Offenbach Daily Journal and Photo Gallery (updated 11/7/2017)
Friday Morning, 10-27-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
We arrived safely at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday around noon local time, and were met by a delegation from the Offenbach congregation including Angela Sluyter, who has done so much to organize our visit, and Pastor Joachim Bundschuh and Bernd Konze, all known to our members.
From the airport we took a train and walked a short distance to the Parish House of the Stadtkirchengemeinde, seeing the outside of the church and a little bit of the neighborhood as we went. We were welcomed by several more members of the church including: the church’s current Pastor Christinane Esser-Kapp; Karl, Angela’s husband, who has been corresponding with us on her behalf and who worked for a time in Hackensack, New Jersey; Angelika Kaufmann, who is hosting Jay and Jane in her home; Holger App, host to Pastor Cleo and Kathy Henry; and Anita Johannes the church Office Administrator.
They had prepared a welcoming meal with savory and sweet pastries. We sang “Amen” together as our grace, and then enjoyed one another’s company over the feast. Our German lessons continued, as we learned to distinguish different types of wasser (mineral, seltzer, plain…) and the words for tea and coffee. Soon we were joined by Stefan Gehrmann, Pastor Joachim’s husband and another familiar friend of Beneficent Church.
The travelers were tired after their night with little sleep, so after some logistical information from Pastor Joachim and Angela, we dispersed to our respective overnight accommodations at about 4pm. We will meet each day for breakfast at the Parish House, where Carlos Vega and Pastor Michelle and her husband John are staying. On Friday, we will travel by car to visit Worms, where Luther was declared a heretic in 1521.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday Evening, 10-27-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Whew! It is 10pm local time, and we have just returned from a full and wonderful day.
We gathered at 8am at the Parish House for a breakfast of fresh-baked bread and our choices of jams, cheeses, and meats, and then left at 9:30am to travel by car with members of the Stradkirchengemeinde over the Rhine River to the city of Worms (a bit over 50 miles distant). After a short time sightseeing on our own in the city center, we were met by an English-speaking guide who gave us an informative tour.
Our first stop was the Trinity Church, also known as the Reformation memorial church. It was built between 1709 and 1725 in a baroque style, and was destroyed (except for the side walls and front tower) by bombing in the Second World War. It was reconstructed between 1955 and 1958 with a modern design. The baroque church had used images to explain the words of the Nicene Creed (from which the “Trinity” in the church’s name comes), and the tradition was continued in the new church’s interior where the interior walls are covered with the written words of the Creed and Luther’s catechism.
Nearby, we visited St. Peter’s Cathedral, a Romanesque church built in the 12th century. Beside the Cathedral in the area which in the 16th century was the Bishop’s palace, our guide explained the history of the Diet at Worms in 1521. Luther was asked by Emperor Charles V to recant his writings and (after taking a day to think about it) declined, saying that it would be dangerous to his soul to go against his conscience. A costumed docent playing the part of a 16th century bookseller’s wife told us about the various original works by Luther that she and her husband had for sale, and for which Luther was asked to account in his heresy trial. We next were taken to see the largest Reformation Memorial in the world, finished in 1868 using funds contributed from all around the world.
Our group had a substantial and delicious lunch at the Hotel Restaurant Kriemhilde in Worms, continuing to get to know some members of our host families and other church members who took this day to tour Worms with us.
After lunch many of us visited Europe’s oldest extant Jewish Cemetery, dating from as far back as the year 1058. Leaving in Worms in the late afternoon, our group stopped on the Rhine River to visit the Hagen statue commemorating the ancient German saga story, The Song of the Nibelungs.
Returning to Offenbach, our group stopped at the J. Grittmann Winery in Osthofen where we gathered in an ‘upper room’ and were treated to an evening meal including cheese and meats, pretzels, and wine tasting. The owner couple of the winery served us, and taught us about how grapes are grown and wine is made.
In the nearly-constant conversation with our new friends today, we have enjoyed learning more about their work, families, and church life. Tomorrow we will get a bit later start, with plans to visit the Offenbach Farmer’s Market in the morning, tour Frankfurt the afternoon, and then gather for a service and fellowship dinner at the Offenbach Church.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday Evening, 10-28-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
We slept in a little bit this morning, as all were tired from yesterday’s long day (and still adjusting to the time change). Pastors Christiane and Joachim and I met to plan for tomorrow’s worship service at 10am, and then joined most of the group in visiting the Offenbach Farmers Market at 11am.
At 1pm we ventured back to Frankfurt by train and met up with our English-speaking guide in the center of the old city. We saw pictures of the bombing devastation of Frankfurt from World War II, and learned about the areas that were rebuilt in the post-war years as well as development since. We visited the Catholic Cathedral where Emperors were chosen and inaugurated and saw one stained glass window and altar that were preserved by sandbagging during the bombing.
We walked to what had been the Jewish quarter of Frankfurt for hundreds of years, and where today there is a museum and the walled Jewish cemetery. Along the outside wall of the cemetery are rows of small protruding metal boxes, each bearing the name of one of the Jewish residents killed in the Holocaust. The design permits a visitor to place a stone as if on a gravestone as is the custom in Jewish cemeteries; the site is near the footprint of the synagogue which was destroyed in Kristallnacht.
Following this sobering visit, we walked toward the newer commercial areas of Frankfurt, stopping on the way to see the birthplace of the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. After a bit of afternoon coffee and some shopping for souvenirs, our group returned by train to Offenbach to prepare for an evening fellowship with members of the congregation.
We began the night learning a new hymn in German and praying together, then went into the tower of the church where there is a fellowship space for a potluck meal and presentations by the congregation about their church’s programs and history. A Powerpoint and a video from this evening “Encounter” are posted in the pictures file accompanying this document.
Tomorrow we will worship together and share Communion (using Communionware contributed by the Duke in the 18th century!) before touring other religious houses here in Offenbach.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday Evening, 10-29-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Today was spent exploring Offenbach itself. The bells of the churches rang through the town throughout the morning, and by the end of the day our group had visited two churches, two synagogues, and one tavern.
We first gathered at 10:30am in the Stadtkirche Tower Room to warm up our voices, and then in the sanctuary with the congregation at 11am for the Partnerschaftsgottesdienst (Partnership Worship Service). The service included a flute and piano duet of “Come Sunday” by Sheila and Earnest, and members of our group singing “Learning on the Everlasting Arms” as a choir piece. Our first hymn was “A Mighty Fortress,” and it was very special to be singing it in German in the land of Luther’s birth.
Pastor Michelle and Pastor Cleo joined Pfarrerin Christiane and Pfarrer Joachim in preaching a dialogue sermon, offering prayers, and serving Communion. Following worship, the congregation met for “Church Cafe” (or maybe, “Church Kaffe?”) over breads, cakes, and casseroles as well as coffee. There were about 48 present including ourselves, which represents good attendance in this congregation. We presented a UCC Bible to the congregation, and they gave us a framed photograph of the beautiful stained glass window in their sanctuary.
At 2pm, an Offenbach archivist and neighbor of our hosts Angela and Karl spoke to us in the French Reformed (Huguenot) Church just up the street and explained that congregation’s history. It is the oldest Protestant Church in Offenbach, dating from French refugees who came in 1699.
From the Huguenot Church our guide led us through a park with lanes named for famous Offenbach rabbis Max Dienemann and Regina Jonas, to where we could view the pre-World War II Offenbach synagogue, which was desecrated on Kristallnacht and left for secular purposes after the war’s end.
We then were welcomed into the new synagogue by its Rabbi, who shared his own biography and answered questions from us and our Offenbach friends about belief and practice.
One of the interesting things we have been learning about is how religious institutions are funded in Germany. Each adherent so identifies themselves to the government and is taxed in proportion to their income, with the total amount from a local congregation’s members less a processing fee provided as income to the churches, mosques, and synagogues.
This evening we had the opportunity to take our Offenbach hosts out for supper. We had a lovely evening at a traditional German tavern.
We were thinking of our Beneficent friends today, and included Beneficent in our prayers. We were glad today to receive some encouraging news from Jay Frails about her mother, who is dealing with shingles, and from Emily Alves, on behalf of Chris who has begun chemotherapy. We continue to lift them up to God for strength and healing.
Tomorrow we make an early start to visit Point Alpha (former checkpoint between East and West Germany) and then Eisenach and Wartburg.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday Evening, 10-30-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Our day was once again full, and blessed. We traveled today about 115 miles to the north east to the city of Eisenach- and back. Our Offenbach hosts drove two vans and one car for our group of Beneficent of Stadtkirche partners.
We headed first to Point Alpha in Rhon, where we were able to climb a Cold War-era guard tower and visit the base from which US Troops kept watch on the border with East Germany for four decades before the Wall came down. We imagined what it would have been like to exist beside the no-man’s land. I was moved to hear one of our hosts say how she appreciated that she and her family had lived in the US-occupied section of Germany after World War II, because the US helped them rebuild.
Continuing another hour’s drive, we arrived in time for lunch in Eisenach, a city in the Thuringen region of Germany. The town and the drive in allowed us to see many original wood buildings. Following the meal our group broke up and did shopping and errands until it was time to head to the Wartburg Castle for our evening entrance.
As we drove toward the fortress, we remembered Luther’s famous hymn about trusting in God. Arriving at the base of the hill, some walked up, and others rode in a shuttle. There was an informative audio tour available, and we saw pictures of Martin Luther and his parents painted in their lifetimes, an actual indulgence, and many examples of Bibles and theological writings from the early Reformation. Interiors of the castle from later years were impressive- unfortunately no pictures were permitted. We also were able to witness a special light show on the castle walls done for the Reformation anniversary.
Tomorrow is the Anniversary itself, and we now will celebrate it in Pastor Joachim’s own church in an ecumencial and bilingual service - German and Korean!
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday, 10-31-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
On our final full day in Germany, we traveled in the morning to the town where Pastor Joachim now serves at the Evangelische Friedensgemeinde Kelsterbach to join him and other community pastors and churches for a worship observance of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.
The service included at least three musical interpretations of “A Mighty Fortress”: accompanied by guitar led by what seemed to be a praise team from a church with contemporary music; in a powerful anthem format presented by the choir of the Koreanische Kirchengemeinde Uri Petrusgemeinde; and by a community orchestra.
Hearing the familiar tune, singing in German in a multi-national community, praying the Lord’s Prayer in our own languages, and sharing at the Lord’s Table at the conclusion of the service shaped an experience I don’t think I will ever forget. It truly felt like the Realm of God had settled for a time there in the town community center as a promise of a future eternity of shared fellowship.
Some of our group returned in the afternoon to Frankfurt to do some sightseeing and shopping, and others headed back to our borrowed ‘homes’ to prepare for the next day’s journey.
We gathered with our hosts in the evening in the Parish House around the table where we had first been welcomed. We visitors took turns sharing a special memory or experience we would be taking back with us. Pastor Christiane presented each of us with “Reformation Anniversary” chocolates. Beneficent Church presented Pastors Christiane and Joachim with gifts of music and Beneficent t-shirts and water bottles, Pastor Christiane for the Offenbach church with a bucket of Rhode Island “Del’s Lemonade” to enjoy at an upcoming Church Cafe, and our fantastic organizers Angela and Karl with a special gift. We blessed one another with prayer before departing, some to final dinners at host homes, and others to share one last (Vietnamese!) meal at a nearby restaurant.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, 11-1-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Midmorning, the bulk of our group gathered packed and ready at the Parish House, planning to meet others at the train stop nearby. Upon arrival at the train stop, though, we learned that there was a blockage between Offenbach and the airport - no train!
Pastor Christiane came to our rescue, summoning three taxis, and our group made it in good time to pass uneventfully through security and onto our outbound flight in the afternoon.
Three pilgrims (Carlos, Pastor Cleo, and Kathy) traveled directly back to the USA on this day, with Earnest, John, Pastor Michelle, and Sheila staying two additional nights on stopover in Iceland, and Jane, Jay, Louis, and Terry returning on Saturday.
This pilgrimage, with its extraordinary moments - in the rebuilt Trinity Church and Cathedral in Worms; in the Tower Room and the Sanctuary of the Stadtkirchengemeinde; on the former site of the Frankfurt Synagogue and in the new Synagogue in Offenbach; at the memorial at Point Alpha; in Luther’s room at Wartburg Castle; and gathered with “all God’s people” in Reformation worship in Kelsterbach - has been a series of blessings to me and John, and I believe to all who participated from the US and Germany. We look forward to sharing more about the journey (both physical and interior) at Beneficent on Sunday, November 19th.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Karl
Walls (written at Checkpoint Alpha) by John Madsen-Bibeau
What if the walls we build keep us in
Rather than them out?
Is that freedom?
Or is that security?
Which do we long for more?
We fear that the government is selling us the other one.
If we can walk
From one place to another
We might see things
Someone else doesn’t want us to.
We might remember things
Someone else doesn’t want us to.
We might love people
Someone else doesn’t want us to.
We might...we might...
But those other people, they might... they might
They might think badly of us (We might think badly of us)
Without walls,
there is no possession,
there is no allegiance,
There is no control
There is no anger
And yet, we speak of freedom
and building walls.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dinner in the Upper Room - A Reflection (Another piece from John Madsen-Bibeau passed on to Pastor Joachim for the Offenbach Congregation)
I write you in the Evangelical Church in Offenbach as a fellow Christian and as a pastor. Your beautiful church in the middle of the city reminds me of many churches in the cities of America. In modern society, it is hard enough to get people to attend church, but inner-city churches have special challenges. They are dwarfed both symbolically and literally by the tall and busy buildings around them. They compete with the shops. They have limited parking spaces and, in the midst of a loud world, they offer quiet for the mind and soul. In a world where people enjoy the virtual, the church offers the real.
We, as pastors in small churches — at least in America — are frequently “selling” something the culture is not “buying.” I write all of this not to complain but to commiserate with your situation.
And yet, in the small church in the city, in your upper room, I am reminded of Jesus and his small band of people in the middle of the city of Jerusalem. They changed the world.
As we sat in what you call the “tower room,” I would encourage you to think about it as the “upper room,” especially on Maundy Thursday. You have so much to offer, and the world needs so much.
I wish you well, and hope you will bring your intelligence, compassion, warmth and Christian love into the world in and around Offenbach. You can see the joy and warmth you have ignited within our group. I am sure you will the do the same when we are gone. Bless you, our friends.
Peace,
Rev. John Madsen-Bibeau
Dear Beneficent Friends:
We arrived safely at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday around noon local time, and were met by a delegation from the Offenbach congregation including Angela Sluyter, who has done so much to organize our visit, and Pastor Joachim Bundschuh and Bernd Konze, all known to our members.
From the airport we took a train and walked a short distance to the Parish House of the Stadtkirchengemeinde, seeing the outside of the church and a little bit of the neighborhood as we went. We were welcomed by several more members of the church including: the church’s current Pastor Christinane Esser-Kapp; Karl, Angela’s husband, who has been corresponding with us on her behalf and who worked for a time in Hackensack, New Jersey; Angelika Kaufmann, who is hosting Jay and Jane in her home; Holger App, host to Pastor Cleo and Kathy Henry; and Anita Johannes the church Office Administrator.
They had prepared a welcoming meal with savory and sweet pastries. We sang “Amen” together as our grace, and then enjoyed one another’s company over the feast. Our German lessons continued, as we learned to distinguish different types of wasser (mineral, seltzer, plain…) and the words for tea and coffee. Soon we were joined by Stefan Gehrmann, Pastor Joachim’s husband and another familiar friend of Beneficent Church.
The travelers were tired after their night with little sleep, so after some logistical information from Pastor Joachim and Angela, we dispersed to our respective overnight accommodations at about 4pm. We will meet each day for breakfast at the Parish House, where Carlos Vega and Pastor Michelle and her husband John are staying. On Friday, we will travel by car to visit Worms, where Luther was declared a heretic in 1521.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday Evening, 10-27-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Whew! It is 10pm local time, and we have just returned from a full and wonderful day.
We gathered at 8am at the Parish House for a breakfast of fresh-baked bread and our choices of jams, cheeses, and meats, and then left at 9:30am to travel by car with members of the Stradkirchengemeinde over the Rhine River to the city of Worms (a bit over 50 miles distant). After a short time sightseeing on our own in the city center, we were met by an English-speaking guide who gave us an informative tour.
Our first stop was the Trinity Church, also known as the Reformation memorial church. It was built between 1709 and 1725 in a baroque style, and was destroyed (except for the side walls and front tower) by bombing in the Second World War. It was reconstructed between 1955 and 1958 with a modern design. The baroque church had used images to explain the words of the Nicene Creed (from which the “Trinity” in the church’s name comes), and the tradition was continued in the new church’s interior where the interior walls are covered with the written words of the Creed and Luther’s catechism.
Nearby, we visited St. Peter’s Cathedral, a Romanesque church built in the 12th century. Beside the Cathedral in the area which in the 16th century was the Bishop’s palace, our guide explained the history of the Diet at Worms in 1521. Luther was asked by Emperor Charles V to recant his writings and (after taking a day to think about it) declined, saying that it would be dangerous to his soul to go against his conscience. A costumed docent playing the part of a 16th century bookseller’s wife told us about the various original works by Luther that she and her husband had for sale, and for which Luther was asked to account in his heresy trial. We next were taken to see the largest Reformation Memorial in the world, finished in 1868 using funds contributed from all around the world.
Our group had a substantial and delicious lunch at the Hotel Restaurant Kriemhilde in Worms, continuing to get to know some members of our host families and other church members who took this day to tour Worms with us.
After lunch many of us visited Europe’s oldest extant Jewish Cemetery, dating from as far back as the year 1058. Leaving in Worms in the late afternoon, our group stopped on the Rhine River to visit the Hagen statue commemorating the ancient German saga story, The Song of the Nibelungs.
Returning to Offenbach, our group stopped at the J. Grittmann Winery in Osthofen where we gathered in an ‘upper room’ and were treated to an evening meal including cheese and meats, pretzels, and wine tasting. The owner couple of the winery served us, and taught us about how grapes are grown and wine is made.
In the nearly-constant conversation with our new friends today, we have enjoyed learning more about their work, families, and church life. Tomorrow we will get a bit later start, with plans to visit the Offenbach Farmer’s Market in the morning, tour Frankfurt the afternoon, and then gather for a service and fellowship dinner at the Offenbach Church.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday Evening, 10-28-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
We slept in a little bit this morning, as all were tired from yesterday’s long day (and still adjusting to the time change). Pastors Christiane and Joachim and I met to plan for tomorrow’s worship service at 10am, and then joined most of the group in visiting the Offenbach Farmers Market at 11am.
At 1pm we ventured back to Frankfurt by train and met up with our English-speaking guide in the center of the old city. We saw pictures of the bombing devastation of Frankfurt from World War II, and learned about the areas that were rebuilt in the post-war years as well as development since. We visited the Catholic Cathedral where Emperors were chosen and inaugurated and saw one stained glass window and altar that were preserved by sandbagging during the bombing.
We walked to what had been the Jewish quarter of Frankfurt for hundreds of years, and where today there is a museum and the walled Jewish cemetery. Along the outside wall of the cemetery are rows of small protruding metal boxes, each bearing the name of one of the Jewish residents killed in the Holocaust. The design permits a visitor to place a stone as if on a gravestone as is the custom in Jewish cemeteries; the site is near the footprint of the synagogue which was destroyed in Kristallnacht.
Following this sobering visit, we walked toward the newer commercial areas of Frankfurt, stopping on the way to see the birthplace of the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. After a bit of afternoon coffee and some shopping for souvenirs, our group returned by train to Offenbach to prepare for an evening fellowship with members of the congregation.
We began the night learning a new hymn in German and praying together, then went into the tower of the church where there is a fellowship space for a potluck meal and presentations by the congregation about their church’s programs and history. A Powerpoint and a video from this evening “Encounter” are posted in the pictures file accompanying this document.
Tomorrow we will worship together and share Communion (using Communionware contributed by the Duke in the 18th century!) before touring other religious houses here in Offenbach.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday Evening, 10-29-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Today was spent exploring Offenbach itself. The bells of the churches rang through the town throughout the morning, and by the end of the day our group had visited two churches, two synagogues, and one tavern.
We first gathered at 10:30am in the Stadtkirche Tower Room to warm up our voices, and then in the sanctuary with the congregation at 11am for the Partnerschaftsgottesdienst (Partnership Worship Service). The service included a flute and piano duet of “Come Sunday” by Sheila and Earnest, and members of our group singing “Learning on the Everlasting Arms” as a choir piece. Our first hymn was “A Mighty Fortress,” and it was very special to be singing it in German in the land of Luther’s birth.
Pastor Michelle and Pastor Cleo joined Pfarrerin Christiane and Pfarrer Joachim in preaching a dialogue sermon, offering prayers, and serving Communion. Following worship, the congregation met for “Church Cafe” (or maybe, “Church Kaffe?”) over breads, cakes, and casseroles as well as coffee. There were about 48 present including ourselves, which represents good attendance in this congregation. We presented a UCC Bible to the congregation, and they gave us a framed photograph of the beautiful stained glass window in their sanctuary.
At 2pm, an Offenbach archivist and neighbor of our hosts Angela and Karl spoke to us in the French Reformed (Huguenot) Church just up the street and explained that congregation’s history. It is the oldest Protestant Church in Offenbach, dating from French refugees who came in 1699.
From the Huguenot Church our guide led us through a park with lanes named for famous Offenbach rabbis Max Dienemann and Regina Jonas, to where we could view the pre-World War II Offenbach synagogue, which was desecrated on Kristallnacht and left for secular purposes after the war’s end.
We then were welcomed into the new synagogue by its Rabbi, who shared his own biography and answered questions from us and our Offenbach friends about belief and practice.
One of the interesting things we have been learning about is how religious institutions are funded in Germany. Each adherent so identifies themselves to the government and is taxed in proportion to their income, with the total amount from a local congregation’s members less a processing fee provided as income to the churches, mosques, and synagogues.
This evening we had the opportunity to take our Offenbach hosts out for supper. We had a lovely evening at a traditional German tavern.
We were thinking of our Beneficent friends today, and included Beneficent in our prayers. We were glad today to receive some encouraging news from Jay Frails about her mother, who is dealing with shingles, and from Emily Alves, on behalf of Chris who has begun chemotherapy. We continue to lift them up to God for strength and healing.
Tomorrow we make an early start to visit Point Alpha (former checkpoint between East and West Germany) and then Eisenach and Wartburg.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday Evening, 10-30-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Our day was once again full, and blessed. We traveled today about 115 miles to the north east to the city of Eisenach- and back. Our Offenbach hosts drove two vans and one car for our group of Beneficent of Stadtkirche partners.
We headed first to Point Alpha in Rhon, where we were able to climb a Cold War-era guard tower and visit the base from which US Troops kept watch on the border with East Germany for four decades before the Wall came down. We imagined what it would have been like to exist beside the no-man’s land. I was moved to hear one of our hosts say how she appreciated that she and her family had lived in the US-occupied section of Germany after World War II, because the US helped them rebuild.
Continuing another hour’s drive, we arrived in time for lunch in Eisenach, a city in the Thuringen region of Germany. The town and the drive in allowed us to see many original wood buildings. Following the meal our group broke up and did shopping and errands until it was time to head to the Wartburg Castle for our evening entrance.
As we drove toward the fortress, we remembered Luther’s famous hymn about trusting in God. Arriving at the base of the hill, some walked up, and others rode in a shuttle. There was an informative audio tour available, and we saw pictures of Martin Luther and his parents painted in their lifetimes, an actual indulgence, and many examples of Bibles and theological writings from the early Reformation. Interiors of the castle from later years were impressive- unfortunately no pictures were permitted. We also were able to witness a special light show on the castle walls done for the Reformation anniversary.
Tomorrow is the Anniversary itself, and we now will celebrate it in Pastor Joachim’s own church in an ecumencial and bilingual service - German and Korean!
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday, 10-31-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
On our final full day in Germany, we traveled in the morning to the town where Pastor Joachim now serves at the Evangelische Friedensgemeinde Kelsterbach to join him and other community pastors and churches for a worship observance of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.
The service included at least three musical interpretations of “A Mighty Fortress”: accompanied by guitar led by what seemed to be a praise team from a church with contemporary music; in a powerful anthem format presented by the choir of the Koreanische Kirchengemeinde Uri Petrusgemeinde; and by a community orchestra.
Hearing the familiar tune, singing in German in a multi-national community, praying the Lord’s Prayer in our own languages, and sharing at the Lord’s Table at the conclusion of the service shaped an experience I don’t think I will ever forget. It truly felt like the Realm of God had settled for a time there in the town community center as a promise of a future eternity of shared fellowship.
Some of our group returned in the afternoon to Frankfurt to do some sightseeing and shopping, and others headed back to our borrowed ‘homes’ to prepare for the next day’s journey.
We gathered with our hosts in the evening in the Parish House around the table where we had first been welcomed. We visitors took turns sharing a special memory or experience we would be taking back with us. Pastor Christiane presented each of us with “Reformation Anniversary” chocolates. Beneficent Church presented Pastors Christiane and Joachim with gifts of music and Beneficent t-shirts and water bottles, Pastor Christiane for the Offenbach church with a bucket of Rhode Island “Del’s Lemonade” to enjoy at an upcoming Church Cafe, and our fantastic organizers Angela and Karl with a special gift. We blessed one another with prayer before departing, some to final dinners at host homes, and others to share one last (Vietnamese!) meal at a nearby restaurant.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, 11-1-17
Dear Beneficent Friends:
Midmorning, the bulk of our group gathered packed and ready at the Parish House, planning to meet others at the train stop nearby. Upon arrival at the train stop, though, we learned that there was a blockage between Offenbach and the airport - no train!
Pastor Christiane came to our rescue, summoning three taxis, and our group made it in good time to pass uneventfully through security and onto our outbound flight in the afternoon.
Three pilgrims (Carlos, Pastor Cleo, and Kathy) traveled directly back to the USA on this day, with Earnest, John, Pastor Michelle, and Sheila staying two additional nights on stopover in Iceland, and Jane, Jay, Louis, and Terry returning on Saturday.
This pilgrimage, with its extraordinary moments - in the rebuilt Trinity Church and Cathedral in Worms; in the Tower Room and the Sanctuary of the Stadtkirchengemeinde; on the former site of the Frankfurt Synagogue and in the new Synagogue in Offenbach; at the memorial at Point Alpha; in Luther’s room at Wartburg Castle; and gathered with “all God’s people” in Reformation worship in Kelsterbach - has been a series of blessings to me and John, and I believe to all who participated from the US and Germany. We look forward to sharing more about the journey (both physical and interior) at Beneficent on Sunday, November 19th.
Blessings, Pastor Michelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Karl
Walls (written at Checkpoint Alpha) by John Madsen-Bibeau
What if the walls we build keep us in
Rather than them out?
Is that freedom?
Or is that security?
Which do we long for more?
We fear that the government is selling us the other one.
If we can walk
From one place to another
We might see things
Someone else doesn’t want us to.
We might remember things
Someone else doesn’t want us to.
We might love people
Someone else doesn’t want us to.
We might...we might...
But those other people, they might... they might
They might think badly of us (We might think badly of us)
Without walls,
there is no possession,
there is no allegiance,
There is no control
There is no anger
And yet, we speak of freedom
and building walls.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dinner in the Upper Room - A Reflection (Another piece from John Madsen-Bibeau passed on to Pastor Joachim for the Offenbach Congregation)
I write you in the Evangelical Church in Offenbach as a fellow Christian and as a pastor. Your beautiful church in the middle of the city reminds me of many churches in the cities of America. In modern society, it is hard enough to get people to attend church, but inner-city churches have special challenges. They are dwarfed both symbolically and literally by the tall and busy buildings around them. They compete with the shops. They have limited parking spaces and, in the midst of a loud world, they offer quiet for the mind and soul. In a world where people enjoy the virtual, the church offers the real.
We, as pastors in small churches — at least in America — are frequently “selling” something the culture is not “buying.” I write all of this not to complain but to commiserate with your situation.
And yet, in the small church in the city, in your upper room, I am reminded of Jesus and his small band of people in the middle of the city of Jerusalem. They changed the world.
As we sat in what you call the “tower room,” I would encourage you to think about it as the “upper room,” especially on Maundy Thursday. You have so much to offer, and the world needs so much.
I wish you well, and hope you will bring your intelligence, compassion, warmth and Christian love into the world in and around Offenbach. You can see the joy and warmth you have ignited within our group. I am sure you will the do the same when we are gone. Bless you, our friends.
Peace,
Rev. John Madsen-Bibeau