Reformation Tour

Our Pastor's wife, Mrs. Ava, returned from a three week Reformation Tour through Europe a couple weeks ago and tonight at church, Pastor showed us her pictures and videos. It was so interesting hearing the stories behind the sites and also wonderful seeing places that Bruce and I have actually been to. It brought back such great memories for both of us.

I'll admit that I smiled a little at the thought of them digging up the bones of Zwingli, Wycliffe, Hus, and men of like, to burn their bodies, scattering their ashes into the river so they could not be made a saint. Little did they realize, God had already done that!!

There was one picture that brought tears to my eyes. I had already heard the story behind these steps, but when I saw the picture it broke my heart to tears.

The steps in Italy, are believed to be the steps that Jesus climbed the day he was sentenced to death. It is said that the steps were ordered sent from Jerusalem to Rome by Saint Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine. The stairs are known as the Scala Pilati (Pilate's Staircase) or Scala Sancti (holy stairway). People literally crawling on their hands and knees, kissing the steps. And as they climb, a prayer related to the passion of Christ is recited on each of the 28 steps, in hopes of spending less time in purgatory. I looked up those prayers and how sad it made me to read them. Oh, if they only knew it is not their ritual prayers, but the blood of Jesus Christ that can and will save their lost and searching souls.