End of the Month Madness…!

         I am three days from approaching the one-month mark of being 2,000 miles from home.  Each week has built with more and more activity, responsibility, and relationships.  We have gotten our new Yamaha E-piano and this is my second Sunday to lead worship from behind it. There is a great servant Johannes, as 23 year-old German brother who has been helping to teach me the German. It is so fun. Thursday night we met with the pastor to plan for the next week months and the open slate of possibility and growth to take place is a growing excitement for me!  While playing soccer at a cookout last night Johannes’ friend Manuel asked me, “Isn’t is so exciting to live the Christian life? You surrender your plans to the Lord not knowing what He will do, but knowing that whatever it is always for your good!” (Ha, so much easier to say than to feel sometimes)  BUT:

“Let all that I am praise the Lord! With my whole heart I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord. May I never forget the good things He has done for me. He forgives all of my sins and heals al of my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with tender love and mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”

                                                                                 Psalm 103: 1-5

This morning worship was such a blessing. It was wonderful to be singing "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" and seeing an equal mix of German brothers and sisters loudly praising our God. The piano is a huge addition to the church and service- next Sunday we will begin actually having a prelude time five minutes prior to the service so that people can prepare their hearts... Old concept for us back home, especially in Baptist churches, but here in the NIC and this tiny church body, it's a new concept. Praying for favor :)

Thoughts from Friday morning’s theology class:

Here I thought that I graduated from Samford on May 18 but somehow I have managed to be in class every day of the week here in Germany! While we are in language school Tuesday-Thursday 8:30am-12:30pm, Monday evenings consist of a World Views class which is for anyone in the church and community to attend.  However perhaps the most impactful time of learning for me is on Friday mornings at 9am-11, where myself and the other two summer interns are able to sit under our pastor as he breaks down Biblical theology for us, filling in the broad timeline from Chaos to Order. From Gen. 1- our Earth being formless, empty, and dark, through the meaning and power of the Word, ultimately leading us to the Life, Light, and Order. The same concept I get of studying music at a University level is so applicable in this study of the Word, “The more I learn, although becoming more skilled, the greater my standard of excellence becomes because I realize how much I have yet to learn and how little I really know.”

LOVE- A Throwback to the Concept of Humility?

OK so each week we are beginning the class with a time of discussion on our private devotion with the Lord, focusing on the fruits of the spirit. (Gal. 5:22-23) For this week we began with Love.  I was brought to tears as we began discussing the concept of “Love” as we understand it. What IS it exactly? How is it tangibly displayed for man to see and feel? Do we really understand what this means? After thinking on this the past day or so I read a passage in Manning’s Ruthless Trust that riveted me:

         “It is of immense importance to understand that every word spoken and written about God is delivered in the language of analogy.  In any divine analogy, there is a similarity between the human words and of God himself, there is also a radical dissimilarity.  What is affirmed in one sentence must be denied in the next.  For example, we liken divine love to human love.  The similarity induces us to think that we are getting a grip on God’s love.  And yet, though human love is the best language we have, it is utterly inadequate to express the love of the Infinite.  Not because human love is too sugary and sentimental or because it is too passionate and emotional, but because it can never fully compare with the source whence it came- the passion-emotion love of the Totally Other.

         The more we let go of our concepts and images, which always limit God, the bigger God grows and the closer we approach the mystery of His indefinability.”

         I know this is such a long entry but I was just so convicted of how often I have used my earthly concepts and imagery of tangible love to measure that of my IN-TANGIBLE God.  And although I will be limiting Him yet again an hour from now with my grief and worries, I pray that this becomes ever more real to me- as human relationships and achievements (although sometimes indescribably wonderful) can and will fail at some point. My God is not so small and I praise Him for that!

Sundays and Service

      Yesterday was the first Sunday that I had the privilege of leading worship for the Neuenburg International Church. The first two Sundays of my time here were enlightening, encouraging, and gave me time to see this small community in action before attempting to actually lead it. Thankfully I have an amazing German brother who has a servant’s heart and has been faithfully serving through music here. He plays guitar and sings and his German knowledge I could NOT do without!

      Once again I feel like I am back in the beginning stages of taking up leadership in an entirely new church environment as well as cultural and stylistic norms and preferences. For my “family” at RBC, if any of you are reading, I am once again so blessed and humbled that you were patient with me and trusted me to lead you and allowed me the room to grow spiritually and musically with your church. Beginning again and joining a one-man team here with Johannes here at the NIC makes me remember how difficult it could be at times to have to rely on someone else when you are used to getting the job done on your own. They (whoever “they” are) say that it is faster with two, but I say it is more humbling with two! I am experiencing this in so many ways and it is only my third full week here. It is humbling to be entrusted to lead a small but steady group of believers in a culture that does not welcome the character of Christ. How much we all need the encouragement of the presence of the Lord. Last week’s theme was TRUST but I think this one will be dubbed HUMILITY.

      My time serving at the Riverchase Baptist Church was probably one of the most incredible times of preparation for this season of my life here in Germany. I am in essence working the same way here, slowly praying through each interaction with church members, choice of song, and even the presence of a new electric piano- praying that hearts will not be distracted by what is new but be led to the heart of God. That is the reason any of us worship. But it is a slow and careful process. Pray for my wisdom, my patience, and my submission to leadership when I am in a major learning stage! (ONCE AGAIN!)

Ruthless Trust!

         In the 2 months prior to my departure from Germany I had the privilege of being hired at O’Henry’s Coffee in Homewood. In one of the many conversations struck up behind the counter, I made a new friend in one of our regulars. We began talking about the idea of living life in the freedom of Christ without the limitations of man’s approval and self deprecation.  This book is speaking to my soul along with the past two messages from Stephen Spanjer of Neuenburg International Church.  

From Brennan Manning’s Ruthless Trust:

         “To live without risk is to risk not living,” my paternal grandma used to say. The way of trust is risky business, no doubt about it. To change careers suddenly because one feels unfulfilled, to assume the energy-depleting care of elderly parents, to retreat for three days of silence and solitude with Jesus without climbing the walls, to volunteer for a summer in the sub-Sahara with only meager spiritual resources, to take an unpopular position with rumblings of hear in the background, to conquer fear and disillusionment when one finds untrustworthiness where least expected- all of thee challenges require a willingness to risk a journey into the unknown and a readiness to trust God even in the darkness.

         A person should not act impulsively of course. A careful discernment process involving family, friends, and a spiritual mentor should recede every major decision. But when the appropriate time comes, only the disciple with an unflinching trust in God will dare to risk. And that trust is not naïve- it knows that the possibility of making a mistake and getting hurt is very real. But without exposure to potential failure, there is no risk.”

Thus, I define the past decade of my life: of pursuing classical music, facing insecurity in relying on my imperfect sight, of beginning new relationships, and now f coming to live in Germany. Without risk for me there would have been much les freedom and without failure, much less experience of the beautiful gift of grace.

Found my first local music store and the selection was so amazing. You can tell, I hated it.

 Trippin' to Freiburg with my room mate and partner in crime...

 "Klavier musikkkkkk" 

 These Irish brothers made my day  singing some Johnny Cash outside of H & M

 Beautiful church in Freiburg

 My room mate Mary Grace Owen. We might have ridden the train with eggs (yeah I don't know) Not knowing that we were sitting in first class and just hoping that we wouldnt get asked for the ticket I lost while we were in the city.. "Ah..Ich spreche kein Deutsch!"

Egg toss!

OK, so any of you that experienced the JH staff bike training know that I am not the greatest with the bike. However, if I want to get anywhere in this town or go to the store on my own and actually make it home with all of my groceries... this is now a necessity. Heaven help me as my knuckles turn white every time someone or something comes within 3 feet of either side of me. (I actually told that to my mom on Skyoe yesterday and she said, "Chrissy, your knuckles are always white, whats the big deal?") Wow. Thanks mom! haha

 And I rewarded myself greatly for conquering this monster without spilling or wrecking in the first 24 hours. Very productive time at the Rewe, AKA "Publix". Actually, reward for getting through 12 hours of straight German this week. Need. Sleep.

 Need. Exercise.

 To my right at 9:00 at night.

 Straight to my house...

To my left.

This weekend and first Sunday at church: I cannot believe that it is exactly one week since I have stepped foot on this beautiful countryside. The weekend passed quickly with a lot of catching up on rest  from some serious jet lag and maybe a few episodes of Downton Abbey (again) from the beginning..  But Sunday morning was my first experience with the church I am here to serve. Neuenburg International Church (NIC) is a pretty small plant housing between 15-20 families and about 50 people. The service was done in German and in English, the worship also being sung in both languages. I took the day to observe. There is so much for me to learn especially with a language barrier but I am praying that the Lord will allow me to learn quickly at least on the music and singing end. Please pray for me in that! I will update you more as I plan for this next week!

**Please pray for our pastor Stephen Spanjer as he is under the weather with pneumonia and his pregnant wife Laura is not feeling so great right now.Pray for them to be at their best as soon as possible.

Seems to have been a long weekend... until you find out that I was at school by 8:30 this morning! I have not had an 8am class since my Junior year of college! If that was not the worst, it was all in German! I realized quickly that if I was going to ask a question that it would most definitely NOT be to the teacher but the unfortunate person siting next to me (who happened to be from Singapore!)  Please do not be too disappointed that I did not take "first day of school pictures". I figured I was past the age of allowing that. But I did think about it :/

One more bit of exciting news and I am out for the day. But this afternoon we had softball practice. (Practice is usually on Tuesday and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm) You can just picture me there of course. Yes, I did go run before so I felt that I contributed somewhat to being athletic. But I just took the time to make some new friends and lo and behold, I did! Last week was a school holiday for most of the high schoolers so our practice was very small and casual.  But today we had 5 new girls that I have never met. One of them happens to be a classical pianist and also plays blues!! I am so thankful for this provision in even the smallest way. She lives in the homeland of some of the greatest music of all time. Cant wit to get to know her more- but all of the other girls too! Hopefully they will not kick me off of the team too soon... everyone needs a sideline cheerleader right?