GERMANY ADVENTURE – Day 11         

            There won’t be much to report today until perhaps after church tonight.  After her tumble late yesterday afternoon, Dea woke up about 3:00 a.m. and said she couldn’t move her arm.  She soaked it in cold water in the sink in the bathroom (of course, no ice machines in German hotels!) took three Tylenol, and went back to bed.  We slept in until 8:30, and she said it felt quite a bit better.

            We went down to breakfast and found LeRoy Wilke and Bob Lehmann having coffee.  We had a really nice chat with them while we ate breakfast.  Dea decided she wanted to ice down her elbow again, so we begged for and received some ice cubes from the hotel restaurant.  While she did that, I went to the apothecary (drug store) and got her a sling.  Here, a sling is just a large triangular piece of cloth that we are supposed to tie knots in to make a sling.  At least it was quite cheap:  3.2 euros.  She decided she wants to stay in the room most of the day, so I went out and finished touring the Lutherhaus.  I’ll take a break, work on some computer stuff, perhaps have a nap, and then get ready for church.  More later.

            Part 2 – After a break, we headed over to the Castle Church (Schlosskirche) for worship tonight.  Had to carry vestments, bulletins, etc. underneath umbrellas, because it was cold and raining.

            Ready for another chorus?:  “It’s a small world after all….”  First thing, we were met by June, a lady from England who now lives in Wittenberg and helps with WEM stuff.  She said “You look a lot younger than I expected.”  I think I looked a bit surprised, then she said “My friends Bob and Sally Cordes said you used to be their college choir director.”  After a chuckle, I said “That was my dad – he was their college choir director.  They are friends of mine, but yes, they are a bit older than I am.”  Delightful lady.  First chorus of the song, please:

            Then, after I got vested in the sacristy, a lady motioned for me to come over.  She said “I’m Carolyn Brinkley.”  I think I had a blank look on my face.  She then said “Wally Schindler’s sister.”  Wally was a good singer, a classmate of mine in college and sem, and a very dear friend.  He used to come to worship at St. Matthew in Columbia Heights, but after we left there, I totally lost track of him.  I’ve looked for him, even on Google, a couple of times, but no luck.  She said “You played at Wally’s wedding (I did) and I sang for the wedding (I remember that she did.)”  I was virtually speechless.  Found out where he lives now (Davenport, Iowa, in his childhood home).  All this before church!  Ready now:  second chorus:  “It’s a…”

            There was a guest handbell choir from California that gave a concert after the service, but they had insisted on playing the prelude and postlude for the service.  I’d have rather heard the organ, but what could I say?

            The service – leading worship and preaching in the Schlosskirche…  that was a real big WOW!!!   I didn’t preach from the pulpit (was told not to since people get kinks in their necks looking up at the very high pulpit), but led worship and preached from the lecturn at the front.  When I looked down from the lecturn, I was almost directly on top of Philip Melanchton’s grave, and about 10 feet to my left was Luther’s grave.  Overwhelming.  To think that these men had frequented that church, and here I was trying to bring the gospel there…    WOW!  Dea said I did well, and so did a number of other people.  There was a group of 8 or 9 Korean students and their pastor at the service, and they said my sermon imspired them, and the pastor repeated the comment twice.   And June said it was riveting, and she didn’t even go to sleep. (Dea made me add those two comments.  I pray the Lord thought so too!  That’s the reason we came all this way, and it was worth it!

            After the service came the handbell choir concert.  They played pretty well.  They did bring in a gal who did some solo ringing, and she was awesome!  After the service, June told Dea that I should put on my vestments again and go up into the pulpit to have my picture taken.  She didn’t have to suggest it twice.  Even if it wasn’t Luther’s pulpit (it isn’t – it was put in much after Luther’s death) it was still an awesome experience.  I’ll show you pictures sometime…

            Had a delightful supper at Tanta Emma’s with Bob Lehmann and LeRoy Wilke.  Bob leaves in the morning, and was a good friend by now.  We had a nice chat with LeRoy, and that will be a good relationship for the next week and a half.

            Tomorrow morning we hope to go to German services at the Schlosskirche, mostly to hear the organ!

            Dea says that her elbow is feeling much better this evening, and she is no longer worried that she has had a repeat broken elbow injury.  No bull intended!