SCOTTISH COVENANTERS: THEIR CAUSE IS MY CAUSE

Growing up, the only pocket of persecuted Christians widely talked about in our church are the Pioneers. Many of my ancestors are pioneers with life-changing stories, and I have absolute reverence for them. But I wish I would have grown up hearing about other pockets of Christians as well. One group that I have grown to love are the Scottish Covenanters. February 28th was the anniversary of them signing the National Covenant in 1638. Essentially, the king was making changes in the church and a lot of the Christian people were upset. The covenant denounced the attempted changes, it also urged loyalty to the king, but reaffirmed that their obedience was to God. The king took that as rebellion. So many died defending the faith. The stories will just tear you apart.

LEARNING TO DEFEND THE TRUTH

What’s neat is learning that I have Covenanter blood running through me; as well as by marriage. The Cochrane clan actually had a hand in creating the Covenanter flag.

We compiled questions for our kids to memorize the answers to. A simple way for them to understand the faith the Covenanters died defending and in essence the same faith we defend today. Yesterday, everyone was handed a toy sword, and if the mark (tape) on your chest was hit you had to answer one of these compiled questions correctly. My favorite part was little Claire running around yelling, “What is the chief end of man?”

I love learning about other groups of Christians. They make up who I am today. Pilgrims, Covenanters, Pioneers— their cause is my cause. My obedience is to God. My fight is for freedom, and I will defend that cause with everything I have in me. My greatest desire as a mother is for my children never to follow blindly. I want them to know exactly why we fight, where their obedience has got to lie, and ultimately whose blood they have running through their veins.

Now, someone tell me what the chief end of man is?!

QUESTIONS WE DEFENDED

Q. 1. What is the sum of the ten commandments?

A. The sum of the ten commandments is, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.

Matt. 22:37-40.

Q. 2. What is prayer?

A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

Ps. 62:8; 1 John 5:14; John 16:23; Ps. 32:5-6; Dan. 9:4; Phil. 4:6.