Oh what a beautiful sound and sight it is, to worship together with brothers and sisters of all nations. On every trip I have ever been apart of the most memorable part in each journey is worship. Let me clear when I say worship though. I do not mean exclusively the music. Trust me, music is a cherished gift from God in my life, but worship is so much more than that. On this balmy 100 degree Sunday, we traded the usual digs of 1940 New Danville Pike for Eckstein Gemeinde. We are thankful for their ability to have translators who translate the whole service in English though in some instances we didn’t need translation. When the melody hit despite all the German words filling the room, we began to sing along…
The voices of all nations lifted up and praising the name of Jesus is quite possibly the most beautiful sight. We prayed together and we opened the Word of God. Pastor Jonathan preached from Romans 14. He challenged us be a help, to be an encouragement, rather than being a stumbling block. He challenged us to take responsibility for our walk with Christ and not be so enthralled with judging everyone else’s. Despite completely different cultures and geography, the Lord never changes. The Word never changes. His glory and goodness are universal. The unity Christ brings is unexplainable.
After our time of worship, we began our sightseeing and history adventure. We visited the Topography of Terror Museum, Memorial to the Murdered Jews, Brandenburg Gate, and Alexanderplatz (or better known as that place in the Bourne movies). Dan and Debbie were our tour guides with many stories from their own lives, as well as rich historical insight. We topped off our trip downtown with some German cuisine at the Hofbräu Mũnchen. Our tummies were filled with pretzels, schnitzels, and sausages and wouldn’t you believe it, we ran into a couple at the restaurant whose son plays football at Franklin & Marshall. You don’t see a F&M hat sitting at a restaurant half way across the world and not talk to them.
Our day concluded with us creating a circle to juggle the soccer ball in the newly minted backyard. Even though we were all absolutely beat, you could tell we didn’t want to depart. The juggling circle turned into a debrief circle for our future plans, and then that circle turned into story time with Dan. Dan encouraged us all to be light in the dark world. The light of Christ is in us and the dark spiritual world shutters at the name of Jesus. He encouraged us to not be afraid to be the light and share the light. We have talked much about this trip being a testament to the neighbors to which Dan shared his neighborhood given nickname, “The Rainbow Dog.” That is a rough English translation of the German phrase, “bekannt wie in bunter Hund” which directly translates, “well-known like a colorful dog.” According to my research it is a German phrase that describes someone or something that stands out, or recognized by everyone in an area. Google said, “It can be used for people who are notorious oddballs, or simply for a very friendly local that everyone in the neighborhood knows. Dan and Debbie shared that all their neighbors know Dan. When they are outside he is sure to great them and he has reached a point where mostly any of them will invite him in for coffee or food. According to Debbie, German’s don’t typically invite people in the way they invite Dan in.Though Dan is an exceptional man, he is quick to ensure that people know the rainbow dog reality is only because of the light of Jesus Christ. It sticks out like a sore thumb in a dark world. It is inexplainable yet wonderful.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:1-5
Pray along with us as we pray for the church of Eckstein Gemeinde. Pray that they would find a new place to gather for Sunday gatherings. Pray that their ministry would continue to grow and spread the Gospel throughout Berlin. Pray that the trips would be stirring the hearts and minds of the teens on this trip to see how big God truly is. Pray for present minds and hearts as we near the end of our trip. Pray that we would stay focused and eager to take opportunities to shine the light of Christ in a dark world.
Thank you all for being such an integral part of our team hear in Germany!