Page 10 - The Circle / July 2016

By SHEILA WHITTENBERG
2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and will be an important year for Christians around the world. Celebration plans are already being made in Wittenberg, Germany, and naturally the figure of Martin Luther looms over everything. Interestingly enough, though the name of Martin Luther is familiar to everyone in Germany, your average person on the street is not necessarily aware of the extent of social, economic, and cultural influences that the Reformation had on almost every aspect of society. Yes, the Reformation is definitely a story that needs to be told, but how do you begin to tell such a huge story?
Back in 2008, some of our German Trainers were introduced to The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 7, the lessons on the saints. They were impressed with the stories but wondered if there might not be other heroes of the faith who were more relevant to children in our part of Europe. It did not take long for Martin Luther to become part of the conversation. What if a story in the Godly Play style could be developed to tell his story?
Around the same time another Trainer in Wittenberg, Adelheid Ebel, was given space to set up an entire Godly Play room in the very rooms where both Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Younger, the great Reformation painters,
Luther was not a Lone Ranger
lived and worked. As she began to share Godly Play stories with groups of school children and visitors to Wittenberg on a regular basis, it became clear that a story inspired by Godly Play was sorely needed to help people delve into the Reformation.
One story about Luther’s life in the style of Godly Play and based on the Luther Rose motif (Luther’s emblem that can be seen in many Lutheran churches) had already been written by Unite States Trainer Sharolyn Browning. Martin Steinhäuser received permission to translate it into German and expand upon it. He had much fun testing it with the children in his church, who were delighted to see the underlay be transformed into a white rose. The children spontaneously started thinking of words that rhyme with “Luther rose” in German. “Luther-Rose, Unterhose, Butterdose!” they shouted. (“Luther rose, underwear, butter dish!”) And when the same children saw Martin several days later at church, they started rhyming words again. Everyone had a good laugh about it, and Martin feels quite sure that God enjoyed the moment as much as they all did.
As our Trainers met with Luther scholars, they began to see that more than one story was needed. Yes, Martin Luther was a central figure of the Reformation, but the story was not his alone. The Reformation happened over time and
10 the CIRCLE | JULY 2016