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C r a c k s i n t h e S t o n e s o f H i s t o r y

R e f o r m a t i o n To u r 2 0 1 3

1 6 . M a y 2 0 1 3 - 1 8 . M a y 2 0 1 3

Written by Val Jacobson

“Peace if possible, truth at all costs."- Martin Luther

Many words like these once echoed in castle halls and majestic cathedrals, in public squares and on that fateful door in Wittenberg.

But they were not just words; they found theitr way into the hearts of peasants and noblemen, they aroused the opposition of the mighty men

of the earth, they sparked one of the greatest movements this world has ever seen. Resounding through the corridors of time, the impact of

these words can still be felt, as real as if Luther was sitting right next to you.

Especially if you pause to listen in his Wartburg cell.

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From Thursday, 16 May to

Saturday, 18 May, the AFCOE-

Europe class of 2013 and the

Amazing Facts Europe staff

and interns packed up four

cars and headed off on an exciting

Reformation Tour. Allen Davis (Vice

President of Amazing Facts) had

just finished teaching a short week

of classes on church leadership

and church history, and now the

students had the opportunity to

see for themselves places they had

only heard or read about. It was a full

caravan, with backpacks and bags

of food piled up in the backs of the

vehicles.

Fresh excitement filled the air. Allen Davis brought his wife and two boys along, a welcome addition to our community for the weekend.

Our first destination on Thursday morning was Eisenach. It is a beautiful city, noted for being the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach and the childhood

home of Martin Luther. However, our goal was not the city itself, but Wartburg

Castle, where Luther translated the New Testament into German in about 11

weeks. Our tour was scheduled to be after lunch.

We arrived a bit early for the meal, giving us a chance to stretch our legs after

the three hour drive. Then the restaurant totally took us by surprise. Candles,

clay cups, wooden plank tables, hay on the floor, and waiters and waitresses

in medieval costume perfectly portrayed the theme, “Lutherstube” (Luther’s

room). Each entry on the menu was a quote from Martin Luther. But since our

preferences were vegan, they brought out a special meal prepared in advance:

Spätzle (a kind of pasta) and white asparagus. What a great way to start off our Reformation Tour!

After plenty of food, laughter, photos, and a little car trouble, we hurried up the mountain to catch our English tour at Wartburg Castle.

Our tour guide did a phenomenal job, and she even gave a meaningful overview of Luther’s story, values, and great

accomplishment in creating the written German language as he translated the New Testament. After the tour, we had

the opportunity to see his cell. There’s something very solemn about stepping on the same stone floor where Luther

once walked.

Soon it was time to find the local Youth Hostel, which would be our base for the next two nights. After some rest and a

dinner provided by the hostel, the group went outside to a nearby pond for worship. (I had to go to the doctor to take

care of a recent injury to my thumb). After singing some songs, they engaged in a discussion about what they wanted

to learn from the trip, and Allen Davis closed with a message on the topic of the Reformation. Then, to bed we went.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

Of Spätzle and Castles

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Friday morning found us up bright and early. After United Prayer and

a good breakfast, we climbed into the cars for another road trip. Next

stop: Wittenberg, where the pounding of a hammer on a church

door, 31 October 1517, heralded the most momentous events in

Reformation history.

It was a beautiful day; the sun was out, and excitement mounted in the

cars as we neared the city. When we arrived, we strolled through the old

city to LutherHaus, where our tour began. The highlight

was the one, nearly untouched room since the time of

Luther. Only the ceiling and fireplace were added more

recently, the tour guide said. After the house, he took

us by Melanchthon’s house and museum, the university

where Luther taught, the courtyard of a famous painter,

Saint Anna’s church where Luther preached, the market

square where knights once

had tournaments, and finally,

the entrance to the university

church where Luther nailed his

95 Theses. We gave our guide a

copy of the Great Controversy

afterwards, and thanked

him heartily for the blessed,

whirlwind journey.

A Whirlwind Journey

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By this time, it was mid-afternoon and students and staff alike were eager for lunch. Pasta, bread (can’t forget the bread), and sorbet made for a wonderful

meal at a very nice restaurant. Then we broke off into groups to explore the streets and shops, meeting again for group photos in front of Luther’s monument

and some Mediterranean food before departing for Eisenach. An awesome thunderstorm came upon us on the way back to the hostel, a memorable start

to the Sabbath.

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The Limbs of Trees

Writer’s Note: On Friday night while we were driving home, there was a thunderstorm. As I rode in the backseat watching the lightning, I thought about God’s power, Luther’s storm experience, and the way the Spirit of God interrupts us along our life’s way.

There is a deep fear which grips me; maybe it grips you too. It is the fear of living a very ordinary, very meaningless, and very unimportant life. It is the fear that I will live out my days in the monotony of schedules, checklists, and socially imposed expectations.

This fear says, You will die and your grave will swallow up the memory of your life.

As the lightning strikes again and again, its flashes showing us the night’s horizon and the amount of rainfall, I think about Martin Luther, so long ago, riding on his horse on his daily routine. He was going to be a lawyer, says the history books. However, rumors say a life-altering experience in a thunderstorm resulted in a change of career.

A change of direction.

A breaking away from the monotony of bar exams and socially imposed expectations. He would go on to become a monk, a most pious monk who never dreamed to become the pioneer of Christian Reformation.I sit in the backseat thinking about what is on tomorrow’s schedule. I watch the lightning strike the earth around us. Storms are captivating because they are an interruption from the usual cycles of nature. In the same, when the curtains are drawn back and God makes Himself terribly felt, it comes as an interruption of the daily routine.

Martin Luther did not simply experience natural storm that night, but a spiritual storm. Something struck Luther that night, even if lightning did not. The Hand of God struck him and exposed his deep fears. He must have noticed his life was on a meaningless course, and in this encounter, he decided he needed change and a reformation. And like the prophets of old, his encounter with the Divine shook him like the storm shakes the limbs of trees.

Shake me, O God, I pray. Interrupt these fears, for I know Your Spirit casts out fear.

Shake my limbs O Lord, and I will move in the night to bring about the light of reformation.

(Written by Bryant Rodriguez)

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The rain still poured next morning.

For our Sabbath worship, we had

been planning on meeting in a

garden by the Erfurt Augustinian

Monastery. This is the monastery

where Luther became a monk, read the

Bible for the first time, and learned the truth,

“The just shall live by faith” -- a key place in

Reformation history. But what would we do

about the rain? Not to worry; when Gerda

von Maur, the registrar for AFCOE-Europe,

made a call to the monastery office, God

opened the door for us to use a room inside

the monastery.

It was a special room, where Luther once

walked, and the pope has been there too. We

didn’t even have to pay. The service was beautiful: a compelling message by

Allen Davis, songs with glorious acoustics, and personal testimonies shared.

A monk walked by and peered in as we sang. Certainly, it was a once-in-a-

lifetime experience!

For lunch, we headed for Lutherstein (Luther’s Stone) in Stotternheim. There,

we enjoyed fellowship and picnic food at AFCOE-Europe’s first Grill Out.

The yellow mustard flowers in the fields attracted many portrait shots and

facilitated quiet Sabbath walks. After we had eaten our fill and enjoyed the

Back to the Beginning

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beautiful scenery, we gathered around the stone monument to hear Reed

von Maur (President of Amazing Facts Europe) tell the legendary story of

Luther in the thunderstorm.

This spot marked the place where it all began. It is believed that a harrowing

experience with lightning influenced Luther’s decision to enter the

monastery -- a catalyst which changed his life and eventually turned the

world upside-down.

Allen Davis led us in a last prayer together, and after stopping to see St.

Mary’s Cathedral in Erfurt (where Luther was ordained in 1507), we headed

out on our long drive home.

With that, AFCOE-Europe’s Reformation Tour 2013 came to a close.

Now we find ourselves again in our own world. But we will never be the same. These were real places where real events took place, chiseled in

stone over the centuries. Every martyr’s sacrifice, every fearless voice, every effort to bring the light of God’s word to sin-sick people – each

act carved its place in time, hammered in by faith and courage. These are the foundations which shape our identity as Christians.

If you have never taken such a journey yourself, I encourage you to do so. There is nothing like standing in the stately halls or roaming the

rugged paths where great men and women of old left their mark for eternity. Nothing compares to seeing every bump and crack in the stone walls of

time. And as we see, we are inspired.

Inspired to let God use us as chisels in His hand,

To take a stalwart stand,

To leave a lasting legacy,

To make cracks in the stones of history.

Chiseled in Stone

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