January 24th, 2016

We live within walking distance of a beautiful church in our village. The steeple is visible from our windows and we hear the chiming of the bells throughout the day, marking the passing of time. On Sundays, the bells ring out for an extended period in the morning to call everyone to come and join those who are gathering together. The beautiful sound fills the air.

As we were rushing out the door to drive to another new church, the bells were ringing. Hubby saw people walking down the street and through the doors. I saw him pause for a moment before looking over at me and asking if we too should go. We had already talked about possibly visiting this church someday. My breakfast Muesli was in a sealed Pyrex bowl in my hand…evidence of the rush of our morning. I put it down in the car and we began to walk.

The pastor greeted us in German when we arrived. His face was kind and his demeanor was welcoming. A woman handed me a song book for our family. An elderly woman, sitting in one of the back pews, smiled at us. She also said something. Oh, the language barrier! We smiled and sat in the pew behind her.

The boys wanted to sit on our laps. Thankfully, they were rather quiet as we took in our new surroundings. My eyes immediately caught sight of the beautiful pipe organ in the front of the church as I thought of Popo. Beside the altar, a small baptismal font stood with a silver pitcher of water sitting on top. A group of people sat in a pew with a baby and I wondered if there would be a baptism. I also noticed how each window had a simple, stain-glass panel hanging in front of it with pictures of people on the bottom. “Mutter Theresa” was written on the one closest to us with a picture of her face. The pews were still rather empty when the service started.

The songs were listed by number on the wall allowing us to follow along in our book. I was able to sing a few verses here and there as I listened to those around me. The pastor spoke as if addressing a group of friends, eliciting laughter as he welcomed us. I yearned to know what he was saying.

A little ways into the service, the baby was baptized. I loved watching these strangers participate in this familiar sacrament. I wanted to stretch out my hand towards the little one as we prayed…a practice we do at our church back home. The pastor walked the baby girl around the sanctuary, showing her to each one of us. I remembered our Pastor Bill doing this with our boys after they were baptized. People smiled and laughed as the Pastor spoke and waved her little hand.

Singing and praying were followed by a passionate message. Our youngest was getting more squirrelly by the minute and I wondered how much longer we would make it. I had already entertained him with my German phrase book and the pictures in my wallet. I hadn’t come prepared to sit through a church service in German with a four year old. I gave hubby the warning that our time was running out. Thankfully, the service came to a close shortly after. Phew!

Everyone walked up to the front of the church so we filed in line. I told the boys to shake the pastor’s hand and was proud of them as they each did so. A woman approached us, speaking long phrases in German. Our blank stares and meek smiles caused her to ask if we spoke German. “Just a little,” we replied. She then spoke in English. She introduced herself and offered her help as we settle in. She said the boys were beautiful.

We exited out a second set of doors behind the altar into the crisp, cold morning. The boys were DONE with being quiet. We understood and were grateful to have made it through the service. I congratulated the family with the baby who was baptized and then we headed home.

The boys rode their bikes around our front drive when we got back to our house. As we stood in our yard, we saw some of the church goers returning home. Even with the language barrier and the unfamiliarity, we enjoyed connecting a little more with the people of this village we live in. We still are uncertain as to where we will settle in regards to finding a church home. If we spoke German, this church could be a nice option. It definitely gives us another motivation to learn the language!