Luther, Reformation and it's consequences in 30 high quality posters
here-i-stand.com/en/order
The story of Martin Luther in Playmobil animation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tox2TflUH90
The Luther lands of Germany
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3csUhGlOJcc
Martin Luther Translator of the Bible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c2p5YqwNF4
A clip from the Luther film of the 95 Theses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijjbtcAEOnY
Lutheran theology in 90 seconds by Nadia Bolz-Weber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5N6jEesDIY
A rap on Luther’s life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4piapxaT0k
Luther’s Reformation in a catchy song
https://lutheranreformation.org/resources/for-teachers/reformation-rock-video/
A 3 min animated Luther film for Primary kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJxHwbwwo88
Gutenberg and the Printing Press by Storybots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJpJL2YzCOc

With the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, I have had a number of opportunities to connect ecumenically with Christians of other denominational traditions. One opportunity that a friend passed onto me was being the “Lutheran representative” on a Reformation Panel of the Uniting Church Queensland Synod that occurred on the Sunshine Coast this month. The five questions given to me beforehand to consider were;

1. What do you believe has been the most important consequence of the chain of events triggered by Martin Luther’s 95 Theses?
2. Do the contemporary contexts of ecumenism, globalisation and receding church influence in Western society give fresh relevance to the Reformation’s driving concerns, or do they make these concerns somewhat irrelevant?
3. In what areas of its life does your church need a similar direct challenge to its theology and practice today? What would your ‘theses’ be? Or is the real work of Christian faith and mission now really  happening outside our institutional churches?
4. Is dialogue ever enough to bring about serious, reforming change? Or is the power of institutional church control, defensiveness and self-righteousness such that any serious challenge needs more concrete and active forms?
5. Is it the case that true reforming of the church must necessarily highlight and lead to the church’s unity, not create divisions?

It was a worthwhile exercise to think through how I would respond to these questions.  The other members of the panel were gracious in their responses and the questions from the floor of the Synod stimulating. One comment though from the Catholic member on the panel made me think, can we talk of 'celebrating' the Reformation when the consequences of it led to violence, death, and war for countless nations and states in Europe? Can we celebrate an event that lead to the fracturing of western Christianity? I might not agree with all the sentiments behind these questions but they certainly did provoke me to think more deeply about the Reformation from an ecumencial perspective. Which is always a good thing for a Lutheran!

1.2 Deepening Faith
Devotion:
Giving witness to a faith in Jesus is a very personal thing.  And it is something that not all staff in Lutheran Schools and ELCs can do.  If we are honest, not all of us have a Christian faith that we can confess.  Some of us may have been fortunate enough to have grown up in a churched family or worshipped in a Christian church, but for many, our school community may be the only experience of Christian community we have experienced.  In the end, all of us who work in Lutheran Schools no matter where we have come from spiritually can grow deeper wherever we are in our faith journey.
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So how do we go about deepening faith?  In a sense having faith in Christ is a mysterious thing. No one can be forced to have a Christian faith.  In fact, many people lose their faith in Jesus because of being pressured or forced to, or because of the abuses of the church or the wounds they have suffered from the church.  A living faith comes only by the Holy Spirit and is a miraculous thing in any human being.  In his parables in Mark’s gospel (4:26-29) Jesus describes the Kingdom of God as seed being scattered by a sower who then goes about his life of working and sleeping.  The seed sprouts and grows but the sower does not know how the plant grows by itself in the soil?  We do not know exactly how faith grows inside of us, it is a work of God that we cannot decide for ourselves.
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Jesus then goes on in Mark’s Gospel to ask what can we compare the Kingdom of God?  He replies with one of his shortest parables, the parable of the mustard seed; The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches (Mark 4:30-32).

This parable is often interpreted as one of God growing big things from little things.  Jesus picked this image of the mustard seed because God values the small things in life and will use them, to have a big effect on people.  But another way of interpreting the parable is that the mustard plant was also known in Jesus time to be a voracious weed which quickly took over any garden. Can you imagine God’s kingdom taking over every part of you, of your life, your world? And how has the kingdom of God taken root in your school?

As a Christian school we are involved in the work of the kingdom of God.  We provide a rich learning experience for all students but we also provide space for people to question their values and beliefs, to be informed of the beliefs of others, and be challenged to grow deeper in their understanding of who Jesus is. The seed however small is planted in all that we do or fail to do as the kingdom grows amongst us and people find shelter within it. Here are some ways in which we can all grow spiritually and deepen in faith:

• Through immersion in Christian community. Community that is centred and draws its strength from Christ. The community of faith.
• Through prayer.
• Through growing deeper in knowing and living out the Bible.
• Through ritual and times of public worship.
• Through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.
• Through mutual conversation and consolation of other Christians.  A simple way of receiving guidance from another trusted mature Christian is the practice of spiritual direction.[1]  
• Through suffering and pain which is viewed through the cross.[2] Exploring the question; where is God in your pain and suffering?

​In the end, the capacity to deepen faith requires an openness to be vulnerable and honest with others in our spiritual journey through life.  It requires the capacity to reflect with others and be open to learn from their wisdom.  And in our Lutheran context it is underpinned by a deep understanding of human brokenness and the grace of God which deals with it. This is foundational to our culture.
   
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you described the Kingdom as being like a small mustard seed that grows into a large tree for the birds to nest in. As we engage with the Christian community here in our school grow your kingdom in us, deepen our faith in you, wherever we are in our journey through life, give us the openness and courage to grow deeper in faith. Amen.

[1] Spiritual direction is one person helping another person to attend to God's presence and revelation and prepare to respond to him. In other words, spiritual directors help people attune themselves to God.
[2] Martin Luther called this the theology of the cross.