German Church

For the last several months, I have been alternating between attending the English-speaking and German churches here. I love the English-speaking church, but in June I felt convicted that once English Camps were over, I needed to step out of my comfort zone and only attend the German church.

I have struggled a bit with this. "Why?" you ask. Because it is hard to sit through a church service I don't understand, and therefore I don't always feel like I am being fed. It is hard to sometimes feel like I am attending church for a language-learning experience rather than as a worship and learning experience. Which challenges me to remember that worship is about my heart attitude. And that language learning and connections take time. It is encouraging to stop and realize that I do understand more than I did when I first started attending the German church.

Connections. For the last few months, I have been praying and asking God to give me more connections in the German community here.

Most of the Sundays I have attended German church, my roommate and I have gone, sat, not really understood, and maybe said "Hello" to another North American or perhaps a German co-worker. I have walked away feeling like I had no meaningful interaction with other people or with Spiritual Truths.

Faithful. Sometimes God asks us to be faithful and continue to step out of our comfort zone, even when we don't see results from it.

Yesterday as Rachel and I walked to church, we started talking to a couple from the church. (He is American and she is German, and they both are fluently bilingual). I had heard a few days ago that the wife is going to start teaching a German class for North Americans here - something I am interested in. She started talking about this without me even asking! And then we ended up sitting with them during church. The husband helped us understand the sermon.

After we sat down, a young engaged couple we know (they are German/Swiss, have JT connections, and actually both were involved with English Camp this summer) came and sat down next to us as well.

Then, on our way out of church, we talked to another American family.

When we got home, Rachel and I sat down with the German sermon outline (which is provided on a handout) and a German-English dictionary to hammer out the meaning of what the pastor had said about the stoning of Stephen. We figured it out, except that we were still at a lack as to what his application was.

But all in all, we felt like it had been a good Sunday morning. Connections. Some understanding. Being challenged (in multiple ways).

God is good!