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| 1638: Stadtkirche, Karlsruhe, Germany |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Variable Bede.
The church:
Stadtkirche,
Karlsruhe, Germany.
Denomination:
Evangelical
Church in Germany.
The building:
The cornerstone of the original church was laid in 1807. Destroyed
in an air raid in 1944, the church was rebuilt by the German
architect and urban planner Horst Edward Linde largely along
the lines of the original building and was reopened in 1958.
It has a neo-classical front (like the old one), reminiscent
of a Greek temple, but the interior is modern and quite pleasant
– very airy and spacious, with fluted columns to continue
the neo-classical theme of the exterior.
The church:
The Stadtkirche shares a liturgical timetable with the nearby
Kleine Kirche, alternating Sunday communion services between
the two. Stadtkirche also conducts a number of social activities
during the week, including women's gymnastics and a "mini
club" for small children.
The neighbourhood:
Karlsruhe, meaning "Karl’s Rest", was founded
in 1715 by the Margrave Karl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach as a place
to womanise away from the prying eyes of his wife. Situated
on the Rhine River at the foot of the Black Forest, the city
is a cultural centre with an extraordinary wealth of museums.
The Margrave's earthly remains rest in a mausoleum in the shape
of a pyramid in the centre of the marketplace. The church is
located beside the pyramid. Karlsruhe is now the seat of two
of the major German federal courts, as well as the country's
oldest technical university.
The cast:
Landesbischof Dr Ulrich Fischer preached and celebrated. Some
eucharistic ministers came up from the congregation to help
distribute communion.
The date & time:
Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity, 26 October 2008, 10.30am.
What was the name of the service?
Gottesdienst mit Abendmahl und Taufe (Eucharist with
baptism).
How full was the building?
About 130 people. According to the leaflet, there are 874 seats
in the nave, although I suspect it would be uncomfortably crowded
above 600.
Did anyone welcome you
personally?
A man said Guten Morgen and handed me a hymnal as
I came in. I asked him if as a member of another church I could
receive communion there. He said yes in an "of course" sort
of way. (I was sure the Evangelical Church in Germany has open
communion, but I wanted to be certain, especially since I thought
it might be obvious I wasn't a regular.)
Was your pew comfortable?
Yes, and there was a lot of sitting-down time. We sang all the
hymns sitting down, and stood up only for a few prayers and
to receive communion.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
There were a lot of people smiling and greeting each other; it was friendly but not noisy.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
Guten Morgen und Wilkommen – then a few words
I couldn't get – 23sten Sonntag nach Trinitatis.
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Just the Evangelisches Gesangbuch (Protestant Hymnal).
Partway through the service, I discovered the liturgical texts
(such as the creed), which were useful.
What musical instruments
were played?
The organist and choir must have been hiding in the balcony
over the nave. The music was very good (for me personally, this
is an important point in a church).
Did anything distract
you?
Language difficulties (mine) and flipping through the hymnal to look for liturgical hints. An order of service would have been helpful to me, but I think all the regulars knew it.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Informal, friendly but reverent. Everyone seemed genuinely happy
to be there. The style was low church compared to what I'm used
to (no processional candles, reduced vestments), but I'm not
familiar with German Protestant worship, so I don't know whether
this is typical. For communion, the celebrant and ministers
brought several large platters of bread, sliced in triangles
and piled up, down from the high altar to the lower one. (I
couldn't help but think of finger sandwiches ... I'm sorry!)
When it was time to distribute communion, everyone receiving
went to the area around the lower altar and formed a loop. After
receiving, we held hands with our neighbours while the celebrant
said something along the lines of "Peace of the Lord be with
you all."
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
11 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 – I can't be certain how good the sermon was, since I
didn't understand all of it, but he seemed confident and articulate.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
I had trouble keeping up with the German, but it had something
to do with Abraham's negotiation with God about Sodom and Gomorrah
as an example of praying boldly.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The music was good, and there was a lot of it – not just
hymns but quite a bit of well-played "incidental" organ music
as well as a prelude and voluntary.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I was a bit embarrassed and nervous about not knowing the liturgy and not being able to understand everything, but I don't think I made any big faux pas.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I hung around at the back and lit a candle, and a few people
smiled and said Guten Morgen as they passed by on their
way out.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
None.
How would you feel about
making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7 – As I mentioned above, everyone seemed happy to be there
(not just the relatives of the child being baptised), and the
music was very good. I'm sure if I lived there I would pick
up the language and start to understand the sermons better.
Did the service make you
feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes, definitely.
What one thing will you
remember about all this in seven days' time?
Thinking, "Yum, German bread!" while receiving communion. |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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