Church attendance on Sunday is rather important to me. It is not just something I do, because I am paid to do it or because of a sense of duty. No, I believe there is deep and profound value in weekly service attendence for one's well-being, for the well-being of fellow co-worshippers, and indeed for the well-being of the cosmos. Worship can move mountains!

While on sabbatical, I had the unique opportunity to attend all kinds of churches (unique, because usually I attend the same church over and over again - which is also quite wonderful!). Here is an alphabetical list of and a link to the congregations I attended (the denominations are also linked):

- Altkatholische Kirche Bayreuth (Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany), Bayreuth, Germany Germany
- Altkatholische Kirche Nürnberg (Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany), Nuremberg, Germany
- Altkatholische Kirche München (Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany), Munich, Germany
- Altkatholische Kirche Weidenberg (Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany), Weidenberg, Germany
- Church of the Ascension (The Episcopal Church (Convocation of American Churches in Europe)), Munich
- Kirchengemeinde Leezen (North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church), Leezen, Germany
- QueerGottesdienst (Ecumenical, with a pastor from the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Bavaria), Nuremberg, Germany
- St. Cosmae's (Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover), Stade, Germany
- St. James' (Church of England), Westminster, London, UK
- St. James-the-Less' (The Episcopal Church (Convocation of American Churches in Europe)), Nuremberg, Germany
- St. Peter's (Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Bavaria), Nuremberg, Germany
- St. Mary-Magdalene (Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Bavaria), Behringersdorf, Germany
- St. Matthew's (Church of England), Westminster, London, UK
- St. Michael's (Communität Casteller Ring, Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Bavaria), Schwanberg, Germany
Germany
- St. Sebald (Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Bavaria), Nuremberg, Germany

Nuremberg has a real saint.

Indeed, one of the two city churches houses the shrine of the city patron: St. Sebald. And his relics are still in the shrine! This is more surprising than one might think, because the Free Imperial City of Nurember signed the "Augsburg Confession" and has traditionally been a Lutheran city from the get-go. In fact, one of my old professors at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg maintained in one of his “History of the Reformation” –lectures that if it had not been for the strong support for the Reformation by the burghers of the city of Nuremberg, the Reformation probably would have failed. Such was the importance of the city within the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Indeed, each newly-crowned emperor had to hold his first diet in the city of Nuremberg. And, no, this had nothing to do with eating habits. (Neither did the Diet of Worms, by the way…).Yes, it is true: the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg (an independent territory answerable only to the Emperor) was one of the major players in the Middle Ages and might have been a prime candidate for an Imperial capital, if there ever had been one. But I do believe my professor’s assessment was a bit of an exaggeration.

One of the fascinating discovery for any newcomer and visitor tp Nuremberg are her city churches. And despite the Gothic splendour with altars and statues, the old city churches are almost exclusively Lutheran. The Lutheran Reformation was not iconoclastic and appreciated the beauty and the value of art. Martin Luther himself had some strong words against those burning icons and removing statues. No Puritan cleansing like the one that happened during the Reformation and the Commonwealth in Scotland and England. No smashing and stripping of altars like in Zurich, Geneva, or the Netherlands. It was all rather civil… and rather conservative. This is why in Nuremberg the shrine of St. Sebald was conserved (relics and all) in the church named after him.

But who on earth was St. Sebald? Well, there are all kinds of legends. Some say he was a Danish prince. Some say he was a pilgrim to Rome. We don’t really know. We don’t even really know when he lived. What is fairly certain though is that he was a hermit in the forests surrounding Nuremberg, a holy man living not far from where I was born and raised.

I like the idea of having a holy hermit as the patron saint of a busy and industrious city. It is a subtle reminder that wealth and success are not all that matter and cannot be taken to the grave. There are larger and more profound truths. There are eternal truths to which St. Sebald gave witness. He was signpost pointing towards the eternal truth of our triune God.

That his veneration developed quickly and in large ways, is both an attribute of St. Sebald’s holiness and an indicator that he was not a hermit totally disconnected from the world. People sought his advice and he probably interacted with people inside the city walls too, retreating to the trees on a regular basis. In a way he balanced the essentials of the Christian faith and of God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ: he reached out both to God and to his neighbour.

I have been drawn to St. Sebald for a while now. Of course, this has to do with local patriotism. I am a child of the city of Nuremberg. But it also has to do with the person of St. Sebald and with my biography. I am city dwell and I live in a busy and industrious place. In fact, years ago I read an article in a German news-magazine that stated that Vancouver will be the New York City of the 21^st century. So, Vancouver’s importance might be similar to Nuremberg’s importance in medical Europe. And in places like this, saints like St. Sebald are needed. We are in dire need for holy women and men that can retreat to a silence that is flooded with the love of God and that proclaim that there is a truth much larger than what we see, experience, and accomplish, or indeed fail to accomplish. And we equally need people who because they are grounded in the love of our triune God can recognise the face of Christ in whomever they encounter, can embrace stranger and friend as fellow sojourners alike, and can reach out to those who are hurting. And sometimes these holy women and men have to come from the outside, have to be aliens first before they settle and identify with a certain location. St. Sebald seems to fit this profile. Which makes him definitely a saint worth venerating n my book.

The city of Nuremberg had bit of a hard time to convince the Pope, though. The process of canonisation did move like molasses and only after some substantial sums of money had exchanged hands, did the Pope declare St. Sebald officially a saint. The citizens of Nuremberg and many others could not be perturbed though and pilgrimages to the shrine are well documented. It is only a bit of an irony that within a few generations after the canonisation, Nuremberg introduced the Reformation. This ended a lot of ecclesiastical abuses and it ended the pilgrimages. However, the shrine was not destroyed and stands tall as a witness to the refined skills of medieval Nuremberg artists, to the power of the burghers of Nuremberg, and last but not least to the holiness of St. Sebald and his life, which he tried to live in accordance with the Gospel.

I have struggled with the veneration of saints for large junks of my life. And the veneration of any part of creation easily bears the danger of idolatry. But as I do think the way it is handled in the Anglican Church is for the most part “meet and right so to do.” Our prayers for saints’ days are not addressed to the saints, but they glorify God for what aspect of God’s love was revealed particularly through the life of the saint commemorated. And while I agree with N.T. Wright that saints have no better access to God than any Christian , dead or alive, I do believe they have access and just like I can ask my friends Heather, David, Marnie, Tanja, Anett, Ted, or Jonathan to pray for me, so I can ask deceased saints, who are as much members of the church as I am. But in the end, any veneration must be careful to make clear that only Jesus is Lord. In and though him, and only in him and through him are our prayers acceptable before God.

In this context I was looking forward to St. Sebald’s patronal feast day on 19 August with great anticipation and great expectation. I had prayed at the shrine (particularly for the unity of the church) a few times before, but there was to be an ecumenical vesper service on the actual day. The fact that the Lutherans, who really do not remember saints’ days in Germany anymore, and the Roman Catholics who no longer had jurisdiction of the shrine was intriguing enough. St. Sebald was bringing together Christians for worship even now…

I did, however, not anticipate many people. As I said above, there is no tradition in Lutehranism for this kind of thing anymore. And St. Sebald is too obscure for most Roman Catholics. Or so I thought. But the church was full, not packed, but full. What I didn’t know was that over the last few years the service has morphed from a celebration by some very committed Christians to an communal event, including politicians and other celebrities. It was the city at prayer, asking for God’s guidance and the revelation of God’s justice and mercy for the people of Nuremberg. And this is another accomplishment by the saint, methinks…

The service was held in a church that was heavily destroyed during World War II. Bombs rained all over Nuremberg, not just because there was heavy military industry in the city, but also because Nuremberg was the home to the annual party rallies, the “Reischparteitage.” The fire-storm, not the least kindled by the so-called “Nuremberg laws,” which codified the oppression of those who did not fit into the Third Reich, burnt down the Church of St. Sebald and many of her parishioners, too. Only the bare skeleton survived. The church was rebuilt and restored with its art, which, thankfully, had been stored in basements during the war. After twelve years of God-less terror in Germany, new life had to be brought back, not unlike in the vision of Ezekiel. Even to churches… And I believe the restoration of the shrine was an important aspect of this resurrection. (I have been thinking about this particularly since I read the second Merrily Watson mystery novel, which was recommended to me by a parishioner). Today, the parish is a member of the Reconciliation fellowship, started at the Cathedral in Coventry, which was destroyed by German bombs. The church stands as a witness to God’s love and as a symbol for peace.

Almighty and everlasting God,

we thank you for your servant Sebald,

whom you called to preach the gospel

to the people of Nuremberg.

Raise up in this and every land,

heralds and evangelists of your kingdom and of your peace,

that your Church may make known the immeasurable riches

of our Saviour Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(adapted from, Book of Alternative Services, Anglican Church of Canada, p. 434)

Erfurt

I got to travel to Erfurt as part of my sabbatical. Erfurt is the capital of Thuringia, which is a state on the territory of the former German Democratic Republic, aka East Germany.

I had not been in the East since the early 1990s and I was bracing myself for coming back after such a long time. But things have changed. Have they ever!

Erfurt is restored to a beauty that is quite stunning. I was more than pleasantly surprised, I was blown away. What a great place to visit (and, I bet, to live)! The medieval character of the city has been brought back from behind ruined and dust-covered facades and there is a wonderful feel about the city, aided by many restaurants and pubs which are frequented not just by tourists, but also by locals. Furthermore, the surrounding landscape is not shabby either. Rolling hills and thick forests are easily accessible and my romantic German heart jump with joy as the train crossed the Thuringian Forrest on the way to Erfurt. It was absolutely stunning.

However, the reason for my trip was not recreational, but educational. I participated in a seminar on “Life, Dying, Death” co-sponsored by the Roman Catholic German Bishop’s Conference and the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (the federation of Lutheran churches within the EKD (see previous entry)). There were Lutheran pastors and Roman Catholic priests and pastoral assistants from Germany and a few other places. We staid at the Ursuline convent in Erfurt, which is right at the city centre and makes the access to the local gastronomy rather easy. This was essential, because of the soccer World Cup. The first German game was the first day of the conference, but I did not have to miss it.

Let me do a little side-tour and talk about the World Cup.

For those North American reading this, it will probably be hard to explain the excitement of a World Cup. But I grew up with it, was nursed with mother-milk and football (the proper term for soccer). And even though I did not play myself, football is part of my identity. (At least I ended up being a referee for wee while, but that is a different story). This time round, I was able to watch a number of games, partially because there was no time difference between South Africa and Germany, and partially because I was on sabbatical, which allowed me to do my own schedule. And since especially my mother is also a football fanatic, we watch a lot of games together. I even watched the World Cup during a trip to London… and thank God this happened after Germany had beaten England… ☺ (Of course, this particular game included a shot into the German goal by the English, which was disallowed by the referee. Well, let me repeat my comment on the CBC website: After 44 years justice was served. And if you understand what I just said, well, you truly are a football-fan.)

I was also excite to see the FIFA-World Cup being played on the African continent and from all I could see and hear (thanks to the Vuvuzelas!), South Africa was a wonderful, gracious, and most hospitable host! Thank you!

Germans are football-crazy (like most other nations on this planet). If there was any doubt you just had to visit a electronics store a few days before the opening ceremony (, which I did with my folks, who were looking for a new dryer). The TV-section was swamped!!! People were upgrading their TV-systems, buying large screen high-definition TVs, and doing everything to have the best reception for this spectacle. Equally the alcohol, barbecue, and snacks’ section always was crowded with people stocking up for football-parties. And of course there were huge screen in every German city for “public viewing” events, which had nothing to do with a funeral or a wake, but everything with football. As I said, it was crazy. And it was wonderful. The mood was always celebratory and fun. Germany really has grown to become a nation claiming its cultural and national identity, without trying to do this in an exclusive or ethnically motivated way (just look at the ethnicities of the German players – it was wonderfully diverse!!!). Some are even using the word “patriotism” again, which would have been impossible in my youth. It is a different country and it was exciting to be part of the buzz.

But back to Erfurt.

As I said the seminar was on issues surrounding death, which was particularly apt, because I was reading a book by the Bishop of Durham (the Rt. Rev. N.T. Wright) on Christian hope and the Resurrection (a book I can highly recommend and which we might read as a parish study come Lent 2011…!).

During the week-long seminar we considered death, dying, mourning and funerals from practical perspectives (funeral culture, funeral rites, funeral traditions, rites leading up to death and dying…), from practical-theological perspectives (the theology of funerals, the theology of burial traditions, the development of liturgies, pastoral care for the dying and the grieving), biblical-exegetical perspectives (dying, death, and resurrection in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the Second Testament), and systematic –theological perspectives (what is the Christian hope? Is there eternal damnation?). The presenters were all theology professors from German universities and no light-weights in the field. They also were equally split between Roman Catholic and Lutheran, which gave the seminar a very fascinating perspective. In addition, the Roman Catholic suffragan bishop of Erfurt led us on a tour of a RC church that had partially been converted into a columbarium, we visited the Augustine monastery, where Martin Luther had been a monk, and we had a fireside chat with the Lutheran regional bishop and the RC diocesan bishop of Erfurt. All in all, it was full and stimulating.

There are still a few things ruminating in my head:
- First of all, over the last few years I have encountered a number of parishioners who shared stories of encounters with the dead with me. Unfortunately, the lecturers were not able to give satisfying systematical answers on this question...
- Furthermore, the question of “apokatastasis panton” (the salvation of all, regardless if one believes or not) was not satisfactorily answered, And I have to admit that the two models presented did not convince me at all. I learned more from N.T. Wright’s book…
- Thirdly, the excursion to the church-columbarium made me think about the expansion of the columbarium at St. Paul’s. The suffragan shared a number of good insights and it was clear how popular the site has become. This is particularly interesting in a city where far less then 10% of the population are Roman Catholic and where an overwhelming majority is agnostic or atheist.
- In this respect, the insights of the two bishops during the fire-chat were profound. After 40 years of Communist atheism and state sponsored oppression in the East, the church is almost extinct. New concepts on how to be church have to be developed and are being developed not just by each church, but also ecumenically. There was much to consider and I found many similarities to the situation in Vancouver, where the church is also marginal.
- The evening with the bishops also held some other surprises, though. First, the strain and stress within the Roman Catholic institution became quite clear. The abuse scandal has clearly left its mark. Furthermore, a creeping conservatism has led to an exodus of a lot of active, but more liberal members and Rome is pulling up the draw bridge not just shutting out many a people, but also (I strongly believe) shutting out the Holy Spirit and the healing grace of God. This leads to an unfortunate reality. The continued insistence by Rome that Protestants and Anglicans denominations are not churches creates an arrogance that has not much to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (And, as a side-note, the Papal vicariate for disaffected Anglicans is neither helpful, nor ecumenically sensitive, nor portraying Christian charity. In fact , it really is a scandal that is not helpful and hinders the mission and ministry of the Church Universal.) On the other side, I saw how much my RC colleagues are suffering. And those at this Erfurt seminar were mostly good and faithful people, who are just trying to life into their call. Often, however, they find themselves being unable to share their theological insight and the clumsiness and idiocy of some hierarchs really impeds their work for the Kingdom of God. But I must also remember: Yes, there are good people out there. Equally, there are good Lutheran colleagues out there and it became clear who they were during the fire-side chat. One Lutheran pastor from the North called the Lutheran regional bishop on the German Lutherans’ ambiguity when it comes to the issue of "ordination." And, she acknowledged that Anglicans are willing to sacrifice much more (and have done so) in ecumenical conversations with Lutherans. It was refreshing to hear a Lutheran colleague speak out so clearly. (I really think we must be more honest with our Lutheran partners and share more clearly with them our theology, our faith, our deep convictions, and our identity. It cannot be that the Church of England and the EKD have different understandings on the implications of the Meissen Declaration. And it cannot be that the EKD is moving to more radical–reformed ecclesiology (including her understanding of ordination) without Anglican reaction. It cannot be, for example, that the Niagara report asks Lutheran to avoid lay presidency at the Eucharist and, yet, lay presidency is not uncommon in Germany…)
- There was, of course, also a lot of informal sharing in the evenings, which was always paired with generous consumptions of one of Germany’s national drink (aka beer). That’s were a lot of learning happened! And we even watched two of Germany’s football games.

- Finally, though, despite some of my misgivings on a theoretical level, I have to say, I learned a lot. And the Spirit was very present. And I realised that there are amazing people answering God's call for ordained leadership in the church and I am happy to call these people colleagues.

Photographic impressions part I

(and I apologise for the selection, blogspot only allows me to upload .jpeg that are smaller than 8MB, which limits my selection)

Communitaet Casteller Ring, Convent

CCR, church

Entrance to my folks' home

flower in my folks' garden

Ancient Pub Sign in Nuremberg

And the interior of the pub

Old city gate, Nuremberg

Modern Fountain in Nuremberg

Selling Nuremberg Sausages

Along the river Pegnitz, Nuremberg

The "Beautiful Well", Nuremberg

The shrine of St. Sebald in St. Sebald's Church (Lutheran)

Baptismal Font St. Sebald's Church, Nuremberg

Organ, St. Sebald's Church, Nuremberg

Old City, Nuremberg

Old City, Nuremberg

Old City, Nuremberg

Castle in my home town (just outside Nuremberg)

Parsonage in my home town

close to my home town

Close to my home town

The following pictures are all taken at the Baltic Coast (Schleswig-Holstein) during a family trip:

Still at the Baltic Sea, but at a theme park with my niece and nephew...

...and at a Viking Museum near Schleswig

More to follow.

Munich

Bavaria. Old Churches with Baroque interiors. Men in Lederhosen. Castles and Palaces. Museums. Theatres. Technological advances. Gemuetlichkeit. The Alps. Beer. Beer. Beer. Did I say Beer?

When people think of Munich there are tons of images that different people conjure up. But I didn’t go South to the Bavarian capital in order to join the hundreds and thousands of tourists who visit day in and day out to take in the sights. I joined some 120,000 people from across Germany (and obviously from across the world) for the 2. Oekumenischer Kirchentag (2nd Ecumenical Church Convention).

The “Kirchentag” is a peculiar German phenomenon. First started by the RC Church it spread to the Evangelical Church after WWII and soon became a huge thing, a movement within the churches… For decades now, this mass gathering of Christians gathers more than 100,000 mostly young people to a German city for 4-5 days of discussion, Bible study, prayer, political debates, information exchanges, networking, singing, celebrating, liturgy. And it is mostly lay-led!

The conventions usually alternate between the two main denominations: one year “Katholikentag” (the Roman Catholic version) and one year “Evangelischer Kirchentag” (the Protestant version). But seven years ago the Ecumenical version was born and this year Munich hosted the second Ecumenical Kirchentag.

Now, before we go any further with describing the events I have to do a little educating about German Christianity. So, please bear with me.

Germany traditionally has been almost evenly split between Roman Catholicism and the member churches of the “Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD).” However, there are large regional differences. While the North is traditional “evangelisch,” Southern Germans usually adhere to Roman Catholicism, with few, but prominent exceptions. Of course things have changed in this modern age. First, smaller denominations such as Methodists, Baptists, Bretheren, Old Catholics, and Pentecostals appeared. Secondly, secularism has been spreading all over Europe for many decades now and Germany is no exception. Thirdly, 40 years of Stalinism in the former German Democratic Republic has reduced the presence of the churches there to a minority status. And finally, immigration not only brought Islam to Germany, but also Eastern Orthodoxy. Today, the combined churches in communion with Constantinople form the third larges Christian denomination in Germany!

But, what on earth, you might ask, is the EKD? This is were it gets a bit complicated. Let me first talk about the name. There are two fairly similar words in German concerning Protestantism: “Evangelisch” and “Evangelikal.”

Only the latter word can be equated to Evangelicals elsewhere. The former is derived from the German (and indeed the Greek) word for Gospel: Evangelium. So, “evangelisch” literally means “of the Gospel” and today describes a union of 22 provincial church, who all are independent, who however chose to work together and who are in fill communion with each other. Of the 22 provincial church, 10 are Lutheran, two are Reformed, and 10 are “Uniert (United)” And while there are similarities to the United Church of Canada, “Uniert” in Germany describes a union between Lutheran and Reformed churches. This can be either an administrative union where Lutheran and Reformed congregations maintain their denominational character, but are administered by a central authority. But “uniert” can also mean that the Lutheran and Reformed churches joined and basically formed a new denomination. This all has historical reason and was forced to a large extend by the ever expanding Prussian kingdom. And it has to do with the close connection between the German state and a number of religious bodies in Germany (i.e. the EKD, the Roman Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church, and the Jewish Communities). But I will spare you this part of the “lecture, ” especially since most Germans don’t quite understand it either.

However, the current situation in Germany can result in some curiosities: If, for example, a member of one of the EKD churches in Detmold (in Northrhine Westfalia) moves just a few kilometres down the road to Bueckeburg (in Lower Saxony), not only does she move from one state to another, but she changes provincial churches, and she changes denominations automatically, too. Why? Because the provincial church administering the territory around Detmold is Reformed, the one administering the territory around Bueckeburg, however is Lutheran. And if said Protestant moves from one city to another she also moves from being Reformed to being Lutheran… Confused? Don’t worry. It is very confusing. And most Germans wouldn’t quite know the finer details. They are either “katholisch” (meaning Roman Catholic) or “evangelisch” (meaning either Lutheran or Reformed).

But back to Munich after this rather longish excursion.

I have been to four “Evangelische Kirchentage,” but I did miss the 1st Ecumenical Kirchentag in Berlin. Some seven years ago What a great opportunity to do this while on sabbatical!

Let me say this: It was five days (12 May eve to 16 May morning) of excitement, profound spiritual encounters, surprising meetings, some frustrations, and a lot of fun. In the end it strengthened my faith… and it strengthened my Anglican identity more than I expected.

So, what is a Kirchentag?

- It is people coming together to seek God and one another.
- It is a church within the church.
- It is overcrowded churches and convention halls. Unlike so many churches on a Sunday morning, churches were packed to the rafters with young people. People were eager and excited and wanted to know and experience more and they wanted to be challenged with meaningful services, cutting edge theology, authentic spirituality, radical answers to the global problems, honest prayer opportunities, exciting music, new program-ideas, and much, much participation of those who come. Often venues had to turn people away.
- It is over 600 pages of program.
- It is known and unknown theologians, clergy, lay people, artists and (yes!) politicians (I myself saw the federal minister of justice shortly after I had observed the vice-president of the German parliament walking around eating an ice cone!) talking and discussing with the participants all kind of topics, some religious, some more secular.
- It is street musicians on every corer singing familiar and not so familiar songs, again, some religious, some more secular.
- It is parties till the wee hours.
- It is overcrowded public transport with smiling people inside spontaneously intoning such classics as “He’s go the whole world in His hands” – sometimes well done, sometimes not so much.
- It is sleeping in schools (or at the homes of relatives (which I did)), eating passable food, meeting exciting people from around the world, learning and enjoying one self.
- It is walking for hours through convention hall after convention all filled with all kinds of booths by church organisations and parishes offering all kinds of things:
o insurance for church employees,
o Lutheran-Anglican dialogue,
o innovations in children’s Bible studies,
o ecological awareness training,
o peace and justice in Palestine,
o religious communities,
o tools for Evangelism,
o creating your own Labyrinth,
o workshops for women’s spirituality,
o what is the Independent Lutheran Church of Germany, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Church of the Bretheren, the Old Catholic Women’s Network?
o What is Centering Prayer? What is the “Jesus Prayer?”
o How do you incorporate yoga into you church?
o Etc., etc. , etc.
- It is experiencing church service of traditions that might never not have heard of before.
- It is experimental liturgies and challenging discussions.
- It is experiencing church-bliss one second, and utter frustration with your fellow Christians the next.
- It is meeting God in many diverse and beautiful people.

Here are some highlights from my time at the Ecumenical Kirchentag:
- “Movie service”. Yes, there is such thing. Organised by a Lutheran pastor in one of the Lutheran churches in Munich we gathered at 10pm (!!!) for a worship service. When you walked into the church, you knew something was different: The pews had been arranged in a circle (huh, what an interesting idea, eh???!!!???) and there was all kinds of equipment inside, including a huge screen, some 3 meters by 6 meters. The service started fairly traditionally: Welcome, hymn, scripture reading… However, than it all changed. Instead of a traditional sermon, there was a homily/mediation using clips from the movie “The Bucket List.” It is a fantastic movie and I can only recommend it. The movie deals rather creatively with the issue of death and dying , and this was of course the main theme of the homily/meditation/ or whatever you would call it. The format was thus: Two speakers would talk for a wee while about death and dying and interlink it with life and Holy Scripture, and then we would watch a bit of the movie. It really was well done and my explanation doesn’t do it justice at all. In fact, I was moved to tears…
- I spent some good time in the Centre “Homosexuality and Church” – now a traditional component of the Kirchentag. In a seminar on same-sex blessing I heard of struggles and joys. I also watched a wonderful movie about the ministry of the main gay rights’ group within the church in Germany. It was a subtle reminder how much this still is an issue. And let’s be honest, sometimes we in Canada in general and in the Diocese of New Westminster forget how much this is still an issue for so many. We forget that for many same-sex relationships is an abomination. And we forget that there is lots of work to do in praying, in listening to each other (and learning even from those, who disagree with us), and in supporting those who are in the midst of this struggle. I am always willing to stand corrected by God, but for now I believe God’s will is for GLBTQ folk to fully claim that identity. But I also believe that as GLBTQ Christians our witness is also to the GLBTQ community with a clear ethical mandate that includes the affirmation of stable, monogamous, and faithful relationships. I do, however, realise that we might have lost the ear of both the larger church and the ear of the GLBTQ community… which might just be the place of a prophet…!
- A bible study with the Coptic bishop of Germany. While I didn’t agree with everything the bishop said, I have seldom met somebody who was so grounded, so genuine, so holy (in the best sense of the word), and whose smile lit up a room as wonderfully as his. The Coptic church, like most (if not all) Middle Eastern churches, is a persecuted church. And it would be a good thing for us in the West to not only back the Middle Eastern peace process, but also to prayer for, stand behind, affirm, and support our Christian sisters and brothers in the Middle East. I am glad that St. Paul’s gets to experience this first hand while I am away on sabbatical. After all my “stand-in” is Palestinian. And he has much to teach the church on the Canadian West Coast.
- The “Meisen-Declaration Service.” The “Meisen Declaration” is a document outlining Eucharistic hospitality for members of the Church of England and the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD, see above). Even though I am neither, it is good to participate in the celebration of any Lutheran-Anglican ecumenical agreement. And it is a subtle reminder that we have still much to do in our ecumenical relationships. After all, a divided church not only impairs our mission and ministry, it also pains the heart of God… Which is why I did attend and rejoiced in the
- Old Catholic – Anglican Eucharist. The Anglican Communion has been in full communion with the Union of Utrecht (Old Catholic Churches in the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and a few other countries) since 1931. In fact, I am blessed to know a couple of my priestly colleagues, who were deaconed my an Old Catholic bishop and priested by an Anglican bishop (or vice-versa). And I met Yazeed (my stand in) at a seminar for Old Catholic and Anglican young theologians. Of course, it is wonderful to have this kind of relationship, but it must also be filled with life: for the sake of the church and for the sake of the world. But I will report more about the Union of Utrecht, once I will talk about the Old Catholic Conference in Zurich, which I attended.
- And of course, there were a number of connections, that celebrated the beauty of God’s people and that taught me about the diverse presence of God’s Holy Spirit among God’s people. Yes, I had great conversations (sometimes over a beer or two…) with fellow attendees of the Kirchentag, both lay and ordained, and from various denominational backgrounds.


I did talk about frustrations earlier. And, yes, there were some.

First of all, it is a scandalous beyond words that we cannot break bread and share the cup together. And it is not just our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers, but also Orthodox and some Protestant Christians, who refuse to celebrate the Eucharist, except with those who are in full communion with their church. I will for ever remember a sermon by the late Old Catholic bishop of Germany, the Rt. Rev. Sigisbert Kraft, who linked an Hebrew Scripture story to the Eucharist: Just like the angel did not say to prophet, walk and than eat, but eat and than walk, so we must start to celebrate Holy Communion together and than walk to clarify our theological differences. Prophetic words! And I want to add: While on the way together, nurtured by Christ’s body and blood, we can work together in mission and ministry.

Secondly, I was rather frustration by the perception (by most participants, politicians, and the media) that ecumenism in Germany is to be considered only by the Roman Catholic Church and the EKD, as if there is nobody else around! Granted, both the RC Church and the EKD make up 40-45% of the German Church EACH! However, there are now other Protestant denominations (such as Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc.), the Old Catholics, some Anglicans, and there are especially now Eastern Orthodox Christians. However, these groups largely get ignored. But can the Church in Germany really afford the arrogance of the larger denominations in a time when fewer and fewer babies are baptised, when people leave the church in droves, and when the former East Germany is mission territory. Maybe Methodists or Eastern Orthodox Christians might have insights into the re-Evangelism of Germany… Equally, I hope and pray that the Old Catholic and Anglican churches will form mission partnerships all over Germany!!!

Thirdly, I found myself annoyed at times with my sisters and brothers of the EKD, even though we seem to agree theologically. The problem is this: It is easy these days to criticise Rome for not allowing other Christians to receive communion and (more importantly) for stating that Anglicans and Protestants really aren’t churches. Even many Roman Catholics agree these days that Rome needs to change sooner rather than later. It just cannot be that Rome’s idea of ecumenism is all about proselytising, i.e. becoming part of the RC Church in some form or another. That is not dialogue and I believe it is counteracting the movement of God’s Holy Spirit in the churches. However, equally, Christians of the EKD-churches need to understand that ecumenism cannot be about accepting the EKD’s ordination theology. That’s not exumenism either… When I listen to some statements, though, it seems that there is at best a lack of understanding of Catholic (i.e. Roman, Orthodox, Old Catholic, Anglican…) ecclesiology, and at worst a strong hostility towards the sacramental character of ordination and any form of sacramental episcopé. There is more to say about this, and I hope one day I will be able to organise my thoughts more clearly.
(NB: Sometimes I do wonder, if we Anglicans need to be firmer on this issue and need to reclaim more forcefully the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral in our ecumenical dialogues with Reformed, Lutheran, and United churches. The historic episcopacy is an important element in our ecclesiology!)

But all in all, these frustrations did not overshadow the event. It was really amazing!!! And I am thankful for the experiences I was able to enjoy. I learned a lot and saw the Spirit at work.

And if you want to see some pictures, you can find great ones here or see videos here:

It’s been a while since I last blogged and I have to say I started to develop some guilty conscience. So, in order to make up some of the time, I will hopefully write a few articles, writing about a few things that have happened and few places I have visited.

Let’s start with the Schwanberg.


I have known the Schwanberg for almost twenty years now and it holds a very special place in my life. Literally translated as “Swan Mountain” it is more a hill, especially considering what kind of mountains I look at when I walk about in Vancouver… However, the Schwanberg is distinct since it is on the edge of the Steigerwald, a mountain range in Franconia, my home territory in Germany. When you stand on top of the mountain you have quite a stunning view across the Main valley, a beautiful wine growing area scattered with tiny, medieval, and picturesque villages: timbered houses surrounding a church, which is still at the centre of the village community, at least geographically…

The Schwanberg has had a special place in the folklore of the area’s people since anybody can remember. There are ruins of a Celtic fortification and historians know that the hill was considered sacred for those people. Over time, the overlord changed many times and the last ruling Lord of the Schwanberg was a member of the princely house of Castell, which to this day is known for a private bank and rather good Franconian wine. I mention this, because this part of Franconia traditionally is Roman Catholic, as the lands belonged to the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. However, the Principality of Castell joined the Reformation early on and the villages around the Schwanberg have been Lutheran since.

Today the Schwanberg is a holy mountain once again (or still?). It is home of the Communitaet Casteller Ring (CCR), a religious order of Benedictine sisters, that is (surprise, surprise!) part of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Bavaria.

The order came into existence shortly after World War II, and its foundation-history is closely linked to the experience of the Nazi terror. Shortly after Adolf Hitler became took over government, the Nazis stared to control all aspects of life. This meant that all youth organisations were forced to join the Hitler Youth, even church run youth groups. At the time, there was a rather active Lutheran girl scout group under the leadership of one Christel Felizitas Schmid. When their troop was forced to merge with the Federation of German Girls (in German: Bund Deutscher Madchen (BDM), which was part of the Hitler Youth), some of the group decided to take matters into their own hands: They did not want to support the Nazis and refused to join the BDM. Rather, a number continued to meet secretly for prayer and Bible study. Sounds relatively non-threatening, right? However, if discovered, the young women could have faced the death penalty… Prayer indeed is subversive. Even today! One lone night, the group even took a further step. They met under an old stone cross on the cemetery in Castell, and vowed their life to God – without any compromises. This was the seed out of which the CCR grew and prospered. Today, there are some 30 sisters mostly living in a beautiful new convent on the mountain around a beautiful new church, built in the 1980s.

I first met some of the sisters in Nuremberg, my home town. In the 1980s CCR had started to send some of the sisters to larger cities to live the Benedictine sprit and rhythm of prayer and work in the urban centres, thus reaching out in mission not only in an environment that had become more and more secular, but also in a social climate that had become colder and colder. Benedictine ideals of singing God’s praises (even when it seems that God has been silenced), of welcoming whoever would walk through the doors (and to recognize Christ in them), and of forming a stable, secure, and reliable home (even in an ever-shifting world) were a radical answer to the harsh realities of the inner-city.

When first met the sisters before graduating from high-school, I was hooked – and I have stayed in touch ever since. There was something about the life of the sisters that was a radical challenge to the empty trust in money and science that was taking hold all around me. It was (and still is) a profound and deeply meaningful response to the Gospel. To see God’s love been answered with such love for God and for one’s neighbour in return was (and still is) deeply moving.

It was “meek and right” to visit the Schwanberg on my sabbatical shortly after my arrival in Germany, i.e. right on my first weekend.

One of things I had been looking forward to doing in Europe was excessive train-use – and I mean excessive. Already during my stay in the UK I had ample opportunity, i.e. my trip to Canterbury and, of course, my trip home across (or, rather, under) the Channel, which was not quite voluntary not unwelcomed, either…). In the past I had taken my motor-bike or a car to the Schwanberg, shying away from the 4.5km long hike from the train station up a rather steep hill to the convent. But this time, I wanted to brace it - and I did.

It is only an hour on a local train from Nuremberg across some rather beautiful landscape. Once you reach Iphofen, you better put some good shoes under your feet. Up it goes. And up. And up. And up! Still, after about an hours walk, I was excited to reach the convent, and really glad I had taken the hike. It was beautiful to walk through a medieval city (city walls and all), through picturesque vineyards, and (finally) through a mountainous forest – just before you reach the peek. And once there, you are rewarded with a gorgeous view and a deep, deep seated spirituality that blesses not only the sisters, but the local area around too.

One more thing about the convent. Of course, the convent wasn’t just planted on top of the mountain by accident. I already mentioned that the Schwanberg has been a sacred place even during Celtic times (yes, the Celts resided in Central Europe at one time). Furthermore, the Princes of Castell had built a lovely castle in the 17th century, which had been taken over by a cadet line in the early 20th century. And the Earl of Castell-Rüdenhausen had been very fond of the sisters after the war and had invited them to take over part of the castle. Over time, the sisters had taken over more and more of the castle-property and lands and when the earl died childless in 2004 (I think) the sisters were able to move into all of the castle. Today, the castle serves as one of the guest houses, while the sisters live in contemporary housing next to the church of St. Michael, the centre of the building complex.

I remember well the first time I had entered this sacred space. And indeed, it was one of those moments when my breath was taken away and the veil was lifted just a bit to create a thin place (after all there is a Celtic connection here too…). The church is very different to describe, so please bear with me.

When had outgrown their original chapel they commissioned an architect to build a church that not only combined light and water (metaphors used over and over in the Bible to reveal God’s love), but also incorporated somehow the vision of the New Jerusalem found in the Book of Revelation. Furthermore, the church had to be built primarily to serve a religious community of Benedictine nuns. And what a fine job! The architect really was able to translate the vision of the sisters into stone and walls – or at times the lack of stones and walls: it is a building flooded with light! And there is even a huge font with flowing water!

The central focal point of the church is the altar, around which the sisters and the congregation sit to pray and praise. However, the altar space is lowered into the ground with the choir stools on the same level. The congregation sits a few steps up, giving them a unique view and a sense of being included. Furthermore, this visualizes in a unique way the idea that the altar (the place where we offer our prayers to God and where God offers Himself to the world in bread and wine) is not only at the centre, but also is the foundation of the life of the community and of life itself. The altar carries the sisters in their dedication to God and to neighbour and in their mission and ministry. Finally, it is a way of expressing that the Christian way is to know God deeper and deeper, is to avoid staying on the surface, is to find God also in the depth of the human experience: the cross and the grave. It is quite spectacular!

As I said before, I was able to join the sisters on my first weekend in Germany. It was a weekend of prayer and contemplation, including a day-long seminar on meditation and a more intentional conversation with one of the sisters, who will be a spiritual advisor while I am on sabbatical.

But I also came back to the Schwanberg on Pentecost – for four days! It was (again) a time of spiritual renewal – and I was able to enjoy the outdoors too. A lot of walking in the forests. I even tried myself at jogging, well, at east here I realised that this is not for me! But I do enjoy the daily routine of offices: 6.30am Morning Praise, 12noon Midday Prayer, 5pm Vespers, 9pm Compline. There is something beautiful about having your day interrupted by prayer… Or is it the other way around: Is prayer, which should be our constant modus operandi, interrupted by our business? I sometimes wonder… However, it will be interesting to see how the insights of these retreats, these intimate periods of time with God will be translated into my life now and when I am back in Vancouver. This goes for my relationship with God, for what I have discovered about myself and for the way monastic spirituality has and will influence who I am.

One of the highlights during my time on the Schwanberg at Pentecost was attending the life-profession of one of the sisters. Life-profession is the final “yes” to life in a monastic community. After years of prayerful discernment, preparation, and at times hard decision-making, the sister or brother becomes a full member of the monastic or religious community at life profession. Those who reach this stage also acknowledge that that this is what God calls them to be. This is, however, not a personal decision alone. The community also says “yes” to the brother or sister. Becoming a monk, a friar, a nun, or a sister indeed is not an easy process and not a lot of people make it to the end, which is not to say that only “special” or “better” human beings can join a monastic community. No, it is an indication that God calls only a few and that monastic/religious life is not easy, is not for the faint of heart. It is furthermore not a flight from the world. Rather, it is a flight into the world as a prayerful witness to God’s love and God’s grace. Yes, God does call some to this life – and I hope and pray that the monastic and religious life also takes a deeper root in our beloved Anglican Church of Canada. We do have a few orders, but only one community is home-grown (the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine), all are small, and there is no noviciate available for men. So, I would like to finish this blog-entry with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church:

O Lord Jesus Christ, you became poor for our sake, that we might be made rich through your poverty: Guide and sanctify, we pray, those whom you call to follow you under the vows
of poverty, chastity, and obedience, that by their prayer and service they may enrich your Church, and by their life and worship may glorify your Name; for you reign with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The first half of my sabbatical has been marked by lots of changes to the original plan. This was caused by a lot of cancellations due to sickness: One of the professors at university was sick for a while (see later entry to the blog). Furthermore, my course at the seminar on “Christology in the Gospel according to Matthew” at the Lutheran Seminary in Ratzeburg was also cancelled.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do understand people getting sick – and nobody should be forced to work during an illness. Period.

However, what irked me was how the administration dealt with the circumstances. Five days before the seminar we were told that it looks like we are without instructor. Furthermore, would we be interested in facilitating the seminar ourselves?

You need to understan, none of the participants is a first-year seminarian. All of us are clergy with considerable experience and knowledge. After all, German pastors usually spend an average of five to six years at university reading theology, and nothing but theology. In addition, the seminary’s own facilitator (not the academic expert who had taken ill), herself a well-trained theologian and pastor had offered to provide material which we would have been able to work through ourselves. It would have been an interesting learning experience – and a wonderful way to learn from each other. As I said before, we are not novices with no theological education. But the administration also included a cop-out, basically suggesting that the better option was to cancel the seminar all together. Alas, most of my colleagues decided to bail. Chicken! Immature chicken indeed! That’s all I have to say. No Ratzeburg for me this year. Pitty.

However, I still decided to take the train North for a few days, visiting my great-aunt and a colleague.

My great-aunt Miko is the middle of three sisters (my late grandmother being the oldest). My great-aunt doesn’t have children of her own and she has always been very close to her sisters’ families. Later in life she and her husband took in my great-grandmother and my great-grandfather who lived with them till they died. My mother has many fond memories of staying with her aunt, my great-aunt, and her grandparents, my great-grandparents. I suspect my grandmother was more than relieved to send her children away for a few days or weeks during the bitter WWII and post-war years…

Great-aunt Miko turned 90 this January and it was a wonderful celebration. She still lives by herself and takes care of herself, with great help from her neighbour and my mom, my dad, and other members of the extended family. Even though my parents live quite a distance (some 650km) they have done a lot to make my great-aunt’s life easier. Still, age is catching up. Yet, nobody is complaining. After all, she is no spring-chicken anymore. But she has noticeably shrunk, has become more fragile, and (what is really hard) she has become a bit forgetful. Still, she is happy to live her life and I am happy to visit and spend a few days with her in her little house, which friends of mine coined the “hobbit house” because it is nestled into a slight slope at the edge of a forest.

Whenever I stay at my great-aunt I get to sleep in my great-grandparents’ bed. My niece and nephew have slept in the very bed, too, thus, it has provided rest for five generations! And there are always new things to discover in hideaways in the house. Just last year I found some postcards sent by my great-grandfather to my great-grandmother during WWI (yes, WW ONE!). I was particularly thrilled and touched by the loving tone of the card (at the time the card was sent they were only dating.) My great-grandfather obviously was very much in love with my great-grandmother. The tender content of the postcard warmed my heart, even though it took time to decipher: It was written in old-German handwriting, which is quite distinct from modern-day handwriting.

From a simple historical perspective it was a fascinating postcard, too. As I said it was during WWI and my great-grandfather was a sailor in the German Imperial Navy. However, the postcard was postmarked in Connecticut, before the U.S. had entered the war. Fascinating! I wonder about the story behind the postcard…

Speaking of stories, of course I hear a lot of family-lore when staying with my great-aunt, which I thoroughly enjoy. Families are always complex and colourful, particularly one’s own!

The “hobbit house” is situated in a town called Stade, about an hour down the Elbe River from Hamburg in the State of Lower Saxony. Both my grand-mother and my grand-father were born in the rural area surrounding Stade. They come from poor rural folk, nothing exciting. Even though I grew up in Franconia, the North is still an important part of who I am. It is a bit home for me and the soil is thick and rich and has seen many a people crossing through: Angles, Saxons, Vikings, Swedes, Hanseatic powers, Hanoverians, Prussians, and Germans. I have always been drawn to the North and find a deep of sense of belonging there – even though I never lived there (and probably never will.) Having said this, I do want to connect to my father’s side of the family (i.e. the Bavarian part of me) much more intentionally this time round. My mom and dad and I have already planned a trip South to an area on the Danube just outside the city of Regensburg, where some of my ancestors are buried. And maybe there is even time to explore my Swiss side too… We shall see. I might even end up buying a pair of Lederhosen…

My great-aunt and I also attended church one Sunday in one of the medival city-churches of Stade: St. Cosmae. It is a typical North-German Gothic structure, built from brig. Inside it is whitewashed and the vocal point is a Baroque altarpiece depicting the Last Supper, the Cruxifiction, and a statue of the risen Christ. Since this is a Lutheran parish church (as most areas in the North are Lutehran strongholds) the cruxifiction of course is much more prominent than the other tow parts of the altarpiece.

The service was enjoyable, particularly because I got to attend with my great-aunt. The minister even wore a white alb-like liturgical garment and stole (usually Protestant ministers in Germany were a black preaching robe with preaching tabs for any kind of service)! And there was Holy Communion. What more to ask for. (Though I will say a few words about our Protestant sisters and brothers here in Germany in one of the later blogs I hope…!)

After a short lunch, it was time to say good-bye for now and move on. Which was not that far, because I only had to go to Leezen, a small town outside Hamburg, in the State of Schleswig-Holstein, about two hours from great-aunt. Distances are so different in Europe!!!!

I had never been to Leezen and Leezen is not a town mentioned in many (if any) ravel guide. It is a tiny little town, forlmerly a farming community, but now a lot of communters live here too.

Why Leezen?

Well, last year, as I attended one of the two seminars in Ratzeburg, I really connected with one of my Lutheran colleagues, and she lives and ministers in Leezen.

Anett has been the pastor there for quite a while and you can feel and experience that she not only has become part of the local community, but she has left her definite mark. And she has become an institution! And no wonder! Because of the rather prolonged university training, Lutheran pastors in Germany can sometimes be rather intellectual, rather cerebral and, hence, distant from the people (yes, that’s where I get it from…). Furthermore, their spirituality can often be an academic construct. Gut and heart are often excluded. In fact, those aspects of the human identity are often considered less important, even suspect. Now, our training for ordained ministry has is own faults and I wish would have much more of an academic grounding, if only to avoid some of the heresies that are unfortunately oh-so-present in some parts of the North American church. But, this is not a blog about this. Right now, it is about my colleague Anett, who embodies the best of both worlds. She is soundly grounded in academic theology, but she also celebrates humanity’s (an her own) profound and deep identity, i.e. she lives by heart, gut, and mind. Furthermore, while Anett takes our faith and the church seriously, she can laugh about the silliness of the institution. And Anett can laugh about herself. Plus, she is just a great person. And, last year in Ratzeburg, we fast becaome friends (lucky me!!!) And maybe one day I will write about the importance of friendship in my life, which not just since St. Aelred, is a also a deeply theological topic.

So, of course I wanted to see her during my sabbatical. And it was just a wonderful time spent connecting, chatting till the wee hours of the day, laughing about “Gott und die Welt” (God and the world, i.e. everything), exchanging deep theological thoughts, and listening to each other’s story. And time just flew by.

One of the interesting experiences while I was in Leezen was seeing the movie “Das weisse Band” (The White Ribbon) – a historical drama set on the eve of World War I in Northern Germany. The whole movie was filmed in black and white and the character studies were stunning, yet also frightening! The pressure of living in a small village at the time: the written and unwritten rules, the ways by which everybody controlled everybody else, the hierarchy of village, and, especially interesting (and frustrating for me) the way the local pastor dealt with issues of morality and power… It was a not-so-subtle reminder that the good ole’ days very often were not so good indeed.

This would not be my only time in Leezen. A few weeks later, I returned to this picturesque village during a family vacation to preach at a Sunday service. It was Trinity Sunday to more precise – a feast that celebrates a central feature of God’s self-revelation, but that also keeps people shaking their heads. It ain’t easy to understand all this…. But Trinitarian theology neither is an abstract thought invented in some academic mind or in intellectual circles. It is who God is, and this has profound implications on how we relate to one another. In fact, without Trinitarian theology and spirituality we size to be the church and our mission is in vain. But this is no sermon and I will leave the discussion of this to more appropriate times and places.