Weekly Reflections - Week Twelve...

At Home

In wrapping up our twelfth week of this 2016-2017 school year, we took a field trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to see the Martin Luther Art and the Reformation exhibit.  WOW!  If you have the opportunity to travel within the U.S. before January 15, 2017, I would highly encourage you to check it out, as 2017 is the 500th Anniversary of Luther's posting of the Ninety-five Thesis.  We won't actually be revisiting that time period in our studies until 2017-2018, but seeing the exhibit is an opportunity of a life time since this is the first time these artifacts have ever left Germany.

It was amazing to see relics from Luther's childhood through adult life. There were several artifacts that intrigued me including marbles and leather letter "D" (presumed to be from a sash of one of Luther's sisters), pulled from a burn-pit near Luther's home; a hunting knife set of Elector Frederick the Wise; several vestments and Emperor Maximillian I's pilgrim's garment; as well as an indulgence chest.  But the one thing that really stuck out was the pulpit from which Luther gave his last sermon three days before he died. The museum note stated...

Standing on this pulpit on February 15, 1546, Luther closed his final sermon with the words, "....I am too weak, so we want to leave it at that." Three days later, he passed away. For centuries pilgrims have traveled to stand before this pulpit, a monument of Protestantism in St. Andrew's Church in Eisleben. 

During recent repair work a chalk inscription came to light, revealing the date of the pulpit's construction: 1518. It can now be identified as one of the first pulpits installed during the time when Luther elevated the role of sermons in church services...

Being a lover of history, standing near these iconic items about and around 500 years old was so fascinating and almost surreal. We read about these historic events that seem so far away, but the realization of it is the effect that they have on us in the here and now.

Around the Web

In Nature Study or Science? Barb McCoy makes a wonderful case for nature study, particularly in the elementary grades. She didn't quote Charlotte Mason, but the quotes she did use were very much in line with Charlotte's thinking.

Are you signed up for IEW's Virtual Winter Retreat?  It's FREE!  Even if you are unable to attend on December 10th, by signing up, you will receive the recordings to watch anytime at your convenience.

This morning, I listened to Schole Sisters Episode #16, Don't Be the White Witch.  I'm still processing it and may go back and listen again. The kids have been begging, literally, to set up the tree since before Thanksgiving because of our culture's materialistic portrayal of Christmas.  Sale flyers, Black Friday beginning on Thursday of Thanksgiving, TV commercials, Christmas play parts being assigned at church, etc. have all had an effect on them. I'm not saying they're materialistic, but that seeing the material side of Christmas so early has put ideas in their head. Part of it is just the excitement of being a kid during the holiday season.  But to be perfectly honest, it's driving me nuts!!  I mean to point of hating the season and me wanting to minimize it all.  However, the Schole Sisters bring up an excellent point in their podcast.  Mystie even said something in regard to thinking about whether or not we are consumer driven or joy of living driven.

I finally gave in and let them set up the tree today. But as they were fighting over which lights to put on and how to decorate it, I blew up...ahem :(  Now, I'm rethinking the season. I want to be joy driven, which is going to take a ton of hard work in this world I live, but I do believe it's attainable because the coming of our Savior is definitely a reason to celebrate. Therefore, I shall carry on.