying to think of other last-minute things we can do to celebrate. I'm not mad about this last-minute scramble though. We don't celebrate Halloween, but last year I decided there is no reason we can't celebrate Reformation Day instead, and I love that my kids have latched onto it.
We dug out our shirts from last year, and they still fit, so we're all good. Well, except for Georgie, but she doesn't know any different this year.
Protestants are notorious for knowing so little about their own history, and it's a pity because there are so many inspiring men and women who worked to spread God's Word and the truth of the Gospel! Many gave their lives so others could know that they could be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
I want my kids to know that history, to be inspired by those men and women who were willing to give everything - their reputations, their livelihood, their lives - for their faith. My tagline for this blog (back when people were really into taglines) used to be about living each day with eternity in mind. Well, I can't think of any better example of that than these martyrs, and I'm glad that we have this day each year to remember the truth of the Gospel and be strengthened by the faith of those who have come before us.
So, anyway, if you are a Protestant family that would also like your children to have some grounding in church history, I've got a few resources for you. Some to strengthen you, and some fun ones just for kids. You don't have to start teaching kids about their Protestant heritage just on Reformation Day, you can start any time!
Also, throwing together some chocolate pudding with gummy worms definitely helps with the retention, in my experience.
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For Kids:
The Life Of Martin Luther - A fun pop-up book about Martin Luther's life! I wrote about this last year too, you can read more here.
Reformation ABC's - This would honestly be a good resource to learn more about the Reformation for adults as well as kids. Fun illustrations, and lots of great history.
Church History ABC's - I just ordered this one, and I haven't received it yet, but I think it is similar to the Reformation ABC's. Basically, I think anything by Stephen J. Nichols is going to be good for church history.
Torchlighters: The Martin Luther Story - I'm not quite sure if my kids are ready for this one yet, so I'm holding off until I can watch it first, but this movie or something similar will definitely be in our Reformation Day celebrations in the future.
Tiny Theologians - If you haven't heard of this website, you need to go check it out! Lots of colorful and fun tools for teaching kids theology and church history!
Sola Gratia Co - Last year I bought a couple of our Reformation Day shirts from Diet Of Worms Apparel - sadly the business closed, but Sola Gratia Co has some fun shirts that could also do the trick! I really like the "soli deo gloria" ones. Or you could make your own like I did, it wasn't that hard. Maybe I'll do a how-to post one of these days.
For Adults:
The Reformation by Stephen J. Nichols - This is my go-to recommendation for a book to read about the Reformation. It's a short, readable book, with lots of information about the Reformers that I found so fascinating and inspiring!
Why The Reformation Still Matters by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester - If you need some clarification about what the big deal even was about the Reformation, this book goes into the specific doctrines and differences between Protestants and Catholics. Really informative and helpful.
Wretched Reformation Celebration - You can watch this video on Youtube - I haven't had a chance to sit and watch it yet, but Todd Friel puts out some great resources for Reformation Day each year, sharing stories of martyrs, etc. There are some short video clips on this channel about the stories of some of the reformers too: here, here, and here, for example.
Five Minutes In Church History - A great podcast about church history! I was searching through their archives this morning and specifically liked hearing R.C. Sproul talk about the Reformation here.
Foxe's Book Of Martyrs - I have never read this book, because I know it's obviously going to be hard to read. But I need to just buckle down and start. I know there are stories of martyrs from the Reformation period in here as well, and I think it's important to remember their stories.
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Even though I dropped the ball on Reformation Day this year, I am going to make sure I put some effort into it next year. It's obviously become a fun memory for my kids. Fond memories surrounding learning about church history? Yes, please.
Have you ever done anything to celebrate or remember Reformation Day?
(Some affiliate links in this post! Just on the books you know, so I can buy more books...)
"So Martin Luther nailed his 95 points to the church door, and there is a thing called Reformation Day now."
"Reformation Day?" Wyatt asked.
"Yes, and it's actually on the same day as Halloween."
Gwen looked thoughtful for a moment. "Mom, can we celebrate Reformation Day this year?"
And just like that, we were celebrating Reformation Day this year.
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I already explained a few weeks ago why we choose not to celebrate Halloween in our family, so I am not sure why it hasn't occurred to me to celebrate Reformation Day. Reformation Day is on October 31st, which is the day that Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenburg. He was mostly arguing against the practice of indulgences at that time, but he came to realize through this process of studying the Bible that our salvation is purely by the grace of God. We contribute nothing to our salvation, because we have no righteousness of our own with which to approach God. Christ took the punishment for our sin and gives us His righteousness when we put our trust in Him, and our salvation is completely through His sacrifice and apart from our own works.
You can read more about the Reformation on your own (that was a very surface-y explanation above), but the bottom line is that if you are part of any Protestant Christian denomination, it all started right here. With Martin Luther and other Reformers, who studied the Bible, through their study rediscovered the truth of the good news of the Gospel, and brought the church back to the firm foundation of the Word Of God.
This is YOUR history, and you are still reaping the benefits of the work the Reformers did in bringing the truth of the Gospel to light.
I think that is worth celebrating for sure!
As a mom, I really want my kids to know Christian history, and the heritage that has been passed down to us through the sacrifices of people like the Reformers, who fought and died for the truth of God's Word. I think in Protestant circles, we tend to get a little disconnected from our history, and I'd really like my kids to have a sense of the history and heroes of the faith between the end of the Bible (around 96 AD) until today. I explain these things to them, but I think making a celebration of this part of our history is a wonderful way to help personalize it for my kids. As I was thinking about how to celebrate Reformation Day, I was trying to think of some ways to have a little fun while we remember our Christian history too. Here is how we celebrated this year!
1. Reformation Day Shirts
Several months ago, I stumbled across Diet Of Worms apparel, which makes clothing for "little (and big) reformers". I laughed out loud at their "It's Hammer Time" t-shirt, and I ordered one for Wyatt and a "Sola Fide" t-shirt for myself. They have since gone out of business, so I took some inspiration from them and made t-shirts for everyone else in our family myself! Here is what I put on the shirts:
Sola Fide - Latin for "faith alone". This is one of the five "solas" of the Reformation.
Image via Facebook
1517 - The year Martin Luther nailed up his theses (this year was the 501st anniversary!).
"On This I Stand, I Can Do No Other" - This is what Luther said at the "Diet Of Worms", which is actually what they called a church council/trial held in the city of Worms, when church leaders asked Luther to recant his writings. The full quote is here:
“Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason (I do not accept the authority of popes and councils because they have contradicted each other), my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”
The kids loved their shirts and asked to wear them again the next day! This was fun for me, because it was a like a little Reformation Day present/surprise I could give them.
Speaking of the Diet Of Worms...
2. Worm Pudding
As a play on the Diet Of Worms, we had a "diet of worms" in the form of gummy-worm-and-orea-pudding! I thought this was really funny and clever of myself, ha! My kids were a little young to get the joke I think, they just enjoyed the pudding.
3. A Sausage Dinner
This is in honor of a different sausage dinner, and a sermon preached by a priest there, which kicked off the Reformation in Switzerland. You can read more about that here. (Sausage dinner not pictured, but it was really good.)
4. Reformation Day Books
I first toyed with the idea of celebrating Reformation Day last year, for the 500th anniversary, but I was hugely pregnant, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if my kids were old enough to "get it". This year my oldest two are 7 and 5, and I have to say, it's been really pleasantly surprising to me how much they understand about what the Reformation means! The got an idea of what we were celebrating just through conversations together, but I wanted to find some books to drive it home. These are the two I picked:
Reformation ABC's - This is a thorough book for kids, covering a different aspect or hero of the Reformation for each letter. We didn't read this whole book, since it's probably geared for kids a little older than my kids, but we read several pages, about the Bible, Luther, Hiedelburg and Westminster. my kids were excited when they recognized a catechism question on the Westminster page!
The Life Of Martin Luther: A Pop-Up Book - This is a pop-up book (obviously), and my kids asked me to read it three times! It's the story of Martin Luther in a nutshell, and the pop-ups make it so fun. The only thing I'd change about this book is a line on the last page that mentions Luther introducing "new ideas" - I would rephrase that "biblical ideas" - but other than that, it's just perfect!
5. Reformation Reading For Me
This whole celebration of Reformation Day really started with my reading challenge this year. One of the categories was to read about church history, so I picked up a couple books about the Reformation. I have been a Christian since I accepted Christ as a child, and I grew up in the church, and it was shocking how much of this history I DIDN'T know! If you want to celebrate Reformation Day with your kids, I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the history too! Not only has is been helpful in teaching the history to my kids, but it has made me pay more careful attention to different verses in my Bible reading, and really enriched my own faith this year.
The Reformation: How A Monk And A Mallet Changed The World by Stephen Nichols - This book is short and sweet, and most importantly, very readable! I found this whole book really fascinating, and learned about how I've benefitted from the sacrifices of Reformers I'd never even heard of. This is a must-have primer on the history of the Reformation, in my opinion.
Why The Reformation Still Matters by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester - If the book above is about the history of the Reformation, this book is about the nuts and bolts of what the Reformation was really about. A lot of the theology discussed is more subtle than I originally thought, but the distinctions are so, so important. I'm almost done listening to this one on audio, and highly recommend it!
Also a heads up - one of my favorite podcasts/websites has a free "Reformation Day Celebration" for download! I haven't had a chance to watch it yet because our internet was out last week, but it's still available here!
Also a heads up - one of my favorite podcasts/websites has a free "Reformation Day Celebration" for download! I haven't had a chance to watch it yet because our internet was out last week, but it's still available here!
Stay tuned for Reformations Days in years to come, because I have more ideas already spinning in my head for next year!
Have you heard of Reformation Day? Have you ever celebrated it (and how)?
I highly encourage you to give it a try next year! We had fun with it!
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