I open the pages of this latest book in the 'Studies on the Westminster Assembly' Series with extended degrees of expectation and trepidation. Titled, 'God's Ambassadors – The Westminster Assembly and the Reformation of the English Pulpit, 1643-1653,' and written by Chad Van Dixhoorn, I know this little book of 215 pages should accomplish two necessary ends: It will ... - Spur me on, - and Search me out. In reverse order, I assume. Van Dixhoorn traces how the Westminster Assembly (the last great Protestant synod) was obsessed with the need to purify the pulpit – to remove 'blind guides and scandalous ministers' from occupying the preaching office in the Church of England and replace them wit
On a recent visit to the Reformation Rooms at Martyrs, this little Playmobil Luther was photographed in a wide variety of locations. The photos shown on this page witness Luther strategically positioned beside figures much smaller than him – the 28mm (1/54 scale) model display.
Lending a little extra touch of authenticity to the next 'Just By Faith Alone' tour will be a few bread rolls that have been recently varnished by Josh Hartin. One of the rooms on the tour represents Luther's time in the monastery, where the regimen was ultra strict and food particularly scarce. NB. Please resist the temptation to try one when you visit us; our budget doesn't yet stretch to the provision of a dentist on site!
Doors open today at the Senate House Library in London for their "flagship exhibition of 2017" that traces the impact of the Protestant Reformation. "Senate House Library would like to invite you to explore the age of the Reformation through our unique and exciting exhibition Reformation: Shattered World, New Beginnings. In light of the 500th anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther’s ground breaking 95 theses in 1517, this exhibition focuses on London to explore the consequences of the actions of King Henry VIII of England as he shattered English unity with the Catholic Church in Europe, heralding turmoil and new beginnings for people the world over. The consequences of taking Englan
A member of the Martyrs congregation, Bethany Cummings, sent me through some photos of the famous Reformation Wall (Mur des Réformateurs) in Geneva. This imposing Reformation Wall standing in the Parc des Bastions and built into the old city walls of Geneva, portrays some of the major figures of the Reformation in the form of huge statues and bas-reliefs. This monument was built in 1909 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. At the centre of the monument, four 5m-tall statues of Calvinism's main proponents are depicted: • John Calvin (1509–1564) • William Farel (1489–1565) • Théodore de Bèze (1519–1605) • John Knox (1513–1572). To the left of these central statues
Following this link on Vimeo will take you to a Gospel Song that is appropriate for Reformation Day, written by Tom Blakeley: https://vimeo.com/188411436
Thank God for His blessing last night. 24 adults came for the tour. Buses and cars arrived separately so we started at 7.00pm in the Prayer Room where Rev. David Priestley opened in a word of prayer. The tour followed the regular route and all those in attendance enjoyed the time spent going round the exhibits and listening to the story unfold. In addition to the tour, when we reached the old Prayer Room, we reminisced over precious memories of pre-service prayer meetings in years gone by. Many fond recollections were exchanged and even a few tears were shed during in these extra special moments. Supper was kindly provided by Rebecca and Jim. People began to leave around 9:30pm and they – an
Many people will know that the figure that Playmobil produced to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation – a little Luther figure complete with quill – has gone on to be the most successful toy Playmobil have ever produced. To date, more than 1,000,000 figures have been sold! During the course of our first Open Day in order to host some "Just By Faith Alone" Tours, I noticed that a Dungannon family, the Cahoons, had one of these figures as they completed the tour. They were keen to bring 'little Luther' and position him for photos at key points on their journey. I reckoned this was a good blog post in the making so, upon requesting use of some of the photos, I receive
A Facebook page carries a petition for Playmobil to expand the Reformation figure spectrum significantly. Entitled, "Luther needs a Wartburg!" all fans are encouraged to "like" the page and get behind the momentum. The Facebook petition page: https://www.facebook.com/play4luther/photos/rpp.384473278401412/387316891450384/?type=3&theater
In case you missed the previous Open Day on 10 June, the opportunity to pay us a visit at Martyrs and link up with one of our Reformation Tours will return, God willing, in September. Meantime, should you be part of a group that is considering coming for a visit, please contact us soon. We can arrange Tours throughout the summer period if we have sufficient notice. And ... thanks again to Mr Joe Costley for thousands of free pieces of advertising literature. We stand much in his debt.
I am well aware that Concordia Publishing House has employed the banner shown above for reasons of commerce as well as conversion; i.e., they would love you to purchase some of their products – and in turn these items that contain a Reformation message could act as conversation prompts to enable you to witness to others. However, it does remind us that this year is not merely one of Education but of Evangelism. In relating to others what God did by means of the C16th Protestant Reformation, may we always be aiming at seeing souls reconciled to God.
Another two First Day Covers from the personal collection of Rev. Gordon Dane (Crossgar, Northern Ireland). One from France; the other French Polynesia.
Even though most of the tours that were booked during May and June are now over, preparations are still ongoing for a new season commencing September. Several have asked for a Donation Box by which to support this project: cue for Phil Martin to put his skills to use once more. As we provide Bibles to schoolchildren on our 'Just By Faith Alone' tours, any donations we receive will offset some of the cost of this arm of the project (each Bible is £3.20 for us to purchase).
Should you be planning a trip over to Germany during the Reformation's 500th anniversary year, a visit to the Augustinian Monastery where Luther spent his days from 1505 to 1512 is an absolute must. This website demonstrates why, offering not only information, but even accommodation: http://www.augustinerkloster.de
One of the most attractive commemorative pieces of the Reformation is this medallion produced by Concordia Publishing House, USA. Finished in bronze, this commemorative medallion for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation stands three inches tall and is presented in a beautiful cherrywood keepsake box that doubles as a display case. • One side of the medallion features Luther posting his famous Ninety-Five Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. The image is surrounded with the first line of Luther’s most famous hymn—“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”—in both German and English. • Flip the medallion to the other side to see Luther's rose encircled by the Reformation
Some of our members who were on a recent trip to 'Lutherland' were quite disappointed to discover only a few items with Reformation relevance that were worth purchasing. It seems that since they have returned home the merchandising of Luther materials has gone up a few gears. A headline from 23 May 2017 draws attention to, 'How 'Luther town' is cashing in on the Protestant Reformation.' It explains: "As Germany commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the seismic theological shift started by Luther, Wittenberg is decked out in full Luther regalia. On arrival at the town's main train station, visitors are greeted with a giant rectangular block labelled 'The Bible - Luther's tran
Though this post has existed since the start of this year, my attention was only drawn to it yesterday. Some vital points of principle, as per usual, from Ken Ham. IGNITING A NEW REFORMATION IN 2017 "This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed 95 theses—complaints about the church’s unbiblical “doctrines”—to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. Five hundred years later, we believe it’s time for a new reformation. Martin Luther opposed man’s fallible traditions taking the place of God’s Word. He called the church back to the authority of Scripture. In our day when we see rampant compromise in the church, particularly in regard to t
