Sunday morning I took a taxi about 15 km to the charming village of Uhlbach where Bishop Younan, president-elect of the LWF was to preach at the Andreaskirche. The church is a 14th century edifice, nicely preserved and with a huge tower, that almost seems out of proportion to the rest of the building.
In the courtyard outside the church door is a memorial to members of the parish killed in the wars of the 20th Century. We don't have photo capability here, so I can't post pictures, but the monument is quite moving. Rather than showing, as many do, soldiers standing in uniform and battle kit, weapons raised, this one shows a figure, unclothed, sprawled on his back, limbs splayed and a sword (which has the proportions not of a sword, but a cross) lying beside the body, as if the cross itself had been slain in the war. On raised slabs of the concrete plinth are the names from 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. I think there must have been at least 80 names.
No one can enter the front door of this church without walking close to that monument.
Uhlbach is near Esslingen and some of the region's famous vineyards extend up the hill from the church. Members told me after church that the vineyards and the church get many visitors during the wine season. (A bus of German tourists came through as we stood outside the church.)
Pastorin Margarete Goth greeted me and there were front pews reserved for visitors from the LWF Assembly. A few others came, along with Bishop Younan and some of his colleagues.
The churchbells rang (for about five minutes) and teenagers in the Confirmation class led us in procession into the service. After the invocation (traditional wording), Pastor Goth called the official visitors up front and a churchwarden asked about their work, translating from English to German if necessary. (As working staff rather than official visitor, this humble correspondent did not have to display my facility with German, at least before the whole congregation.)
The service would not have thrilled those here with certain inclinations. Hymn ("Heilig, Heilig, Heilig"), psalm, prayer, lesson, sermon, hymn ("Kindlein des Licht" I think), longer prayer, hymn ("Nun Danket alle Gott"), benediction. A brass choir had played a prelude, and a fine acapella adult choir sang two anthems. A story on the bishop's sermon - "Children of the Light" - will be on the assembly website.
The congregation served juice, wine, water and some small pastries following worship and the official guests were to be taken on a tour of the vineyards and a hilltop chapel where Wuerttemburg royalty of the 19th century are buried. This non-official guest was prepared to take bus and S-Bahn back to Stuttgart and our newsroom, but a young man almost ready to graduate from the university with a degree in engineering offered to drive me back to the city.
No Assembly activities this afternoon. I worked in our newsroom, napped, and am back at work to check some of the other things we are doing.