Sola Scriptura Remembering and Renewing the Reformation
BY ASSISTANT HEAD OF SPIRITUAL LIFE BETH GRAHAM
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CPA Lower School has been recognizing and celebrating Reformation Day since 2017 . This day of learning and remembering began at CPA to mark the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation sparked by Martin Luther in 1517 in Wittenberg , Germany . The impact of the Reformation ranges far and wide in our western lives today , and in the spirit of the old adage “ those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it ,” Biblical literacy , theology and apologetics , as well as the history of the Church ( brutal and beautiful alike ) are core tenets of Lower School Reformation Day .
Pastor Jeff Robinson writes in his article , “ 5 Reasons to Teach Your Kids About the Reformation ”:
• We want children to know of God ’ s faithfulness to His church .
• Children need to know the Reformation must continue . Every generation must fight for the Bible .
• We want children to know that defending the Bible is dangerous , but worth the risk .
• Children need to know God does extraordinary things through ordinary people .
• We want children to know the gospel is everything .
With these lofty but crucial goals in mind , each year K-5 students spend a day of experiential learning exploring key figures of the Reformation such as Martin Luther , William Tyndale , John Knox , John Calvin , as well as a bevy of brave women of the Reformation including Olympia Morata , Margaret Blaurer , Marguerite de Navarre , and Argula von Grumbach . LS Reformation Day celebrations include books and short videos which relay the life and work of a Reformer , as well as activities or games that help reinforce aspects of their lives or the time in which they lived .
When studying the life of Martin Luther , children practiced writing some of his own words with a quill and ink and hammering their writing to a door – proclamations like “ Sola Scriptura ,” or “ by grace alone through faith alone ”. This year ’ s subject ? William Tyndale . Tyndale translated much of the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek into English , even though it was illegal to do so at the time . He worked in secret moving from city to city to avoid being caught while sneaking his English translations back to England in barrels of cotton and other imports with the help of some merchant friends .
When we studied the life of Tyndale , students played a game in which some students hide Bibles in everyday items , while other students play the role of King Henry VIII ’ s men trying to keep the English Bibles out of England .
John Knox was a Scottish pastor well known for his faithfulness and fervency in prayer , so when we studied Knox this year , students spent time in small groups praying with US students , founding CPA teachers , and other school leadership . Argula von Grumbach was a faithful student of Scripture who would not remain silent about the problematic Bible teaching at Ingolstadt University near her home in Bavaria . She wrote many letters to the leaders of the university with such clarity and command of Scripture that her letters were published and circulated widely furthering the spread of the Reformation cause . To remember and honor von Grumbach students play various word games according to their developmental stage so that they might grow into men and women who can use the written word to defend Scripture .
No matter the historic individuals students are learning about each year , the goal of LS Reformation Day is to impress upon the hearts of our young students the inestimable value of God ’ s Word . In the 16th century , the LORD was generous and gracious to use the work of His people to accomplish His plan . He used a plethora of men and women who were scholars and tradesmen , royalty and commoners , clergy and laity to bring about a historic return to Scripture . Our present needs in the 2020 ’ s are not much different . May the sovereign LORD see fit to use our students in such a way in the 21st century that we might also see a historic return to Scripture .
10 PURPLE & GOLD 2023-24