There have been many “holy moments” during the Luther500 Germany trip. Time spent in conversation with friends, good fellowship, worship…all these things come together to create an amazing experience.
But the moments that really caught my attention were the moments sitting in these amazing sanctuaries. Some of which were well over 500 years old.
The beauty of the architecture….the majestic nature of the space…all lead to an experience of the holy that is difficult to duplicate elsewhere.
And in our worship services, as the 200 of us in the Luther500 group lifted our voices in song, the sound was amazing. The sound rose up into the heights of these cathedral-like structures, and just hung in the air. It took my breath away.
And then to realize that our voices were joining the hundreds of thousands of voices that had been singing over the centuries. Our voices joined theirs in giving praise to God.
The author of the book of Hebrews reminds us that:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,[a] and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1)
The journey of life that we all take is one that we do not take alone. We are a part of a community of faith. But scripture reminds us that we are also surrounded by those who have gone before us. Our voices join theirs in proclaiming the goodness of God.
In places like the Castle Church, or the Town Church of Wittenberg, this sense is almost palpable. But we need to carry with us the faith that we are surrounded in the same way, whether we’re walking through the halls of Federated, Wenger, Target, HyVee or Owatonna High School.
We are surrounded…
- Surrounded by the community of faith
- Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses
- Surrounded, and enveloped, by the love and grace of God
And now, the Luther500 group begins the journey home.
God’s peace,
Pastor Todd
Test Driving Theology 