Dear Parents,

If you are familiar with history and in particular church history, it will come as no surprise that we highlighted Reformation Day at chapel with the help of our grade 4 class. They helped us understand what it is; why it’s important; and how it is still applicable to us today. For context, we have to bring ourselves back over 500 years to a time where all the authority rested with a small group of wealthy individuals (Kings and Lords) in partnership with the most powerful members of the church (the Pope and Archbishops). Any new or divergent ideas were seen as an affront on the establishment and order of things.

In the middle of this, a monk who was devoted to God and who decided to read the Bible for himself started to question some of the misuse of power and rules that went against God’s word, specifically the idea of buying one’s salvation through money or hard work. Our key verse for chapel, and one that influenced Martin Luther is Romans 1:16-17, which says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,[a] as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”

His act of nailing 95 theses or ideas to challenge these practices and debate them in light of the scripture, was the catalyst that God used to bring about major changes both to start the Protestant Movement, but also to bring about changes within the Catholic church. This moment coupled with the invention of the printing press were responsible for bringing the message of the gospel, salvation through faith in Jesus alone, to the common folk and eventually to the ends of the Earth.
This still has a tremendous impact on us spiritually today, as it has shaped our understanding of what it means to be in right standing with God through Jesus, and has provided us with the ability to have a copy of the Bible in our homes. This should encourage us to read God’s word for ourselves regularly, so that we understand it for ourselves. There are also several important lessons we can take away in the value of dialogue, challenging cultural norms, and remaining steadfast in our pursuit of truth and integrity. What a wonderful example in a time where our world has drifted from godly values and needs its own reformation.

Blessings,
J-D Lussier