Happy May!

Today is Tag der Arbeit (Labor Day) in Germany. It's a federal holiday, so all the stores are closed and the streetcars and buses run less often. It seems like police, emergency personnel, and anyone working in the transportation industry are the only people who have to work today. The citizens of Bremen and many other German cities ring in the holiday by celebrating Tanz in den Mai ("dancing in May") on the evening of April 30th. From what I hear, there is much dancing, consumption of alcoholic beverages, and general rowdy cavorting. For me, however, April culminated with an evening of babysitting.

Every year on May 1st, the congregations in northern Germany get together for a day of fellowship and worship. This year we met in Bergkirchen, a tiny village probably 20 kilometers from Hannover. After spending a weekend there in February for a ladies' retreat and our time there today, I've decided Bergkirchen has made my list of "The Top 5 Most Beautiful Places in Germany." As the name implies, the village is built on a mountain (well, it's more like a large hill) around a very old stone church building. From both the north and south there are views across wide valleys covered mainly by farmland and dotted with a few villages and centuries-old barns and farmhouses. Right now the valleys are bright yellow with blooming rapeseed.

The day was an excellent opportunity to observe the current condition of the Gemeinde Christi in this part of the country. The congregations in Bremen, Braunschweig, Hildesheim, Peine, Kiel, and Hamburg were represented today. There were also remnants of the Hannover congregation, which sadly dissolved a couple months ago after experiencing a stark decline in attendance and then disagreements over worship styles. Apparently members of the Berlin congregation usually come as well, but none were there today. All together there were somewhere around 80 or 90 people there, and Mark reported that he counted 40 from Bremen alone. That really surprised me at first, but then I heard someone (not from Bremen) saying that the Bremen congregation has experienced a lot of growth lately, and that's true. That's why we're remodeling a new, larger church house. :-)

Then I realized that while there were several families from Bremen that did not come, the ENTIRE CONGREGATION from Braunschweig was in attendance. Granted, the congregation only has 9 members, but I thought that was a testament to their commitment to working with other congregations, as well as to their appreciation for the encouragement that comes from fellowship. I was happy to learn they recently decided to begin an evangelism program again. You never know what God can do when a few are gathered in His Name and work together for the good of the Kingdom. I am continually encouraged by this small, faithful group.

While I know American missionaries have played a large role in starting the congregations represented today and in studying with and converting many of the Christians present, it was exciting to see the role that Germans are playing in building the church in north Germany. Everything today was organized by Germans; the singing was led by a German; the children's class was conducted by a German; and 2 of the 3 speakers were German. Also, from Bremen alone there were several visitors who came along, and they were invited by German Christians. Several of the congregations have no Americans in leadership positions. At some point in any mission effort, the congregation has to become "native" if it is going to survive and thrive during the years to come. From what I saw today, the congregations in Germany are well on their way to doing just that.

The day was also good for me. I saw several of the women I met at the ladies' retreat in February, and I enjoyed reconnecting with them. I realized that I had really needed the fellowship and singing. While I can understand more from sermons and Bible class discussions than I could even a couple months ago, they are still difficult for me to follow. I find that I gain more from being with the people and talking to them in small groups or one-on-one, and I was able to do a lot of that today. Singing is becoming much easier for me now that I recognize some of the songs. As I've said before, when singing in German I can concentrate either on singing the notes, pronouncing the words, or translating the words, but not all three. Now that I'm familiar with the music of some songs and can get through at least the refrains without looking at the songbook, I can focus more on what the songs are saying, which makes them mean more to me and probably also to God as I can actually think about what I'm singing to Him.

Overall today was a great day. The weather was beautiful, everyone seemed to be uplifted, and the Lord was praised. I'm glad I had the chance to participate.