After reading that title, how many of you readers instinctively replied, "He is risen indeed"?! This historic exchange has marked the most holy day on the Christian calendar for centuries, and it has been a blessing to celebrate Easter 2022 with my German brothers and sisters.
Week 2 was quite monumental for Das Kanada Haus, as we were finally able to welcome guests! Talking to Markus and Liz, you could sense their anticipation and gratitude. After approximately 2.5 years of waiting, praying and preparing, visitors are beginning to flow in once again. Keeping that grateful attitude is very helpful when cleaning rooms, by the way! As my pastor back home always says: "Attitude is EVERYTHING!" :)
This past week I have had the privilege of meeting so many new friends from all different walks of life. Last Sunday we drove about 2 hours to the town of Heilbad Heiligenstadt, where we took in a powerful service and met the Weis family. The pastor, Benjamin Weis ("Benny", for short), may be new to his role, but he is a strategic and caring individual who is passionate about reaching his community for Christ. My OMEGA subgroup will be working with the Heiligenstadt congregation for a one-week period, helping to reach out to youth and young adults in the local area.
Following the service, we went over to Pastor Benny's mom's house for Sunday dinner. Now when you talk about German hospitality, Frau Renate is the expert! Bratwurst sausages (among other delicious meats), sauerkraut, German dumplings, Rotkohl (red cabbage dish - one of my personal favourites!), Gemüse (mixed vegetables) and, of course, kartoffeln (POTATOES!!). Come on, I'm Irish! You can't have a meal without potatoes! (That one's for you, Dad <3)
Now, for those of you who are of German descent, you will know the high societal value placed on mid-afternoon kaffee und kuchen ("coffee and cake"). As we enjoyed a leisurely lunch, it seemed as good a time as ever to follow up our absolute feast of a main course with this longstanding (and, may I say, brilliant!) tradition. By this point I had already eaten way too much, but I did manage to sneak in a little eis (close to an ice milk or gelato) before hitting the road.
Friends, I promise you that we have been working off our extra calories! Later that day, Herr und Frau Herz arrived for a 2-day stay at DKH, during which time we worked together to clean about 95% of the windows on the base. Yes, that's 2 houses, 20 bedrooms (plus a private apartment), a skylit dining room... need I say more? The Herz's had operated a B&B in Austria for several years, and their expertise was invaluable. In Germany, homeowners typically clean their windows at least twice a year. Thankfully the windows swing open in a pseudo-French-door manner, so cleaning the outside panes of the windows isn't nearly as difficult as it would be with North American casement windows.
On Easter Sunday we made our way to Bamberg, which is about 80 minutes from the base. And yes, they trusted me to do all the driving...
In a city of around 80,000 people (almost 150,000 in the surrounding district), there is one Pentecostal church. Pastors Josh and Nici planted Riverside Kirche a few years ago, and since then the congregation has grown into a culturally diverse collective of believers who pray, serve, and worship together. Given that Bamberg is a university town, Riverside Kirche has an amazing opportunity to reach out to people coming from all different parts of the country - and world! - to study and start new careers. Please pray that God would bless this congregation, giving them favour, creativity, resources, and a special anointing of the Holy Spirit to reach Bamberg with the living Gospel.
After church, we spent a few hours walking through the historic Bamberg city centre, visiting the Alte Rathaus ("Old Town Hall") and the majestic Dome Cathedral. In our post-lockdown world, it was a little startling to see large and dense crowds of people again, but I was encouraged to see the joy and hope communicated in every smile and laugh. As bright rays of sun burst through the upper panes of the cathedral, further highlighted by the haze of candle smoke and incense in the air, I was reminded of that town hall down the hill, perched somewhat precariously on a small island bridging the two sides of the city. Yesterday the cathedral was filled with countless worshippers and tourists of all classes and cultural backgrounds. However, the town hall tells a different tale:
It tells of a collective of common people who wanted to set up a democratic system of government in a city whose property was owned and regulated by the Catholic Church. Not being able to find a place to belong on city property, the townspeople literally built an island that would house their base of local democracy. Not finding acceptance in the church system of the day, they worked together to construct an alternate system of power from the ground up.
Today, as I pray for Bamberg and Heiligenstadt, I begin to think about how so many people envision God. The Bible says that He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16), but they do not realize that the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ has given us access to His throne of grace at any time. A pilgrimage to a holy site may be a moving, awe-inspiring experience, but believers in Christ need only whisper His Name to receive a one-on-one audience with the King of Kings! The manifest presence of the Holy Spirit can be sensed in the gathering of those who have been saved and redeemed from the powers of sin and death, whether this gathering takes place in the Dome Cathedral or near the local döner kebab shop. God desires to meet with His people! That is why Friday is Good, and Sunday is glorious.
Yours in the Great Commission,
Emily