It's Sunday morning, nearly 9 a.m. on April 29. Our pilgrimage is over, and some of our pilgrim throng are already on flights back home. For those who follow things sequentially and chronologically, there is more to come on this blog. We have a few days of posts to place up, most of which won't happen until staff return home. We have invited our participants to add comments and reflections once they return home too, and they may just upload more photos too.
So, we invite you to continue returning to our blog in the next week or two because there will be much more information and many more reflections on this journey.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
A brief culinary tour
"I love a place where people eat ice cream before lunch and they're not ashamed about it," said one happy pilgrim. Yes, Germany is a place full of ice cream delights (I had rhubarb ice cream today!), incredible pastries, and incomparable breads. And so, a brief culinary tour.
Here's a perennial favorite: apfelkuchen. I tried a slice in Berlin, while sitting at an outdoor cafe near a riverbank. It was good, but not outstanding. But as you can tell, the presentation was lovely.
On to Wittenberg, where ice cream abounds! My German language skills are not so good (3 years of high school German...that's a long time ago) -- so I thought I had ordered six cookies. Instead, I got six scoops of ice cream. Good thing there were others to help out! Perhaps the tastiest in the bunch was the blueberry buttermilk ice cream seen here on top.
While in Eisleben we had lunch at a lovely hotel where even having a cup of tea was turned into a special occasion. Those at my table took the advice of a nearby table of pilgrims: "the apfelkuchen is divine, the ice cream even better." Always trust a Lutheran woman when she gives pastry and ice cream critiques. Our fellow pilgrims were right on both accounts.
The final stop on this brief culinary tour is Leipzig with the famed Leipziger Lerchen. As the story goes, the people of Leipzig were so fond of shooting larks that the birds were nearly extinct. So the king stopped all hunting of larks and the clever pastry chefs saw an opportunity. They created a pastry to look like a lark. That was back in the mid-1800s and the larks are still popular throughout Leipzig. I found this one at a little cafe in the same passageway as Auerbachs Keller. It is a shortbread-type affair, filled with almond marzipan. It looks more like a muffin than a lark, but my, how tasty it is!
Returning to our opening thought, I love a place where you can have baked pretzels (served as a roll) for breakfast and nobody is ashamed about it! Don't get me started on the great mustards available for those hot pretzels...
Here's a perennial favorite: apfelkuchen. I tried a slice in Berlin, while sitting at an outdoor cafe near a riverbank. It was good, but not outstanding. But as you can tell, the presentation was lovely.
On to Wittenberg, where ice cream abounds! My German language skills are not so good (3 years of high school German...that's a long time ago) -- so I thought I had ordered six cookies. Instead, I got six scoops of ice cream. Good thing there were others to help out! Perhaps the tastiest in the bunch was the blueberry buttermilk ice cream seen here on top.
While in Eisleben we had lunch at a lovely hotel where even having a cup of tea was turned into a special occasion. Those at my table took the advice of a nearby table of pilgrims: "the apfelkuchen is divine, the ice cream even better." Always trust a Lutheran woman when she gives pastry and ice cream critiques. Our fellow pilgrims were right on both accounts.
The final stop on this brief culinary tour is Leipzig with the famed Leipziger Lerchen. As the story goes, the people of Leipzig were so fond of shooting larks that the birds were nearly extinct. So the king stopped all hunting of larks and the clever pastry chefs saw an opportunity. They created a pastry to look like a lark. That was back in the mid-1800s and the larks are still popular throughout Leipzig. I found this one at a little cafe in the same passageway as Auerbachs Keller. It is a shortbread-type affair, filled with almond marzipan. It looks more like a muffin than a lark, but my, how tasty it is!Returning to our opening thought, I love a place where you can have baked pretzels (served as a roll) for breakfast and nobody is ashamed about it! Don't get me started on the great mustards available for those hot pretzels...
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
More Ways to Be a Christian
Today we went from the serenity of the cloister to the bustle of the city. After exploring the city a little (this is where Johann Sebastian Bach lived and died), we gathered at the parish house of St. Thomas Church to meet Pastor Ulrich Seidel and learn about how the church in East Germany survived the hostile environment of the years under communism — and how it helped change that environment.
This is a story largely unknown to us in the West. It all happened behind the Iron Curtain.
After World War II, as we know, Germany was divided, and Leipzig was in the eastern part. The Marxist government of East Germany (the GDR) was officially atheistic; communism scorned the church as a remnant of the old way of life. The GDR worked assiduously to drive wedges between the people and the faith.
A striking example that Pastor Seidel described for us was confirmation. For many people
, confirmation is less a religious ceremony than a simple rite of passage, a time for a party for a young adult. The GDR seized on that to separate people from the life of the church. It created a parallel secular ceremony and ruled that a teen who chose confirmation in the church would not be admitted to university. What would you do?
Many Christians made the compromise. They let their teens be “dedicated” in the secular ceremony so that they could get a good education.
The Marxist government relegated faith to the private sphere, and life within the church was relatively free. The church could teach, publish, and have meetings. A person could live her faith privately, but not publicly — that would be counter-revolutionary, and that was a dangerous thing to be.
In 1961, the Berlin Wall went up. Many professionals — even the doctors at the hospitals — left for the West. Pastors debated: Should they leave too, or should they stay with the people who couldn't leave? The answer was clear: They stayed. It was God's choice, not theirs.
In 1975, people all over Europe were alarmed by a new nuclear arms treaty and began demonstrating for peace. In Leipzig, the activists turned to the church to help shape the movement in a peaceful direction, away from aggression and violence. They were greatly influenced by the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
And so the demonstrations took the form of gathering at the churches to read the Beatitudes and pray for peace. The state taught that the West was the enemy, but the church taught that there were no enemies. Witnesses report that if a demonstrator came into conflict with a police oficer, the whole crowd would chant, "No violence, no violence." People in other cities began to follow the example of the Leipzigers.
By 1989, the East German state was in crisis. The economy was in shambles; the government shaken by scandal and corruption. More and more people came to the Monday evening prayers at St. Nicholas Lutheran Church to pray and then to protest, peacefully. Thousands, then tens of thousands gathered in candlelight procession, always peacefully, to protest injustice and pray for peace.
Pastor Seidel's description of how this came to a head was riveting. He told us that the state declared that these demonstrations were counter-revolutionary. The secret police were always watching, hoping to catch the organizers of the protests — but the prayer meetings were legal, and the demonstrations were spontaneous. There were no organizers to catch. All the churches in the city opened their doors for the Monday prayer meetings, helping to ensure safety, and all the churches were packed with people praying for peace.
In early October of 1989, the GDR ordered an end to the peace prayers. If the churches wouldn't stop them, the police would. Rumors were flying. Fifteen thousand demonstrators marched from downtown to the railroad station and the police drew back — the orders hadn't been written yet. Then came word that two regiments were moving in. Children came home from school to tell their parents to stay home that Monday, because their teachers said there would be shooting. A nurse told Pastor Seidel that the hospitals had been cleared out to make room for the predicted wounded. What would happen?
That Monday night, 70,000 people gathered in and around the churches of Leipzig, praying for peace. They slowly moved with their candles toward the railroad station. And the police disappeared. No order came from Berlin. The crowd went to the headquarters of the secret police. All the windows were dark. Nothing happened. The thousands of peaceful demonstrators stopped there, and then they turned around and went home safely.
Within a few weeks, the government resigned. Elections were held. A month later, the Berlin Wall came down, and the great change began.
Did the hundreds of thousands who had turned to the churches and prayed for peace stay with the practice of the faith? Some did; most didn't. It's hard to undo three generations of atheism. But everywhere we have gone in Germany, we have heard of people's commitment to peace and reconciliation. As Pastor Seidel said, the church isn't the only way to be a Christian.
This is a story largely unknown to us in the West. It all happened behind the Iron Curtain.
After World War II, as we know, Germany was divided, and Leipzig was in the eastern part. The Marxist government of East Germany (the GDR) was officially atheistic; communism scorned the church as a remnant of the old way of life. The GDR worked assiduously to drive wedges between the people and the faith.
A striking example that Pastor Seidel described for us was confirmation. For many people
, confirmation is less a religious ceremony than a simple rite of passage, a time for a party for a young adult. The GDR seized on that to separate people from the life of the church. It created a parallel secular ceremony and ruled that a teen who chose confirmation in the church would not be admitted to university. What would you do?Many Christians made the compromise. They let their teens be “dedicated” in the secular ceremony so that they could get a good education.
The Marxist government relegated faith to the private sphere, and life within the church was relatively free. The church could teach, publish, and have meetings. A person could live her faith privately, but not publicly — that would be counter-revolutionary, and that was a dangerous thing to be.
In 1961, the Berlin Wall went up. Many professionals — even the doctors at the hospitals — left for the West. Pastors debated: Should they leave too, or should they stay with the people who couldn't leave? The answer was clear: They stayed. It was God's choice, not theirs.
In 1975, people all over Europe were alarmed by a new nuclear arms treaty and began demonstrating for peace. In Leipzig, the activists turned to the church to help shape the movement in a peaceful direction, away from aggression and violence. They were greatly influenced by the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
And so the demonstrations took the form of gathering at the churches to read the Beatitudes and pray for peace. The state taught that the West was the enemy, but the church taught that there were no enemies. Witnesses report that if a demonstrator came into conflict with a police oficer, the whole crowd would chant, "No violence, no violence." People in other cities began to follow the example of the Leipzigers.
By 1989, the East German state was in crisis. The economy was in shambles; the government shaken by scandal and corruption. More and more people came to the Monday evening prayers at St. Nicholas Lutheran Church to pray and then to protest, peacefully. Thousands, then tens of thousands gathered in candlelight procession, always peacefully, to protest injustice and pray for peace.
Pastor Seidel's description of how this came to a head was riveting. He told us that the state declared that these demonstrations were counter-revolutionary. The secret police were always watching, hoping to catch the organizers of the protests — but the prayer meetings were legal, and the demonstrations were spontaneous. There were no organizers to catch. All the churches in the city opened their doors for the Monday prayer meetings, helping to ensure safety, and all the churches were packed with people praying for peace.
In early October of 1989, the GDR ordered an end to the peace prayers. If the churches wouldn't stop them, the police would. Rumors were flying. Fifteen thousand demonstrators marched from downtown to the railroad station and the police drew back — the orders hadn't been written yet. Then came word that two regiments were moving in. Children came home from school to tell their parents to stay home that Monday, because their teachers said there would be shooting. A nurse told Pastor Seidel that the hospitals had been cleared out to make room for the predicted wounded. What would happen?
That Monday night, 70,000 people gathered in and around the churches of Leipzig, praying for peace. They slowly moved with their candles toward the railroad station. And the police disappeared. No order came from Berlin. The crowd went to the headquarters of the secret police. All the windows were dark. Nothing happened. The thousands of peaceful demonstrators stopped there, and then they turned around and went home safely.
Within a few weeks, the government resigned. Elections were held. A month later, the Berlin Wall came down, and the great change began.
Did the hundreds of thousands who had turned to the churches and prayed for peace stay with the practice of the faith? Some did; most didn't. It's hard to undo three generations of atheism. But everywhere we have gone in Germany, we have heard of people's commitment to peace and reconciliation. As Pastor Seidel said, the church isn't the only way to be a Christian.
Spring flowers of Germany
If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra FoveoThe pilgrims on this journey have been thrilled to the very edges of their souls by the many spring flowers in bloom in eastern Germany. We have seen so many beautiful flowers. This photo, taken on the grounds of the deaconess community in Dresden, captures many spring flowers, a veritable bevy in bloom.
Flowers may beckon towards us, but they speak t
oward heaven and God. ~ Henry Ward BeecherWhite to lavender to deep purple in color, lilacs are blooming everywhere we've been. Their scent is intoxicating. Those seen here were photographed on the grounds of the deaconess community in Dresden.
Perenni
als have been everywhere, as well. Columbine are just opening. This shot was taken near the Thomaskirche in Leipzig.Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul. ~ Luther Burbank
Pansies appear in many places. This particular photo was taken in Leipzig, around the market square.
The forget-me-nots stand as a true symbol of this trip — so much will not be forgotten. These particular flowers were blooming at the Kloister Helfta, near Eisleben.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
A stay at the cloister
While in Eisleben, we stayed two nights just outside town at a Roman Catholic cloister that dates back to the 1200s. The almost 800-year history of Cloister Helfta is a stor
y of death and rebirth, of famous women mystics whose spirits can still be felt in the rhythm of the hours of prayer with the sisters, and of contemporary bold women committed to continuing their way of life and making a viable future for this special place.
On Monday morning, Sister Maria Assumpta Schenkel, the leader of this community of 15 sisters, told us of the history of the place and how they came to be there.
The abbey was founded in 1250 and built between 1250 and 1257. Parts of the walls of the present-day chapel date all the way back to this time. Three famous women mystics of the Middle
Ages were among its founders: Gertrude the Great, Mechtild of Hakeborn, and Mechtild of Magdeburg. A famous story about Mechtild of Magdeburg is that she was having doubts about her vocation and was praying in the chapel one day when she saw a great light in one of the windows. In that light she saw the face of Jesus.
In 1525, the Peasant Rebellion forced the closing of the cloister. It was rebuilt in 1530, but then came the Protestant Reformation. In 1542, the new count, George I, pressured the sisters to adopt the Protestant movement. They refused, and left. The cloister's grounds were abandoned and would lie in ruin for several hundred more years.
In 1949, when East Germany was created, the cloister's land became a large farming cooperative. The eventual plan was to tear it all down, but the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 halted those plans.
The cloister reopened through the efforts of a committed group of people who embarked on a campaign to raise money for rebuilding, mostly from the church in western Germany, and who traveled to Bavaria, where they met Sister Maria Assumpta and asked her to come to Helfta. She agreed and, by 1996, six nuns took residence at this deeply historical place.
The stone base of the altar in the historic chapel is constructed of stones that were brought there by each congregation in the area, both Roman Catholic and Luther
an. It is a profound symbol of the ecumen-ical co-operation between the two churches. And it seems nothing short of a miracle, given the history of this place over hundreds of years, that a visitor to the cloister's chapel can still, today, look upon the same 13th-century window in which Mechtild had her vision.
The renovated and restored buildings, and the lovely grounds, make a quiet and serene, retreat-like hotel for visitors to the area. In addition to the hotel, the cloister, as European monasteries have done for centuries, brews its own variety of beer (which many in our group agreed made an excellent accompaniment to our dinner both nights).
I think we all deeply appreciated this restful and restorative
place in the middle of our trip. It offered plenty of oppor-tunities for sitting and gazing out over a pond, walking along a quiet path or through the labyrinth, or praying and chanting the daily hours with the sisters.
y of death and rebirth, of famous women mystics whose spirits can still be felt in the rhythm of the hours of prayer with the sisters, and of contemporary bold women committed to continuing their way of life and making a viable future for this special place.On Monday morning, Sister Maria Assumpta Schenkel, the leader of this community of 15 sisters, told us of the history of the place and how they came to be there.
The abbey was founded in 1250 and built between 1250 and 1257. Parts of the walls of the present-day chapel date all the way back to this time. Three famous women mystics of the Middle
Ages were among its founders: Gertrude the Great, Mechtild of Hakeborn, and Mechtild of Magdeburg. A famous story about Mechtild of Magdeburg is that she was having doubts about her vocation and was praying in the chapel one day when she saw a great light in one of the windows. In that light she saw the face of Jesus.In 1525, the Peasant Rebellion forced the closing of the cloister. It was rebuilt in 1530, but then came the Protestant Reformation. In 1542, the new count, George I, pressured the sisters to adopt the Protestant movement. They refused, and left. The cloister's grounds were abandoned and would lie in ruin for several hundred more years.
In 1949, when East Germany was created, the cloister's land became a large farming cooperative. The eventual plan was to tear it all down, but the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 halted those plans.
The cloister reopened through the efforts of a committed group of people who embarked on a campaign to raise money for rebuilding, mostly from the church in western Germany, and who traveled to Bavaria, where they met Sister Maria Assumpta and asked her to come to Helfta. She agreed and, by 1996, six nuns took residence at this deeply historical place.
The stone base of the altar in the historic chapel is constructed of stones that were brought there by each congregation in the area, both Roman Catholic and Luther
an. It is a profound symbol of the ecumen-ical co-operation between the two churches. And it seems nothing short of a miracle, given the history of this place over hundreds of years, that a visitor to the cloister's chapel can still, today, look upon the same 13th-century window in which Mechtild had her vision.The renovated and restored buildings, and the lovely grounds, make a quiet and serene, retreat-like hotel for visitors to the area. In addition to the hotel, the cloister, as European monasteries have done for centuries, brews its own variety of beer (which many in our group agreed made an excellent accompaniment to our dinner both nights).
I think we all deeply appreciated this restful and restorative
place in the middle of our trip. It offered plenty of oppor-tunities for sitting and gazing out over a pond, walking along a quiet path or through the labyrinth, or praying and chanting the daily hours with the sisters.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Sunday in Eisleben
It was just another Sunday for the 82 pilgrims on this tour. We began in worship. We worshipped at the church of Saints Peter and Paul, seen here. This congregation is served by two ELCA pastors, Claudia Bermann and Scott A. Moore (husband and wife). The liturgy, of course, was the same, and many hymns were familiar (Morning Has Broken, Now Thank We All our God, and Abide with Me, among others), although sung in German. We were privileged to witness a baptism of twins, Christian and Oliver, and to welcome them into the family of God. And in the church where Martin Luther was baptized, we shared in the sacrament of Holy Communion, not only in the presence of our German brothers and sisters but also with another group of pilgrims, a group of Taiwanese Lutheran seminarians. It was just another Sunday morning, but it was so much more.
It was here at St. Andrew's that Luther preached his final sermon. In the next photo you see the larger than life statue of Martin Luther in the market square, with the clock tower of St. Andrew's in the background.
In an afternoon session with Pastors Bermann and Moore we discussed the role of women in the German church today. The rolls of most congregations would reflect a 50/50 split between the sexes, Past
or Bermann said, but most of the volunteers are women. At Sts. Peter and Paul, she said, between 80-90% of the volunteers are women. This congregation has several groups of women who come together for Bible study and fellowship. The event that draws the greatest participation of women from the congregation is the observance of World Day of Prayer, something they've been doing for 30 or 40 years.Interestingly enough, the biggest issue for which Bermann and Moore provide pastoral care is a woman's issue. Women were the first to lose their jobs after reunification. Most women had defined themselves by their work, and now self-esteem issues surface since they have no jobs. They ask, what is my purpose in life?
Eisleben is both the place of Luther's birth in 1483 and also the place of his death in 1546. Long known for its mining industry (Luther's father was a miner here), Eisleben today remains a beautiful town but suffers from significant unemployment. Official and unofficial unemployment numbers vary; we heard upwards of 25% unemployment. The guide on our walking tour half jokingly asked us to encourage U.S. companies to invest in Eisleben's future by bringing jobs to this small town.
Our sabbath day ended quietly back at the Kloister Helfta. You'll read more about the cloister in another post.
The mothers-in-law
We have two mothers-in-law traveling together on this trip, but their story is not at all like the TV sit-com from the 1960s called The Mother-In-Laws. These two women call themselves friends.
Jeannie Haukaas (seen on the right in this picture) is a member of First Lutheran in Baudette, Minnesota. Her son Michael married Susan, the daughter of Marilou Bade, a member of Zion Lutheran in Twin Valley, Minnesota. As soon as Jeannie read about this trip to Lutherland, she signed up. Susan told her mom, Marilou, about the trip and that her mother-in-law was going and urged her own mother to sign up.
And so Jeannie and Marilou have come on this trip together, taking this family togetherness further than it has gone in the past. Sharing Thanksgiving dinner and attending concerts and plays — that's what Jeannie and Marilou have done together in the past. Now they are sharing a room and much more as they travel through eastern Germany.
"We sent the kids a post card," Marilou said. Jeannie chimed in, "we added a p.s. — 'we're having a good time and we're plotting against you!'" Maybe this is a bit like that 1960s sit-com after all.
From Wittenberg to Halle to Helfta
On Saturday, April 21st, the participants in the Women of the ELCA Bold Women of the Reformation Tour began the day in Wittenberg and ended the day in Helfta with a stop in Halle in between.
Personally, I began my day with a 2-hour bike ride around Wittenberg and over to the Elbe River, on the banks of which Wittenberg rests. (I was able to rent a bike from the hotel.) The bike ride was glorious as I sped along cobblestone streets that Martin and Katie Luther and other reformers walked, and when I got to the banks of the Elbe River, I dipped my hand in the water. I said a prayer of thanks for Martin and Katie and others who helped bring about the Reformation. I was in awe at the sheer beauty and wonder of being in this place where Lutheranism began.
After breakfast, our whole group took part in the "Klatsch-und-Tratsch" Gossip Tour. We met and listened in on the gossip of three Wittenberg women (dressed as Katie Luther, Barbara Kranach, and Ophelia). Barbara Kranach was a good friend and mentor of Katie Luther's, and Ophelia was a fictitious woman who brought much humor to the tour and helped link the 16th and 21st centuries for us. This lively gossip tour gave us an insight into what daily life was like for Katie and Barbara and other women in 16th-century Wittenberg, Germany.
After lunch, we traveled to Halle, where we peeked inside the church where George Friedrich Handel was baptized and toured the Francke Foundations. The Francke Foundations were founded 300 years ago by the theologian August Hermann Francke and included an orphanage, a fully structured school system, business and farming enterprises, and academic institutes. Today, the Francke Foundations include valuable museum collections and library, archive, and educational institutions, and over 35 on-site partners. We all enjoyed the breathtaking view of Halle from the roof of the Foundations!
We concluded the day at the Cloister Helfta near Eisleben. There we brought our weary bodies to rest and enjoyed the idyllic countryside and the cloister, with 15 nuns living on-site. Some of us investigated and later walked the outdoor labyrinth.
The day was wonderfully busy in a beautiful, faith-filled way. We experienced the women of the Reformation; the spiritual birthplace of one of Lutheranism's finest musicians; the compassion, ingenuity, and creativity of a Pietist theologian; and the devotion and beauty of a Roman Catholic cloister.
What more could you ask for in one day? I think that Martin and Katie are smiling in heaven.
Personally, I began my day with a 2-hour bike ride around Wittenberg and over to the Elbe River, on the banks of which Wittenberg rests. (I was able to rent a bike from the hotel.) The bike ride was glorious as I sped along cobblestone streets that Martin and Katie Luther and other reformers walked, and when I got to the banks of the Elbe River, I dipped my hand in the water. I said a prayer of thanks for Martin and Katie and others who helped bring about the Reformation. I was in awe at the sheer beauty and wonder of being in this place where Lutheranism began.
After breakfast, our whole group took part in the "Klatsch-und-Tratsch" Gossip Tour. We met and listened in on the gossip of three Wittenberg women (dressed as Katie Luther, Barbara Kranach, and Ophelia). Barbara Kranach was a good friend and mentor of Katie Luther's, and Ophelia was a fictitious woman who brought much humor to the tour and helped link the 16th and 21st centuries for us. This lively gossip tour gave us an insight into what daily life was like for Katie and Barbara and other women in 16th-century Wittenberg, Germany.
After lunch, we traveled to Halle, where we peeked inside the church where George Friedrich Handel was baptized and toured the Francke Foundations. The Francke Foundations were founded 300 years ago by the theologian August Hermann Francke and included an orphanage, a fully structured school system, business and farming enterprises, and academic institutes. Today, the Francke Foundations include valuable museum collections and library, archive, and educational institutions, and over 35 on-site partners. We all enjoyed the breathtaking view of Halle from the roof of the Foundations!
We concluded the day at the Cloister Helfta near Eisleben. There we brought our weary bodies to rest and enjoyed the idyllic countryside and the cloister, with 15 nuns living on-site. Some of us investigated and later walked the outdoor labyrinth.
The day was wonderfully busy in a beautiful, faith-filled way. We experienced the women of the Reformation; the spiritual birthplace of one of Lutheranism's finest musicians; the compassion, ingenuity, and creativity of a Pietist theologian; and the devotion and beauty of a Roman Catholic cloister.
What more could you ask for in one day? I think that Martin and Katie are smiling in heaven.
Who's Traveling? — Mothers & Daughters
Among our 80-some travelers, we have three mother-daughter pairs. We gathered at a cafe in Eisleben to talk about what it's like to travel together to the Lutheran heritage sites that were closed to Western visitors for so long.
Barbara Mayer of West Orange, New Jersey, is a member of Good Shepherd in Florham Park. Her daughter Lisa Ruby lives in Rensselaer, New York, and attends St. Timothy's in North Greenbush. They travel together regularly, and this is Lisa's first trip to Europe.
Ina Cohen and her daughter Elizabeth Cohen, both of St. David's in Massapequa Park, New York, were among the first to sign up for this trip, eager to see the former East Germany and learn more about Lutheran history. Ina says that their congregation (hello, Pastor Meyers!) has many members of German background, and they're eager to hear what Ina and Elizabeth will have to say about the trip.
Joanne said, It's more fun to travel with someone you love.
Let's meet these traveling moms & daughters — from left to right in the photo are Elise Stueland and Joanne Fitzgerald, Lisa Ruby and Barbara Mayer, and Ina Cohen and Elizabeth Cohen.
Elise Stueland of Scottsdale, Arizona, and her daughter the Rev. Joanne Fitzgerald of Grace Lutheran in Elmwood Park, Illinois, had never traveled together before, and they report that they're having a wonderful time.
Barbara Mayer of West Orange, New Jersey, is a member of Good Shepherd in Florham Park. Her daughter Lisa Ruby lives in Rensselaer, New York, and attends St. Timothy's in North Greenbush. They travel together regularly, and this is Lisa's first trip to Europe.
Ina Cohen and her daughter Elizabeth Cohen, both of St. David's in Massapequa Park, New York, were among the first to sign up for this trip, eager to see the former East Germany and learn more about Lutheran history. Ina says that their congregation (hello, Pastor Meyers!) has many members of German background, and they're eager to hear what Ina and Elizabeth will have to say about the trip.
I asked the women what the most moving experience or sight they'd had on the trip so far, and their answers were as unified and as varied as the women themselves.
Barbara immediately named the service of Holy Communion that we shared at Castle Church, where Martin Luther preached and where he is buried. Joanne was deeply moved by assisting with Holy Communion in the Castle Church where Luther is buried. "Such an honor," she said, blinking back tears. Lisa was moved by seeing and hearing a young woman pastor, the Rev. Dawn Hansen, preaching in the pulpit where Luther himself had preached so often. The service also deeply touched Elizabeth, who was also delighted by the friendliness of the people of Wittenberg and Torgau.
Elise named the Berliner Dom, where we had heard evening prayer. The Kaiser Wilhelm church in Berlin, with its old tower left broken after World War II and the new church glowing with blue stained glass, was another favorite. Barbara found the scars of war and division in Berlin very moving — and wondered, now that we're all so connected by modern communications, why is there still war? And Ina chimed in, Why not peace?
Before we got up from our table talk, I asked the daughters one more question: What would you like to say to all the women who'll read your words here on this blog?
Elizabeth said, It's good to depend on Mom.
Joanne said, It's more fun to travel with someone you love.
And Lisa said, More mothers and daughters should travel together!
In the news
The city of Wittenberg and its inhabitants are used to visitors, but I guess the visit of 82 Lutheran women and men on a Bold Women of the Reformation tour is news. A reporter from the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung spent Thursday evening of last week at our dinner, interviewing participants and taking in the magnitude of our visit. The reporter had already spent time on the Women of the ELCA web site and the trip blog as well. The resulting article does a great job of portraying our visit and the purpose of our visit. We'll post a translation of the article soon (our friends at the ELCA Wittenberg Center have offered to accomplish that). For now, a translation of the title will have to do: "It's as if we have come home."
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Bird's eye view of Martin Luther's Castle Church
“What a moving experience!” was the response of most of the participants on the trip as we discussed what it was like to worship in the Castle Church in Wittenberg where Martin Luther is buried and statues of church scholars and doctors in the faith line the walls. It is like a Lutheran pilgrimage to holy ground. We shared Holy Communion, sang Easter hymns, and closed the service with A Mighty Fortress, of course!
It was chilly in the sanctuary, but the chills that ran up and down my spine were connected to the honor of being asked to preach in the nosebleed-high pulpit above Luther’s grave. Once I regained my balance from that height and was able to calculate somewhat the reverberation of my words, I began to be somewhat more comfortable. As a wandering preacher, I was a little concerned about taking a nose-dive off the pulpit and meeting Luther face-to-face.
The words from Luther’s favorite psalm, 118, and the verse, “I shall not die but live and proclaim the works of the Lord,” provided us a basis to share all we have learned, on this trip and in our lives, about God’s love for us and for humankind.
Showing the BOLD women of the ELCA stripes, staff members rounded out the service with the terrific cantoring of Deb Bogaert, a reading by Audrey Riley, and praying by Linda Post Bushkofsky. Those who attended were truly moved.
Ganz Gut Alle!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Wittenberg @ Dawn
Bold Women in Mission and Ministry in Wittenberg
Today—Thursday—as you have seen, was filled with numerous opportunities to see bold women in action. We visited a variety of social ministries around Wittenberg including a disabilities school, a kindergarten, a soup kitchen, a senior’s center, and an elementary school, hosted by the bold women that lead and work in these facilities.
I visited the elementary school; a private school dedicated to creating successful, creative, non-cookie-cutter children and learning opportunities. The school has classes between 1st and 4th grade with approximately 140 students, and next year hopes to max out at 180 students. The principal started and runs the school funded by a 75-Euro-per-month fee. The church contributes to subsidize the fees. Her biggest concern is working with the regular school system so the children’s education is counted and valued. This school is considered top class as it is a full-day program with after school care, a much needed commodity in a nation that sees both parents working to scrap together a decent living wage after waging a war with communism for years.
The children, as most children everywhere, were boisterous, shy, witty, and straightforward. They sang for us and asked questions, while we mainly gawked. Their English skills outdid our German ones for sure.
Other members of the tour went to other projects and services. One couple stated that their visit to a soup kitchen was very moving despite any language difficulties. They were able to communicate with those who came in for meals.
Another pair talked about their visit to a senior center. The were assured by the residents that living in the united Germany is much better than their previous conditions.
With an afternoon break of a visit to both the City Church and the Schloss Kirche (Castle Church) in Wittenberg to hear about Katharina von Bora, Martin Luther, and their contemporaries and friends, we dispersed to shop, eat, visit, meditate, or rest.
The evening followed with a tremendous meal and visit by all the participating agencies and their directors. I was blessed to sit with Sonni, and her translator Dieter, our bus guide. Sonni is a chaplain in the local Wittenberg hospital where she seeks to bring spiritual comfort to people, some of whom knew no spiritual force for years under communist rule. She finds it both a challenge and a blessed ministry. Sonni said that women pastors in Germany are becoming more common but, like their U.S. counterparts, do not always find themselves in regular parish calls.
Today—Thursday—as you have seen, was filled with numerous opportunities to see bold women in action. We visited a variety of social ministries around Wittenberg including a disabilities school, a kindergarten, a soup kitchen, a senior’s center, and an elementary school, hosted by the bold women that lead and work in these facilities.
I visited the elementary school; a private school dedicated to creating successful, creative, non-cookie-cutter children and learning opportunities. The school has classes between 1st and 4th grade with approximately 140 students, and next year hopes to max out at 180 students. The principal started and runs the school funded by a 75-Euro-per-month fee. The church contributes to subsidize the fees. Her biggest concern is working with the regular school system so the children’s education is counted and valued. This school is considered top class as it is a full-day program with after school care, a much needed commodity in a nation that sees both parents working to scrap together a decent living wage after waging a war with communism for years.
The children, as most children everywhere, were boisterous, shy, witty, and straightforward. They sang for us and asked questions, while we mainly gawked. Their English skills outdid our German ones for sure.
Other members of the tour went to other projects and services. One couple stated that their visit to a soup kitchen was very moving despite any language difficulties. They were able to communicate with those who came in for meals.
Another pair talked about their visit to a senior center. The were assured by the residents that living in the united Germany is much better than their previous conditions.
With an afternoon break of a visit to both the City Church and the Schloss Kirche (Castle Church) in Wittenberg to hear about Katharina von Bora, Martin Luther, and their contemporaries and friends, we dispersed to shop, eat, visit, meditate, or rest.
The evening followed with a tremendous meal and visit by all the participating agencies and their directors. I was blessed to sit with Sonni, and her translator Dieter, our bus guide. Sonni is a chaplain in the local Wittenberg hospital where she seeks to bring spiritual comfort to people, some of whom knew no spiritual force for years under communist rule. She finds it both a challenge and a blessed ministry. Sonni said that women pastors in Germany are becoming more common but, like their U.S. counterparts, do not always find themselves in regular parish calls.
Trip to Social Service Agency
Guten Tag! Ich heiße Laura Barkenquast. Today those of us on the Bold Women of the Reformation Tour visited different social service agencies in Wittenberg so that we could see how bold women and men of faith in Wittenberg, Germany today are living out that faith.
I visited Augustinus Werk, which is a workshop for handicapped adults. In Germany, the government makes sure that all handicapped persons have an income. The workshop prepares adults for work in the public sector; however, if those in the workshop are unable to find work, then they continue in the workshop until they reach retirement age. In addition to their income from the workshop, they receive a government subsidy.
Those of us who visited Augustinus Werk talked with the director and toured the facility. We observed the sewing, woodworking, windowmaking, and assembly of household products taking place. We had the opportunity to purchase some of the items made by the woodworking department, and many of us took advantage of that opportunity. :)
What struck me the most about the visit was the dedication and determination of those who worked there (both the handicapped participants in the workshop and the non-handicapped supervisors and director). (By the way, I use the term "handicapped," rather than "differently abled" because "handicapped" is the term used in Germany.)
People poured their hearts and souls into doing the best job possible, and they were genuinely very friendly to us Americans looking for an "authentic" experience of Wittenberg, rather than just the traditonal tourist activities.
I think that Martin and Katie Luther and the other reformers would be pleased — pleased with the workshop system that ensures that handicapped people have gainful employment in the workshop and/or in the public sector and pleased that the Bold Women of the Reformation Tour would choose to make this visit.
Martin Luther believed that everyone (not just clergy) received a call from God, and that they should live out that call to the glory of God. No call is better or worse than another. The handicapped people and their supervisors and the director at Augustinus Werk are called to that work. For the morning that some of us on the Bold Women of the Reformation Tour visited Augustinus Werk, we were following our call. There was nowhere else we needed to be that morning.
Auf wiedersehen!
Auf Christus,
Laura
I visited Augustinus Werk, which is a workshop for handicapped adults. In Germany, the government makes sure that all handicapped persons have an income. The workshop prepares adults for work in the public sector; however, if those in the workshop are unable to find work, then they continue in the workshop until they reach retirement age. In addition to their income from the workshop, they receive a government subsidy.
Those of us who visited Augustinus Werk talked with the director and toured the facility. We observed the sewing, woodworking, windowmaking, and assembly of household products taking place. We had the opportunity to purchase some of the items made by the woodworking department, and many of us took advantage of that opportunity. :)
What struck me the most about the visit was the dedication and determination of those who worked there (both the handicapped participants in the workshop and the non-handicapped supervisors and director). (By the way, I use the term "handicapped," rather than "differently abled" because "handicapped" is the term used in Germany.)
People poured their hearts and souls into doing the best job possible, and they were genuinely very friendly to us Americans looking for an "authentic" experience of Wittenberg, rather than just the traditonal tourist activities.
I think that Martin and Katie Luther and the other reformers would be pleased — pleased with the workshop system that ensures that handicapped people have gainful employment in the workshop and/or in the public sector and pleased that the Bold Women of the Reformation Tour would choose to make this visit.
Martin Luther believed that everyone (not just clergy) received a call from God, and that they should live out that call to the glory of God. No call is better or worse than another. The handicapped people and their supervisors and the director at Augustinus Werk are called to that work. For the morning that some of us on the Bold Women of the Reformation Tour visited Augustinus Werk, we were following our call. There was nowhere else we needed to be that morning.
Auf wiedersehen!
Auf Christus,
Laura
Photos have been added
We've begun adding photos to the photo album -- click on the link at the top of the right hand column on this page. Look through the photos (we hope to add more regularly) and you might just see your mother, daughter, wife, friend, aunt, grandmother or teacher!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
What do we really know about Katharina von Bora?
On Wednes-day evening, we attended a lecture at the ELCA Wittenberg Center by Dr. Martin Treu on the life of Katharina von Bora. His presentation focused on the question of just how much we can know with certainty about the wife of Martin Luther, given that in the 16th century women were seen but not heard—there are no written sources from women, only about them—and that what was written down about her gives us only the barest of facts.
From the outline of her life we can "paint in" a picture, but our pictures of her typically reflect the time and culture in which we live. In the 19th century, portraits of Katharina von Bora emphasized that she was a good wife; in the 20th century, we have tended to put a feminist interpretation on what facts we have.
We do know that Frau von Bora came from a family of minor nobility (and in the 16th century, no one other than Martin Luther, especially given her noble descent, would have called her Katharina or Katie). She was married to Luther from 1525 to 1546, and these are the years best documented (though by Luther and his friends and colleagues).
Scholars are not sure whether she could write, given that nothing she might have written has survived and that an inscription attributed to her, in a Bible she gave someone as a gift, has been shown to have been written not by her but by Luther. Because she had been a nun, though, she was able to read. In fact, Luther asked Katharina to read his translation of the Bible. She wasn't particularly interested, so Luther offered her 50 guilders to read it in the winter when there would be little to do in the fields. (Luther's annual salary as a professor would have been 250 guilders).
Typical of minor nobility—proud yet poor—it was easier for von Bora's father to send her off to the convent than to provide a suitable dowry. This gave women two advantages, however: First, they received an education. Second, they lived healthier, longer lives because death during childbirth was so common (the average 16th-century woman lived only to about 33 or 35). So at age 6, Katharina von Bora entered the convent as a student.
We don't know exactly how she became acquainted with Luther's thought, but at Easter 1523, 12 nuns left the convent in a wagon. Three went back to their families; 9 could not (they were essentially out of the family at that point—entering the convent was considered a permanent decision, and, in fact, no one of the von Bora's attended Katharina and Luther's wedding).
In the 16th century, marriage was a business arrangement between families and couples and families hoped that love would come later. With no one to support them and virtually no opportunities available to them, 7 of the nuns were married within a few months (the oldest of them who came to Wittenberg became a schoolteacher in Grimma and was later married). Luther offered Katharina a husband but she declined him—nearly unheard of at the time.
By 1525, most all Protestant pastors were married; those who were not were looked at as possible "crypto-Catholics." So Luther (and for other reasons as well) decided to be married.
In 1527, Katharina established a household in a former monastery. With that much space, she ran a student hostel that became quite a business. She had 20 students living there, farmed land they had acquired, raised cows and pigs, and brewed her own beer (which was important for health reasons—the brewing process killed whatever bacteria was usually in the water supply). She earned almost as much from all of this as Luther earned as a professor.
Luther acknowledged her success in his will in 1542 by appointing her sole heir and guardian of their children—unthinkable at the time and ultimately unenforceable because his will was, essentially, illegal. She needed to have a guardian appointed to her, so she selected a faraway relative. The authorities were not amused, so she appointed Philip Melanchthon, who agreed but also said that she would do as she pleased.
After Luther's death in 1552, Katharina von Bora falls back into the anonymity of women of that time. There are no written sources documenting her death, only a brief obituary by Melanchthon that notes her "special life."
From the outline of her life we can "paint in" a picture, but our pictures of her typically reflect the time and culture in which we live. In the 19th century, portraits of Katharina von Bora emphasized that she was a good wife; in the 20th century, we have tended to put a feminist interpretation on what facts we have.
We do know that Frau von Bora came from a family of minor nobility (and in the 16th century, no one other than Martin Luther, especially given her noble descent, would have called her Katharina or Katie). She was married to Luther from 1525 to 1546, and these are the years best documented (though by Luther and his friends and colleagues).
Scholars are not sure whether she could write, given that nothing she might have written has survived and that an inscription attributed to her, in a Bible she gave someone as a gift, has been shown to have been written not by her but by Luther. Because she had been a nun, though, she was able to read. In fact, Luther asked Katharina to read his translation of the Bible. She wasn't particularly interested, so Luther offered her 50 guilders to read it in the winter when there would be little to do in the fields. (Luther's annual salary as a professor would have been 250 guilders).
Typical of minor nobility—proud yet poor—it was easier for von Bora's father to send her off to the convent than to provide a suitable dowry. This gave women two advantages, however: First, they received an education. Second, they lived healthier, longer lives because death during childbirth was so common (the average 16th-century woman lived only to about 33 or 35). So at age 6, Katharina von Bora entered the convent as a student.
We don't know exactly how she became acquainted with Luther's thought, but at Easter 1523, 12 nuns left the convent in a wagon. Three went back to their families; 9 could not (they were essentially out of the family at that point—entering the convent was considered a permanent decision, and, in fact, no one of the von Bora's attended Katharina and Luther's wedding).
In the 16th century, marriage was a business arrangement between families and couples and families hoped that love would come later. With no one to support them and virtually no opportunities available to them, 7 of the nuns were married within a few months (the oldest of them who came to Wittenberg became a schoolteacher in Grimma and was later married). Luther offered Katharina a husband but she declined him—nearly unheard of at the time.
By 1525, most all Protestant pastors were married; those who were not were looked at as possible "crypto-Catholics." So Luther (and for other reasons as well) decided to be married.
In 1527, Katharina established a household in a former monastery. With that much space, she ran a student hostel that became quite a business. She had 20 students living there, farmed land they had acquired, raised cows and pigs, and brewed her own beer (which was important for health reasons—the brewing process killed whatever bacteria was usually in the water supply). She earned almost as much from all of this as Luther earned as a professor.
Luther acknowledged her success in his will in 1542 by appointing her sole heir and guardian of their children—unthinkable at the time and ultimately unenforceable because his will was, essentially, illegal. She needed to have a guardian appointed to her, so she selected a faraway relative. The authorities were not amused, so she appointed Philip Melanchthon, who agreed but also said that she would do as she pleased.
After Luther's death in 1552, Katharina von Bora falls back into the anonymity of women of that time. There are no written sources documenting her death, only a brief obituary by Melanchthon that notes her "special life."
An afternoon in Wittenberg
Walking tours of Wittenberg started after lunch today, with stops at the Castle Church (where Luther is buried) and St. Mary's (where Luther preached and where he married Katharina von Bora). We return to the Castle Church tomorrow morning for a Service of Holy Communion where the Rev. Dawn Hansen, director for programs with Women of the ELCA, will be preaching.
Participants enjoyed free time in Wittenberg after the walking tours. I've seen several women walking around with shopping bags in hand, so it's fair to say we have been supporting the local economy! Wittenberg offers many quaint street scenes, such as this one.
This evening we look forward to a program led by the staff of the ELCA Wittenberg Center. Several local female pastors and layleaders will be joining us for the evening. Check in later to read about that.
Visiting a Protestant kindergarten
This morning we broke into smaller groups, with each group visiting a different social service agency in Wittenberg. My group visited a kindergarten (like a pre-school in the U.S.) where the children greeted us with Easter hymns. This kindergarten is one of four Protestant kindergartens in Wittenberg, and it's associated with a congregation that is relatively new, having been formed sometime before reunification.
The principal talked about the religious education that is offered the children who are mostly 2 to 6 years of age. They hope each year to have at least one child join the congregation through baptism, and the children come to faith through the school. One child was baptized at the Easter Vigil recently and another is to be baptized in June.
We loved the nap room, with bedding for each child, sheep on the walls for counting and a disco ball (purchased by the parents) that helps lull the children to sleep!
The pastor of the supporting congregation, St. Martin's, met with us and described the life of her congregation. It is not remarkably different from many congregations we all know -- Bible studies, special programming for the senior citizens, offering space to groups like AA.
She mentioned that in Wittenberg, only 10 percent of the people are members of congre-gations; she also said that in much of western Germany, that figure is only 5 percent. St. Martin's has 1,500 members, but only 50-60 gather regularly for worship. Here's a view of the simple, but lovely worship space at St. Martin's.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Exploring religious connections in Berlin
We pushed off in two red coaches (that would be Reformation red, no doubt) and explored Berlin today.We began by visiting the Holocaust Mahnmal (Holocaust Memorial), a five-acre memorial consisting of 2,700 concrete pillars of differing heights. While Americans might liken the memorial to a cemetery, that was not the intent of the Jewish German-American architect, Peter Eisenman. With the differing height pillars and walkways that undulate up and down, the visitor can easily become disoriented.
This memorial is near the Reichstag, the home of the German Parliament seen with the waving flags in the background of the Holocaust Mahnmal and the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenberg Gate), the eighteenth century structure that was incorporated into the Berlin Wall following WWII.
Our coaches drove the perimeter of the wall for some distance, and we visited a portion that is still standing as a stark reminder of what was. After a brief stop at Checkpoint Charlie (later in the day we would drive past the lesser known Checkpoint Bravo), we headed to the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) for a noon prayer service. Those who understand German heard the pastor reflect on Thomas's unbelief over word of the risen Christ and his need to see Jesus' hands and side. Others marveled at the mosaics in the dome that depict the beatitudes, each mosaic consisting of approximately 500,000 glass stones!
After a brief lunch break at the post-reunification restored Potsdamer Platz, we ended our time in Berlin with a stop at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church), a church first built as a memorial to the Emperor Wilhelm I. Having been badly damaged in WWII, its ruins stand as a reminder of the horrors of war. A new church building was built in the late 1950s-early 1960s that incorporates the shattered tower of the original church. The new building includes 20,000 blue glass windows made in Chartres.
Then we were off to Wittenberg, enjoying a nice ride through the German countryside.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A sunny day in Berlin
Tuesday was a beautiful spring day in Berlin--sunny, warm, breezy--so some of your staff members took a little sightseeing expedition.
First we walked down along the beautiful boulevard named Unter den Linden, where dozens of happy Berliners and other tourists were bicycling and strolling in the sunshine along with us. We went west to the majestic Brandenburg Gate, and then through it and across the street into the park named Tiergarten. Before the Wall fell in 1989, we wouldn't have been able to do that at all--it ran just west of the Gate. See how peacemaking has benefits both great and small!
Later, we took a boat ride on the Spree River, which flows through the city. We saw more Berliners sunbathing in the parks on the riverbanks and lounging in the cafes on the shore. A cruise on the Spree brings you amazing views of astonishing architecture--from the centuries-old Berliner Dom (oops! It looks centuries old but it was actually built in 1905. The author regrets the error) to the brand-new sparkling white marble National Art Gallery, shown here (I waved at the construction workers).
And of course after our boat ride we had to stop and nourish ourselves at one of the lovely riverside cafes. Hot pretzels (and other treats!) really do taste better in Germany!
Tomorrow we board our buses and we're off to the ELCA center at Wittenberg, and the real heart of our trip -- the historic sites of the beginning of the Reformation.
First we walked down along the beautiful boulevard named Unter den Linden, where dozens of happy Berliners and other tourists were bicycling and strolling in the sunshine along with us. We went west to the majestic Brandenburg Gate, and then through it and across the street into the park named Tiergarten. Before the Wall fell in 1989, we wouldn't have been able to do that at all--it ran just west of the Gate. See how peacemaking has benefits both great and small!
Later, we took a boat ride on the Spree River, which flows through the city. We saw more Berliners sunbathing in the parks on the riverbanks and lounging in the cafes on the shore. A cruise on the Spree brings you amazing views of astonishing architecture--from the centuries-old Berliner Dom (oops! It looks centuries old but it was actually built in 1905. The author regrets the error) to the brand-new sparkling white marble National Art Gallery, shown here (I waved at the construction workers).
And of course after our boat ride we had to stop and nourish ourselves at one of the lovely riverside cafes. Hot pretzels (and other treats!) really do taste better in Germany!
Tomorrow we board our buses and we're off to the ELCA center at Wittenberg, and the real heart of our trip -- the historic sites of the beginning of the Reformation.
A grande mocha by any other name...
Guten morgen! Five of our six staff supporting this tour have arrived in Berlin, enjoyed one night's sleep, and are ready to greet the guests who will be arriving shortly. I've received word so far of only one couple's delay due to the East Coast storms.
I'm just back from exploring the blocks immediately adjacent to our hotel. As you can tell from the photo, I located Starbucks.
The photo also shows that the tragedy at Virginia Tech is headline news here, too, as you can see from the morning paper (it's nearly the only thing that CNN worldwide is reporting, too). We remember all those touched by this tragedy in our prayers here.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Almost ready to go
I'm almost ready to zip up the suitcase and head out to the airport. Felix wants to make sure I don't forget anything important -- like him!(No worries -- Felix's other devoted servant will be taking good care of him here at home.)
See you in Berlin!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Guten Tag
Hello All you Bold Travelers,
As you can see we have an exciting itinerary ahead of us! Exploring Lutheran heritage and meeting with bold men and women of the past and present.
I have toured numerous times the landscape of our church history in books, lectures and my imagination, but never in person! So this trip will make the characters of Lutheranism live in so many ways.
I am a Women of the ELCA staff member, pastor, and church history student, looking forward to meeting and traveling with you. Have a safe journey to Germany. Or shall I say "Glucklich ankommen von Gottes Gnaden" (Travel safely by the grace of God!)
As you can see we have an exciting itinerary ahead of us! Exploring Lutheran heritage and meeting with bold men and women of the past and present.
I have toured numerous times the landscape of our church history in books, lectures and my imagination, but never in person! So this trip will make the characters of Lutheranism live in so many ways.
I am a Women of the ELCA staff member, pastor, and church history student, looking forward to meeting and traveling with you. Have a safe journey to Germany. Or shall I say "Glucklich ankommen von Gottes Gnaden" (Travel safely by the grace of God!)
Friday, April 13, 2007
My Third Trip
I have cousins who live in Erlanger, Germany, southwest of where we will be.
This is my third trip to Germany. In 1978 my first granddaughter was born in Berlin. Her father was in the U.S. Air Force there. In 1999 our Eaton, Ohio, Sister City group traveled to Rodenthal for a fabulous tour. Now I get to see the history of our Lutheran church. How amazing that will be. Elsie Burkle, Eaton, Ohio.
This is my third trip to Germany. In 1978 my first granddaughter was born in Berlin. Her father was in the U.S. Air Force there. In 1999 our Eaton, Ohio, Sister City group traveled to Rodenthal for a fabulous tour. Now I get to see the history of our Lutheran church. How amazing that will be. Elsie Burkle, Eaton, Ohio.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Want to go to Hamburg!
Hi,
I am ready to go and can hardly wait til Mon. 4/16. This is my first trip to Germany and I hope to take the train to Hamburg on Tues. 4/17 as soon as I get to the hotel. I wonder if anyone else would like to join me? My husband's family is from the area north of there and I think it would be fun to see it. If you're interested please let me know. Perhaps you could leave a message at the hotel. I hope to arrive about noon. Thanks and happy travels to all.
Marilou Bade
I am ready to go and can hardly wait til Mon. 4/16. This is my first trip to Germany and I hope to take the train to Hamburg on Tues. 4/17 as soon as I get to the hotel. I wonder if anyone else would like to join me? My husband's family is from the area north of there and I think it would be fun to see it. If you're interested please let me know. Perhaps you could leave a message at the hotel. I hope to arrive about noon. Thanks and happy travels to all.
Marilou Bade
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Pre-tour tour
Just a greeting to all who are traveling and all who are journeying via blog.
Just before we meet, I will be visiting brother Mark who lives in Berlin and works as a musician. Friday night, he's performing in Halle with the opera there and I will be in the audience saying, "That's my little brother." I'll have the program to share with other classical music fans.
Looking forward to meeting you all,
Patrice Nordstrand
Corona California
Just before we meet, I will be visiting brother Mark who lives in Berlin and works as a musician. Friday night, he's performing in Halle with the opera there and I will be in the audience saying, "That's my little brother." I'll have the program to share with other classical music fans.
Looking forward to meeting you all,
Patrice Nordstrand
Corona California
Monday, April 9, 2007
Dresden 1995
Here are two photos of the Frauenkirche in Dresden. I took these photos in 1995. Reconstruction was taking place even then, funded in large part, as I remember, by a state lottery. The destruction of this building (built between 1726-1743) from the firebombing of Dresden during World War II was catastrophic. The reconstruction of the exterior was completed in 2004 and the interior in 2005. The church was reconsecrated on 30 October 2005. I'm really looking forward to visiting the Frauenkirche during our tour!
Linda Post Bushkofsky
Berlin 1995
Back in 1995 I visited several of the same locations that are on our itinerary. Here's a photo taken of a street in Berlin (it happened to be where our hotel was located). In 1995 everywhere one looked one saw construction happening. I'm looking forward to seeing how things look 12 years later. I imagine there could still be lots of construction taking place.
Linda Post Bushkofsky
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Are you ready?
Greetings to those traveling on the Bold Women of the Reformation tour (and friends and families thereof)! Here in the churchwide office of Women of the ELCA we are preparing an e-mailing to you all with final details of our trip. We've met recently with the co-directors of the ELCA Wittenberg Center and our German tour guide, and we've grown even more excited about this opportunity to explore significant sites not only in our collective Lutheran heritage but also in the contemporary Lutheran Christian experience.
Staff who are traveling on this trip will be blogging daily, capturing the essence of our experiences with words and photos. We'll also be posting photos at
http://photos.womenoftheelca.org. We hope that many of our participants choose to blog as well, helping to expand the impressions from our trip.
Linda Post Bushkofsky
Staff who are traveling on this trip will be blogging daily, capturing the essence of our experiences with words and photos. We'll also be posting photos at
http://photos.womenoftheelca.org. We hope that many of our participants choose to blog as well, helping to expand the impressions from our trip.
Linda Post Bushkofsky
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Germany trip itinerary
Welcome to the Bold Women of the Reformation Tour in Germany. We are pleased to have you as our virtual traveling companion. Here's a quick overview of our tour.
Day 1: Monday, April 16
Depart U.S. for Berlin
Day 2: Tuesday, April 17 — Berlin
Arrive in Berlin. After everything is settled, transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, an optional visit to Museum Island is planned. In the evening, meet your program planners for dinner and a welcome and orientation meeting.
Day 3: Wednesday, April 18 — Berlin-Wittenberg
After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of several of Berlin's historical sites with an emphasis on church history. Afterwards, travel to Wittenberg where we will check into our hotel, eat dinner, and hear a lecture by Dr. Martin Treu on "How Martin Luther and His Friends Lived in Wittenberg." (Wittenberg, 3 nights)
Day 4: Thursday, April 19 — Wittenberg
Visit German social service organizations. This afternoon we will resume our city tour and have time on our own to explore Wittenberg, followed by an introduction to the ELCA Wittenberg Center and dinner.
Day 5: Friday, April 20 — Torgau day trip
We'll start our morning with a communion service at the Castle Church. Afterwards, our bus brings us to Torgau, where we will have lunch and a guided tour. Returning to Wittenberg, we will have a guided tour of Luther House, dinner, and a lecture about "Subversive Princesses of the Reformation."
Day 6: Saturday, April 21 — Wittenberg, Halle, and Eisleben
This morning we will enjoy a unique Reformation-era theater piece staged by local Wittenberg women, "Klatsch und Tratsch." This "gossip round" seeks to bring alive the lifestyle within women's circles in Wittenberg in the middle ages. Afterwards we head to Halle, visit the Francke Foundations, and continue to Eisleben, with dinner at the Cloister Helfta.
Day 7: Sunday, April 22 — Eisleben
This morning we have the opportunity to worship with a local congregation followed by a guided tour of Eisleben after lunch and talk with a local pastor about "The role of women in the German church."
Day 8: Monday, April 23 — Leipzig
This morning we have an introduction to Cloister Helfta and "Mystic Women." Afterwards, we leave for Leipzig where we have a guided tour of the city.
Day 9: Tuesday, April 24 — Leipzig
This morning we have time to explore the city, followed by a presentation by Dr. Ulrich Seidel on "Peaceful Revolution." We will meet members of St. Thomas congregation followed by dinner.
Day 10: Wednesday, April 25 — Leipzig and Dresden
This morning we leave for Dresden where we will visit with the diaconal community, eat lunch, and have a guided tour of the city. We return to Leipzing in time for dinner.
Day 11: Thursday, April 26 — Nimbschen and Erfurt
This morning our coach will take us to Nimbschen to visit the ruins of the former convent where Katharina von Bora lived as a nun. We will have lunch and time on our own in Grimma and continue on to Erfurt in the afternoon.
Day 12: Friday, April 27 — Erfurt
Our city tour this morning will take us to the University in Erfurt and to St. Mary's Cathedral, where Luther was ordained. We will also tour the Augustinian Monastery where Martin Luther took his monastic vows and lived as a monk. We will have lunch at the cloister followed by conversation with a sister at the Augustinekloster on "Contemporary Lutheran Monastic Vocation." Our evening is free.
Day 13: Saturday, April 28 — to Eisenach
This morning we travel to Eisenach, where we will enjoy a tour of the Wartburg Castle where Luther li
ved under protective custody and took advantage of the seclusion to create one of the most important works of his life, the German translation of the New Testament. After lunch we will visit the Bach house, an early-18th century home, including a demonstration of musical instruments from Bach's time. This afternoon, we will continue to Darmstadt where we will have our farewell dinner and closing devotions.
Day 14: Sunday, April 29 — Fly back to U.S.
Auf wiedersehen!It's time to say goodbye. Your coach will transfer you to the Frankfurt Rhein Main Airport for your homebound flight.
Day 1: Monday, April 16
Depart U.S. for Berlin
Day 2: Tuesday, April 17 — Berlin
Arrive in Berlin. After everything is settled, transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, an optional visit to Museum Island is planned. In the evening, meet your program planners for dinner and a welcome and orientation meeting.
Day 3: Wednesday, April 18 — Berlin-Wittenberg
After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of several of Berlin's historical sites with an emphasis on church history. Afterwards, travel to Wittenberg where we will check into our hotel, eat dinner, and hear a lecture by Dr. Martin Treu on "How Martin Luther and His Friends Lived in Wittenberg." (Wittenberg, 3 nights)
Day 4: Thursday, April 19 — Wittenberg
Visit German social service organizations. This afternoon we will resume our city tour and have time on our own to explore Wittenberg, followed by an introduction to the ELCA Wittenberg Center and dinner.
Day 5: Friday, April 20 — Torgau day trip
We'll start our morning with a communion service at the Castle Church. Afterwards, our bus brings us to Torgau, where we will have lunch and a guided tour. Returning to Wittenberg, we will have a guided tour of Luther House, dinner, and a lecture about "Subversive Princesses of the Reformation."
Day 6: Saturday, April 21 — Wittenberg, Halle, and Eisleben
This morning we will enjoy a unique Reformation-era theater piece staged by local Wittenberg women, "Klatsch und Tratsch." This "gossip round" seeks to bring alive the lifestyle within women's circles in Wittenberg in the middle ages. Afterwards we head to Halle, visit the Francke Foundations, and continue to Eisleben, with dinner at the Cloister Helfta.
Day 7: Sunday, April 22 — EislebenThis morning we have the opportunity to worship with a local congregation followed by a guided tour of Eisleben after lunch and talk with a local pastor about "The role of women in the German church."
Day 8: Monday, April 23 — Leipzig
This morning we have an introduction to Cloister Helfta and "Mystic Women." Afterwards, we leave for Leipzig where we have a guided tour of the city.
Day 9: Tuesday, April 24 — Leipzig
This morning we have time to explore the city, followed by a presentation by Dr. Ulrich Seidel on "Peaceful Revolution." We will meet members of St. Thomas congregation followed by dinner.
Day 10: Wednesday, April 25 — Leipzig and Dresden
This morning we leave for Dresden where we will visit with the diaconal community, eat lunch, and have a guided tour of the city. We return to Leipzing in time for dinner.
Day 11: Thursday, April 26 — Nimbschen and Erfurt
This morning our coach will take us to Nimbschen to visit the ruins of the former convent where Katharina von Bora lived as a nun. We will have lunch and time on our own in Grimma and continue on to Erfurt in the afternoon.
Day 12: Friday, April 27 — Erfurt
Our city tour this morning will take us to the University in Erfurt and to St. Mary's Cathedral, where Luther was ordained. We will also tour the Augustinian Monastery where Martin Luther took his monastic vows and lived as a monk. We will have lunch at the cloister followed by conversation with a sister at the Augustinekloster on "Contemporary Lutheran Monastic Vocation." Our evening is free.
Day 13: Saturday, April 28 — to Eisenach
This morning we travel to Eisenach, where we will enjoy a tour of the Wartburg Castle where Luther li
ved under protective custody and took advantage of the seclusion to create one of the most important works of his life, the German translation of the New Testament. After lunch we will visit the Bach house, an early-18th century home, including a demonstration of musical instruments from Bach's time. This afternoon, we will continue to Darmstadt where we will have our farewell dinner and closing devotions.Day 14: Sunday, April 29 — Fly back to U.S.
Auf wiedersehen!It's time to say goodbye. Your coach will transfer you to the Frankfurt Rhein Main Airport for your homebound flight.
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