June 25 4 pm
On the bus between Wittenberg and Berlin. The trip is almost over. Tomorrow morning we will be winging our way back to New York and our daily realities. Highlights of the day included the Luther and Melanchthon houses, the Staadtkirche where Luther was the preacher and the Castle Church where he nailed the 95 Theses to the door on October 31, 1517 beginning the Reformation and all of the changes that this movement brought to our world. At the Castle Church once again Charles managed to get us permission for a special service. There we sang Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word and Beautiful Savior and Charles led us in Holy Communion. Tonight I hope in devotions to revisit the text we started with – Jesus sending the 70 in mission and reflect on our going, our experience and our returning.
Jeff Silvernail
June 26 9:30
We are sitting in Heathrow Airport, London waiting for our next flight. No one left behind time time – hopefully! See you at Prince of Peace this Sunday.
Jeff Silvernail
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
June 24 6 pm
This morning we did Leipzig, primarily the Thomas and Nicholas churches. Johann Sebastian Bach was music director and is buried at the Thomaskirche but introduced most of his most famous work at the Nikolaikirche. I learned something new, that Felix Mendelson rediscover the work of J.S. Bach and without him it likely would have been forgotten forever. All very fascinating but what intrigued me the most was the recounting of the peace prayer service at the Nikolaikirche which grew to 70,000 on October 9, 1989. The police were supposed to crack down that Monday with guns to put an end to this movement, but as the protesters and prayers filled the Platz holding candles and sheilding the flames from the wind they gave no excuse for the police and troops to open fire. The DDR (East Germany) fell one month later in the peaceful revolution that resulted a year later in the reunification of Germany. It was special to be in the place where such a pivotal moment of history in my lifetime was made.
Tonight we are in Wittenberg.
Jeff Silvernail
Tonight we are in Wittenberg.
Jeff Silvernail
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
June 23 4 pm
This morning we were in Eisenach to visit the Wartburg where Martin Luther was hidden away as Junker Jorge to save his life, and where he worked on the translation of the new Testament in German. The Wartburg was also the home of St. Elizabeth who laid down her crown in reverence to the King of kings, Jesus and devoted her life to serving the poor and sick. Looking at the amazing ancient mosaics of Elizabeth's life the words of Chris Tomlin's “We Fall Down” played through my.
“We fall down, we lay our crowns, at the feet of Jesus
The greatness of mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus.
And we cry 'Holy, holy, holy'
And we cry, Holy, holy, holy'
And we cry 'Holy, holy holy, is the Lamb.”
At the room where Martin Luther worked we paused, read Scripture and sang, “A Mighty Fortress” in 4 part harmony, giving the German school children on outings a free concert.
Before leaving Eisenach we visited the Bach House and the Luther house where teenage Martin stayed while going to Latin school and now we are on the bus heading to Leipzig.
Jeff Silvernail
“We fall down, we lay our crowns, at the feet of Jesus
The greatness of mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus.
And we cry 'Holy, holy, holy'
And we cry, Holy, holy, holy'
And we cry 'Holy, holy holy, is the Lamb.”
At the room where Martin Luther worked we paused, read Scripture and sang, “A Mighty Fortress” in 4 part harmony, giving the German school children on outings a free concert.
Before leaving Eisenach we visited the Bach House and the Luther house where teenage Martin stayed while going to Latin school and now we are on the bus heading to Leipzig.
Jeff Silvernail
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
June 22 2 pm
Back on the bus as we head from Erfurt to Eisenach. This morning we had a walking tour of the old city of Erfurt which is one of the best preserved in all of Germany with many medeval and renessaince buildings, and of course, many churches. We spent some time in the Mariondom cathedral. Then it was on to the Augustinian monastery where Luther was received as a monk, was ordained and celebrated his first mass. We had a very special moment as we gathered before the altar, sang, and shared in Holy Communion in the very place where Martin Luther so nervously for the first time said the mass. It was a holy moment.
Jeff Silvernail
Today was just as awesome as the previous. While touring Erfurt, we had the opportunity to take communion at the church of the Augustinain monastery. What a wonderful and moving experience to share Holy Communion together in such a special place. After touring the Mariondom cathedral and the monastery, we enjoyed a wonderful relaxing time in the Domplatz having lunch. What a special day we have been blessed with.
Roger Behrens
Jeff Silvernail
Today was just as awesome as the previous. While touring Erfurt, we had the opportunity to take communion at the church of the Augustinain monastery. What a wonderful and moving experience to share Holy Communion together in such a special place. After touring the Mariondom cathedral and the monastery, we enjoyed a wonderful relaxing time in the Domplatz having lunch. What a special day we have been blessed with.
Roger Behrens
Monday, June 21, 2010
June 20 and 21
June 20 3 pm on the bus
Hard to believe we have completed our week's work at the ACB and moved on to the educational portion of our trip. It is quiet on the bus, guess everyone is tired and resting up.
The concert last night was really spectacular. What could be better that hearing one of the great German composers, Brahms, played by the Berlin Symphony? We were again late in returning home, at lest by my standards, so it was another short night. The church service this AM was a very moving one with lots of great music. During communion, a small section of the congregation began singing “Just as I am” spontaneously in parts, The remainder joined in. What a spine tingling moment! Some of our choir members joined in singing with the ACB choir and others in a mass choir to sing a hymn as anthem. They have a great, enthusiastic choir director so it was not only fun, but a great sound. It was surprisingly easy to get attached to people in this short week. Nancy Kowalski was working with us and will beat us home. We will again see our friends from St. Mark's, San Francisco as they will take the same flight to Heathrow next week. More ways in which God intervenes to connect us as workers for Him. As Pastor Ben said this AM, we won't know the fruits from the seeds sown this week. It was a really good week, and many connections were made.
Nancy Hoelzer
This morning at church I got to practice greeting visitors. Not on purpose I was just there in time to greet Bob and Ann from Colorado who were on their way to the Oberammergau passion play. Then came Pamela from Australia who was looking for a place to get a cup of coffee before the service started. Here's something we can learn: both had seen the sign that invited them to the service while they were travelling by; and both were very willing to engage in conversation with a complete stranger – me. Pamela even sat with us in worship. What can we learn? Better more inviting signage is a great way to advertize and get people to walk through our doors and two, it really is not difficult to talk to people you don't know and make them feel at home.
The service was a farewell service for Pastor Ben and Margaret after 8 years at ACB. As you can imagine it was quite moving and brought memories of my own recent goodbyes. We were privileged to be invited to sing in the special choir but for me the most moving moment was when during communion the congregation spontaneously began singing Just As I Am. The Spirit was moving among us.
Many goodbyes and hugs for us too and now we are on the bus watching the countryside of the former East Germany rolling by on our way to Mansfeld and Eisleben.
Jeff Silvernail
June 21 5 pm
The tour has begun. Yesterday after a false start we found Luther's boyhood home and school in Mansfeld. Our stay was in the Kloster Hotel, part of a convent. Pastor Charles taught Baptism from the Small Catechism and we wrapped up the evening by singing Compline. In the morning we went into Eisleben for Luther's birth house and death house and all that is inbetween. At the church of his baptism we gathered in the chapel and had a brief service of Affirmation of Baptism. At St. Andreas where Luther preached his last sermon we gathered in the chancel and sang hymns from the Gasangbuch. Finally we made our way up to St. Anne's church the first church in the region to accept the Reformation. Our guide was Dorthea who is on the church council of St. Andreas who told us about long meeting mostly concerned with buildings and money. Sound familiar? Back on the bus where I taught on Holy Comunion and then on to the Lutherstein near Erfurt supposedly near the place where Marin cried out for St. Anne to save him during the thunderstorm, promising to become a monk if he was saved. Tonight we are in a modern hotel in Erfurt.
Jeff Silvernail
Hard to believe we have completed our week's work at the ACB and moved on to the educational portion of our trip. It is quiet on the bus, guess everyone is tired and resting up.
The concert last night was really spectacular. What could be better that hearing one of the great German composers, Brahms, played by the Berlin Symphony? We were again late in returning home, at lest by my standards, so it was another short night. The church service this AM was a very moving one with lots of great music. During communion, a small section of the congregation began singing “Just as I am” spontaneously in parts, The remainder joined in. What a spine tingling moment! Some of our choir members joined in singing with the ACB choir and others in a mass choir to sing a hymn as anthem. They have a great, enthusiastic choir director so it was not only fun, but a great sound. It was surprisingly easy to get attached to people in this short week. Nancy Kowalski was working with us and will beat us home. We will again see our friends from St. Mark's, San Francisco as they will take the same flight to Heathrow next week. More ways in which God intervenes to connect us as workers for Him. As Pastor Ben said this AM, we won't know the fruits from the seeds sown this week. It was a really good week, and many connections were made.
Nancy Hoelzer
This morning at church I got to practice greeting visitors. Not on purpose I was just there in time to greet Bob and Ann from Colorado who were on their way to the Oberammergau passion play. Then came Pamela from Australia who was looking for a place to get a cup of coffee before the service started. Here's something we can learn: both had seen the sign that invited them to the service while they were travelling by; and both were very willing to engage in conversation with a complete stranger – me. Pamela even sat with us in worship. What can we learn? Better more inviting signage is a great way to advertize and get people to walk through our doors and two, it really is not difficult to talk to people you don't know and make them feel at home.
The service was a farewell service for Pastor Ben and Margaret after 8 years at ACB. As you can imagine it was quite moving and brought memories of my own recent goodbyes. We were privileged to be invited to sing in the special choir but for me the most moving moment was when during communion the congregation spontaneously began singing Just As I Am. The Spirit was moving among us.
Many goodbyes and hugs for us too and now we are on the bus watching the countryside of the former East Germany rolling by on our way to Mansfeld and Eisleben.
Jeff Silvernail
June 21 5 pm
The tour has begun. Yesterday after a false start we found Luther's boyhood home and school in Mansfeld. Our stay was in the Kloster Hotel, part of a convent. Pastor Charles taught Baptism from the Small Catechism and we wrapped up the evening by singing Compline. In the morning we went into Eisleben for Luther's birth house and death house and all that is inbetween. At the church of his baptism we gathered in the chapel and had a brief service of Affirmation of Baptism. At St. Andreas where Luther preached his last sermon we gathered in the chancel and sang hymns from the Gasangbuch. Finally we made our way up to St. Anne's church the first church in the region to accept the Reformation. Our guide was Dorthea who is on the church council of St. Andreas who told us about long meeting mostly concerned with buildings and money. Sound familiar? Back on the bus where I taught on Holy Comunion and then on to the Lutherstein near Erfurt supposedly near the place where Marin cried out for St. Anne to save him during the thunderstorm, promising to become a monk if he was saved. Tonight we are in a modern hotel in Erfurt.
Jeff Silvernail
Saturday, June 19, 2010
June 20, 8 am
Yesterday, Saturday, was a day on our own. Some went to Sans Souci. Nancy Kowalski took a small group of us to Sachsenhausen to join an English speaking Berlin historical club tour of the concentration camp there. A sobering experience. This was not an extermination camp, it was a labor camp, yet one fairly small slab of stone marked and covered the 16 tons of human ashes, with up to 60 tons believed to be at various sites around the camp. Though it was a labor camp it was also a training facility for the SS who would use what they learned elsewhere. With a ready supply of Russian POWs techniques were perfected to make sure that it took no more than one shot to kill an unsuspecting prisoner and clean up every 7 minutes. A shower room was used to find better gas mixtures. Not exactly a joy-filled outing, but something that should be seen at least once.
Later we went the the Berlin Philharmonie for an outstanding evening at the symphony. Before the concert we stopped at the Lindenbrau in the Sony Center for dinner. As soon as we walked in our waitress from a week ago recognized us. That's not always a good thing when the wait staff remembers you! But in this case she made sure we sat in her section so I guess we were OK.
This morning is worship at the American Church then we get on the bus for Mansfeld-Eisleben to begin the Reformation Tour.
Jeff Silvernail
Later we went the the Berlin Philharmonie for an outstanding evening at the symphony. Before the concert we stopped at the Lindenbrau in the Sony Center for dinner. As soon as we walked in our waitress from a week ago recognized us. That's not always a good thing when the wait staff remembers you! But in this case she made sure we sat in her section so I guess we were OK.
This morning is worship at the American Church then we get on the bus for Mansfeld-Eisleben to begin the Reformation Tour.
Jeff Silvernail
Friday, June 18, 2010
June 18 10 PM
In a conversation with a member of the American Church in Berlin (ACB) today I was reminded to “practice what we preach”. Or in other words, we are called to put our beliefs into practice.
The ACB Laib und Seele (Loaf and Soul) food pantry does exactly that, providing fresh food stuffs and other groceries to about sixty families on a weekly basis. Food is donated by cooperating groceries and distributed on site at ACB every Friday afternoon with help from church members and, this week, volunteer Americans.
If the Lord's directive is to feed the hungry, ACB does that in a most direct and tangible way, regularly and generously.
I am thinking that ABC does more than feeding the body. It also serves to feed the soul, and not only the souls of those who receive the food, but those who give out the food as well.
Tina Greenfield
The ACB Laib und Seele (Loaf and Soul) food pantry does exactly that, providing fresh food stuffs and other groceries to about sixty families on a weekly basis. Food is donated by cooperating groceries and distributed on site at ACB every Friday afternoon with help from church members and, this week, volunteer Americans.
If the Lord's directive is to feed the hungry, ACB does that in a most direct and tangible way, regularly and generously.
I am thinking that ABC does more than feeding the body. It also serves to feed the soul, and not only the souls of those who receive the food, but those who give out the food as well.
Tina Greenfield
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