Reformation Day- Celebrating Being Saved Through Faith
Reformation Day is a holiday that many reformed churches and Christians celebrate worldwide as the day that started Protestantism. Reformation day dates back to 1517, when Martin Luther nailed 95 theses on the door of the church in Whittenburg, Germany. This seemingly normal act of posting debates on the door, from Martin Luther, became the catalyst for the separation from the Catholic church and the Biblical teaching that we are saved through faith, not by works.
What is the Reformation?
If you are new to Reformed Christianity or the Reformation, you might be wondering what this is all about. The Reformation marks the separation from the Catholic church and the belief that you could pay for salvation. Martin Luther is the most well-known leader of the Reformation, although there are many others such as John Knox, William Tyndale, and John Calvin. The reformers believed differently than the Catholic church and wanted everyone to be able to read Scripture for themselves.
The Reformed Christian beliefs boil down to the 5 Solis. Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Christus and Soli Deo Gloria. Scripture alone (2 Timothy3:16), Faith alone (Romans 3:28) Grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), Christ alone (Acts 4:12), by the glory of God alone (Romans 11:36). This was the recovery of the concept that we have been saved by grace through faith and not by our works. What an amazing thing!
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:1-10
If you would like to learn more you can check out our Reformation Workbook. You can also check out our YouTube playlist with tons of great videos for adults and kids about the reformation. Now, let’s get onto the celebrating!
Party Time!
The celebration of Reformation Day always seems to come up in groups asking for tips. It can be very hard to come up with a celebration for a holiday that you never celebrated as a kid, or haven't seen celebrated. We have celebrated Reformation Day in many ways over the years. In the hard and busy season of life with little ones, we often celebrated by watching a Torchlighters episode on Martin Luther. There are other times when we have completed coloring sheets, puzzles, games, and more. Below I will list some games, food, and craft projects that we will be doing for our Reformation Day party.
Reformation Games for Kids
Nail the Theses' on the door. There are a few different ways that this game can be played. One way is to print out copies of the theses and have the children close their eyes and tape them onto a door, much like you would play Pin the Tail on the Donkey. The second way is to have an old door, or piece of wood and let the children hammer and nail the 95 theses (or however many) onto the door.
Musical Chairs. A classic game that kids of all ages, and adults enjoy! I would play hymns that talk about the Reformation, or even music from the medieval period.
Crafts for Reformation
Reformation Workbook. good booklet for older elementary-age kids, as it gives a bit more information on the Reformation.
Stained Glass. Stained glass was very popular during this time frame. I have stained glass with our younger kids using contact paper and tissue paper. This stained glass is more advanced and geared toward older elementary-aged students. We will be following the directions from Buggy and Buddy and can't wait to see how they turn out!
Letter Illumination. It was a common style of writing to illuminate, certain letters and areas around the documents that you were copying.
Printing Press. The printing press made a huge difference in the ability of the Bible to be shared. For our craft, we will be using stamps and having the kids create their articles to simulate a printing press.
Reformation Food
Food is a sensitive subject these days! You can either go full-on medieval-type feast with smoked meat, finger foods, rooted vegetables, and sweet desserts, or you can take the modern approach. We have severe food allergies and food aversions in our household, so I decided we would take a modern approach. Here is the food that we will be eating for our Reformation Day party.
1. Cured Meats: bacon, ham, turkey and pepperoni
2. Cheeses: any kind of hard cheese my kids will eat with their hands
3. Fruit: Blueberries, grapes, apples and oranges
4. Flatbread: This was a normal food eaten in the medieval ages.
5. Veggies: Most likely cucumbers and green beans
6. Dessert: A heavier lemon bread/cake.
As you can see, there are tons of fun activities that you can do to celebrate the Reformation. If this is your first year, maybe you want to focus on Martin Luther. If not then maybe learn about other reformers such as Richard Baxter, St. Bartholomew, William Tyndale, Marguerite de Navarre, and John Calvin. Will you be celebrating Reformation Day this year?
