Rain and church bells

We've heard of a saying here - that it's either raining or the bells are ringing, and if it's both, it's Sunday. We have been enjoying very much shortened, rainy/cloudy days here in Germany. And lots of church bells. I passed my fortieth birthday two weeks ago, and we were able to celebrate with our friends, Barbara and Stephen Emmel and their neighbor, Heidi Ziraou. Have I mentioned how much pork they eat here? Well, we went to a restaurant and had the best filet mignon! Mmmmm, it was so good. We've gotten pretty tired of pork.....

While I'm writing this, Steve's Grandma Teddy (his mom's mom) is having surgery to have her gall bladder removed. She's 93, and it has really hit us (again) how awful it would be if something happened while we're over here. Please keep her and Steve's parents in your prayers - they are struggling to determine how to proceed with her care now.

We have been attending a church just yards from our apartment - a free evangelical one. I guess this is a Lutheran off-shoot, sort of congregational in politics, and a bit more conservative than what we're used to. (I can tell this from the blank stares we've been given when the subject comes up of my studying theology next year...I asked one of the first women we met if she was an elder because she basically led the whole worship service, and she replied, "but I'm a woman!") However, the people have been quite welcoming! I have joined the "choir" - but I use the term loosely. I think it's more of a worship team - they only sing for special occasions. But I'll enjoy singing in such a small group - I've heard them sing for a service that was broadcast over the airwaves (quite a production! and only done once in a blue moon for a local station) and they were VERY good. I've really missed singing. The German is a bit tough to get, of course, but sitting through sermons we cannot understand is something we're quite used to! (And German is so much easier than Arabic!) It is very informal, which we like quite a lot, and there are anywhere from 100 - 150 there every week. I can't tell you how great it is that we actually leave our front door at 9:57 and arrive on time for the 10 am service!! (sigh)

The Sunday that they put on the radio was quite an experience. Weeks before hand, they told everyone (and made sure we understood) that people could not come late! They put up an overhead with RULES two Sundays in a row during the service. We found out afterwards that they had to give a minute by minute play to the recording people - scripted down to the second. (They must have order!) It was actually a great service, not very spontaneous, of course, but great music. We sing a combination of hymns (many, in fact, from the hymn writers I'm studying from the 16th and 17th centuries!) and worship songs on overhead, many of which we are familiar with having been originally in English. This area of Germany is very Catholic, but we are hoping to visit a Lutheran Church before long just to have a point of comparison. I am really interested in hearing the music, in particular.

Well - all for now. Tchuss!