The month of November provides us with multiple
opportunities to remember.
November 1 is overlooked by most in the States but in Europe it is a holiday, All Saints Day. A day set aside to remember those that have
gone before us.
November 11 is Remembrance Day in many parts of the world, a
day set aside to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our
freedom.
And then (for those of us from the States) there is Thanksgiving.
At first glance it feels like it doesn’t
fit. But look again. Can you really be grateful if you don’t
remember? It is a command that is
repeated over and over in Scripture.
This week I have had multiple opportunities to remember with a grateful heart. October 31 marked the 496th anniversary of Martin Luther bravely
nailing his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg, sparking a firestorm that set the Western world on fire. One man, who was obedient
and courageous enough to stand for truth changed the course of history. But the reality is that he was standing on
the shoulders of many who had gone before and was followed by many other
courageous men and women.
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| Calvin's Church, Geneva, St. Pierre |
In the last
month I have had the amazing privilege of worshiping in John Calvin’s church in
Geneva with a friend from NY and last Sunday our
middle school staff was able to worship at Ulrich Zwingli’s church after
attending a conference for international schools held in Zurich.
What an incredible opportunity to remember with a thankful heart God’s faithfulness through
the centuries!
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| Zwingli's Church, Zurich, Grossmünster |
At Calvin’s church I found myself singing hymns that to me
were “old” but then realizing that they were written roughly 200 years after
Calvin. The Grossmünster (Zwingli’s church) was commissioned by
Charlemagne and construction was finished around 1220. Zwingli became the pastor a year after Martin
Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door and helped bring the Reformation
to Switzerland.
What a rich legacy these three men left
behind.
I was able to remember with gratitude this week the life and legacy of Abraham, a friend of God, as we studied him in Bible class.
I was able to remember with gratitude the missionaries who have gone before as my 7th graders presented their missionary biographies to our class.
I was able to remember with gratitude that the God of Abraham, Luther and William Carey is the same God that I worship. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!
I was able to remember with gratitude those whose shoulders I am privileged to stand on, those who have challenged me to courageously obey Jesus in all areas of my life.
I am also reminded with a grateful heart that it does not stop with me.
I believe that one of the greatest lies we
can believe is that it is our life and our choices don’t have consequences
that reach far beyond us. In reality our choices have an incredible ripple
effect for good or for bad. I pray that I can live a life of gratitude and can courageously obey Jesus. I pray that
my life will be lived in such a way that others will see Him and seek to know
Him more. I don’t need or want the
“fame” of being a Luther, Calvin or Zwingli but what about one of the nameless
men and women who made it possible for them to change the course of
history? Could Jesus use me in that way?
I pray that I will always remember with gratitude and that my
obedience will challenge those He has brought into my classroom and into my life
to courageously follow Him with their whole hearts. There is no greater calling.
“When once God’s Redemption comes to the point of obedience
in a human soul, it always creates. If I
obey Jesus Christ, the Redemption of God will rush through me to other lives,
because behind the deed of obedience is the Reality of the Almighty God. (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald
Chambers, November 2)
Martin Luther Picture - http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/files/2010/10/Luther-nailing-theses-560x538.jpg
