Tuesday Tea: October 6th William Tyndale

Just wanted to give you a heads up that this Tuesday's Liturgical Tea falls on William Tyndale's Saint day. I'm excited for my children to learn about "The Father of the English Reformation," the man who made the English Bible accessible to the people.

This hero and martyr of the faith is an example for us all as the Collect for his day states:

"Lord, give your people grace to hear and keep your word that, after the example of your servant William Tyndale, we may not only profess your gospel but also be ready to suffer and die for it, to the honor of your name; …"

And since he is such an important man in the history of the Protestant faith I think as Anglicans it is a day we should be sure to remember!

I love this story from James Keifer:
In 1537"...Six copies [of Tyndale and Coverdale's translation of the Bible] were set up for public reading in Old St Paul's Church, and throughout the daylight hours the church was crowded with those who had come to hear it. One man would stand at the lectern and read until his voice gave out, and then he would stand down and another would take his place. All English translations of the Bible from that time to the present century are essentially revisions of the Tyndale-Coverdale work." What a joy it must have been to hear the Word of God in your own language, perhaps for the first time!

As an English teacher and lover of the History of the English Language, I've also enjoyed researching this saint to teach my children:

It is surprising that the name of William Tyndale is not more familiar, for there is no man who did more to enrich the English language. Tyndale is the man who taught England how to read and showed Shakespeare how to write. No English writer -- not even Shakespeare -- has reached so many. According to a recent exhibit co-sponsored by the British Library and the Library of Congress: "Contrary to what history teaches about Chaucer being the father of the English Language, this mantle belongs to William Tyndale, whose work was read by ten thousand times as many people as Chaucer."

From The William Tyndale Gallery

He coined the following phrases we still use today:

• let there be light
• the powers that be
• my brother's keeper
• the salt of the earth
• a law unto themselves
• filthy lucre
• it came to pass
• gave up the ghost
• the signs of the times
• the spirit is willing
• live and move and have our being
• fight the good fight

Do you have any ideas to make this man's life and his heroic deeds come alive for children? Any interesting food ideas for our tea?

I'll try to post any more ideas over the weekend. Let me know what you think!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!