Postcards

Mom's been here the past week, and we didn't waste a minute getting out to see the sites!

Day 1- Our first trip was to Goslar, a small town at the edge of the Harz mountains. Their Christmas market was still going on so we were able to celebrate Christmas in a holiday atmosphere enjoying Bratwurst and fresh roasted almonds for a Christmas dinner of sorts. Of course, we also got to enjoy the sites of the town. The church was decorated for the season, giving it a cozy feel.

Little did I know that we would come across such a treasure in the church. Very rare does one stumble across the Romanesque architecture, showing the old age of the church. It's hard to make it out but the later added Gothic arches can be seen in the background row of arches.

Day 2- We followed the red thread through Hannover seeing the sites of the city and then traveled onward to Celle to make it a full day.

A view of the Schloss in Celle

The Baroque architecture inside the city church in Celle

Celle was home to over 500 of the half-timbered houses. It was great just walking up and down the streets admiring the houses- each one being different from the next.

Day 3 - We spent the day seeing the sites in Goettingen, including climbing the tower of Jacobikirche for a view of the city.

Day 4- A trip to Wittenberg

The last time I was in Wittenberg was the day of the Reformationfest and the town was full of 20,000 Luther enthusiast. Because of late trains and the resulting missed connections our time in the city was short. A trip afforded the opportunity to revisit sites and see new ones. Last time it was all things Luther, this time a bit of Melanchthon was added to the mix.

A Light has Come!

Dear Readers,

Christmas is here! and I wish you a very Merry Christmas time! It is the second day of Christmas and I have just returned from my Christmas celebrations, which took place this year in Schledehausen, Germany. I had the good fortune of being invited by a former exchange student, who made the year long journey from Germany to Atlanta a few years back, to celebrate the holiday with her and her family... getting the opportunity to participate in both German and Vietnamese traditions.

The season of anticipation is marked in many different ways, the lighting of advent wreaths, withholding from Christmas songs until Christmas day, advent calendars, the change of spirit in the air- giving us that feeling that something is coming. Here is also the tradition that the Christmas tree is not decorated until Christmas Eve, locking the doors to the living room in the days just before the holy evening, to be opened again once the Christmas festivities begin.

This 24th of December was celebrated with a trip to one of the local schools to see a performance of an old German theatrical piece, performed in the Old German language, simply and uniquely telling the Christmas story. Following we headed off to the church for the 5:00 service, finding seats only left in the first row. We then went back to the house for an evening of celebration, and....

The Grand Revealing!

Such a classic tree with many handmade ornaments, the nativity scene, and real candles!

Christmas Eve Dinner: Fondue

Including a variety of vegetables, dips, and meats- one of which was Ostrich

No matter where you are in the world the holidays are filled with eating and more eating. Christmas day was celebrated with a Vietnamese family with traditional food served throughout four courses: soup, egg rolls, duck, and dessert

My time with the family included a tour of some of the surrounding sights and the opportunity to briefly meet a few other neighborly families and get an up close view of the insides of the traditional half-timbered houses. Special to this region, their architecture is unique in being different from other cities here in Niedersachsen.

The Town Castle

Just down the hill from the house in which I stayed is the Schelenburg Wasserschloss. Surrounded by a moat it sits in water, which is essential for its foundation as so long as the castle sits in water its foundation will not rot. In winter, once it is completely frozen over, it also serves as a local ice skating rink.

This here is for the Denver folks- Dinosaur footprints, just like those out on the hogbacks :)

Tis' the Season

The tradition of the Weihnachtsmarkt is Wunderbar! I have spent much of my free time this month wandering the market here in Goettingen and exploring the markets of nearby towns, taking in the smells, the sights, and the tastes.

The market here in Goettingen is a popular evening hangout, and I am always impressed at the size of the crowds despite the fact that it might be a weekday or absolutely freezing outside. I'm getting really good at bundling up from head to toe, and it only takes a few sips of Gluehwein to warm right on up.

The Goettingen Weihnachtsmarkt

Sweets abound! Fresh Roasted Almonds at the Hannover Weihnachtsmarkt. They were delicious!

The Pyramid at the Hannover Weihnachtsmarkt: A traditional Christmastime decoration

A booth at the Goettingen Weihnachtsmarkt

Window shopping is also irresistible, the sweets are enough to make one drool at their sight.

Buchenwald

On the afternoons in which I have nothing to do and find myself with little motivation to sit down and work through a german grammar exercise, watching a movie is always a good alternative. It's a great way to learn new vocabulary while at the same time passing time and engaging oneself into a story of something other. If it's a film that I know well, it's always interesting to see how things are translated and amusing to hear the voice over voices of famous actors. No one can match the style of Whoopi Goldberg... it just sounds funny in German. Films provide slang language... something which a grammar workbook does not.

My first choice is always to see a German made film, eliminating the annoyance of watching the lips move differently than the spoken word. It also gives insight into one genre of the German art scene, revealing through a plot of video images what occupies the minds of German screenwriters. What realities of life do they seek to portray? The films that I have seen have almost always been tragic stories, retelling some one's story, or what could have been some one's story as it happened during the II World War. Or a story of life as it was, or of a hopeful escape, from Soviet occupied East Germany. There are also those films which tell a story of post-war or post-wall Germany and of how individuals and a nation seek to make sense of life and how to move forward in light of the dramatic changes have taken place around them. German made films certainly aren't the most cheerful, but they tell important stories. And in reconstructed, post-war, post-wall, Germany- these events remain a real and present part of the history here.

Yesterday, I traveled with a friend to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, one of the largest concentration camps on German soil. This camp housed 250,000 people during the time it was open, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer for a time. It is also the camp in which Elie Wiesel was liberated from.

Visiting at the onset of Winter gave perspective as to the conditions that the prisoners had to deal with on a daily basis. It was ridiculously cold and we were bundled from head to toe with warm tea in our bags that we were saving for the bus ride back. Imagining the prisoners having to deal with these conditions wearing only a thin layer of clothing and receiving a cup of watery soup and a fifth of a piece of bread made the fact the anyone survived the living in the camp amazing.

Here the gate reads, "Jedem das Seine" literally meaning to each their own and figuratively meaning to each what they deserve. Here these words are written on the inside of the gate as opposed to other camps in which the phase "Arbeit macht Frei" (work makes you free) was seen as the prisoners entered.

Today there is really nothing spectacular about the camp as a few buildings and the outlines of the foundations of the barracks remain, leaving a very empty feeling with plenty of room for reflection and thought.

A view of the barbed-wired fence bordering the camp

Doors

Yesterday was St. Nikolaus day and I awoke to a variety of goodies that had been carefully arranged outside my door: Clementines, Lebkuchen, Milka Chocolate Balls, Marzipan pieces, and a Burning Candle. Way back in the day Nikolaus was known for leaving secret gifts for the poor and his legacy continues here in these parts as traditionally children leave a shoe outside their door the night of the 5th and during the night St. Nikolaus comes to visit, filling the shoe with goodies. His legacy also continues in the states as our very own Santa Clause evolved from this tradition. Following the reformation, in protestant churches St. Nikolaus was no longer celebrated, rather the Christchild would visit on Christmas eve... and somewhere down the line this Christchild evolved into Santa Clause and was suited up in Coca Cola red with his fat belly and trademark white beard who needs no front door as down the Chimney St. Nicholas comes with a bound.

Yesterday was also my day to host the advents calender, a sweet German tradition counting down the days until Christmas. I can remember as a kid we would participate in the tradition, getting a chocolate filled advents calender. Each day we would look for the date, opening the door to see what sort of chocolate awaited us. Here in Göttingen the old town house is also decorated to resemble an advents calender and each day a window lights up marking one day closer to Christmas day. Here in the stift we are hosting a "live" advents calender of sorts. We have each agreed to host a day, opening our doors providing hospitality, community, and devotion as our own way of celebrating this season, waiting and preparing for Christ's birth.

In my first semester at seminary I took a course in church liturgy in which our end project was to plan an advent chapel service. I was to help in the planning of a Los Posadas service, another tradition in which doors are of great significance. In Mexico, nine days before Christmas, the community re-enacts the story of Mary and Joseph looking for shelter. Each night they travel to different houses, knocking on the doors of the owners, singing traditional Los Posadas songs asking for a place to stay- only to be given the response that there is no room. On to the next house they go until at the last house they are welcomed and a party ensues, complete with a pinata for the kids.

I find these doors during this season to be important, aiding in our anticipation of the season, bringing surprises, being a place of welcome and hospitality, a place of community and celebration. The closed doors of the Los Posadas tradition raises questions of where do we continue to deny shelter and hospitality to those within our midst, where is it that our doors, are still closed? There are doors that I too stand in front of, hoping for a welcoming invitation and yet they remain closed or are only partially opened. This Los Posadas re-enactment leaves us with the hope that these doors will eventually be wide opened...

It is almost time for me to go and find the door in which this evenings advents calender is hosted. We will for sure start with the beloved Advent song, Macht Hoch die Tür, (Fling the door wide open) which has also become our lunchtime grace during this season. I find it much better in the German, but the following translation by Catherine Winkworth is also well done.

1. Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!

Behold, the King of Glory waits;

The King of kings is drawing near,

The Savior of the world is here.

Life and salvation He doth bring,

Wherefore rejoice and gladly sing:

We praise Thee, Father, now, Creator, wise art Thou!

2. A Helper just He comes to thee,

His chariot is humility,

His kingly crown is holiness,

His scepter, pity in distress,

The end of all our woe He brings;

Wherefore the earth is glad and sings:

We praise Thee, Savior, now,

Mighty in deed art Thou!

3. O blest the land, the city blest,

Where Christ the Ruler is confessed!

O happy hearts and happy homes

To whom this King in triumph comes!

The cloudless Sun of joy He is,

Who bringeth pure delight and bliss.

We praise Thee, Spirit, now,

Our Comforter art Thou!

4. Fling wide the portals of your heart;

Make it a temple set apart

From earthly use for Heaven's employ,

Adorned with prayer and love and joy.

So shall your Sovereign enter in

And new and nobler life begin.

To Thee, O God, be praise

For word and deed and grace!

5. Redeemer, come! I open wide

My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!

Let me Thy inner presence feel,

Thy grace and love in me reveal;

Thy Holy Spirit guide us on

Until our glorious goal is won.

Eternal praise and fame

We offer to Thy name.

Expectation

December 1, 2007

Today is the first day of Advent, tomorrow the first Sunday of Advent, a truly fantastic season filled with anticipation, expectation, preparation, wonder, longing and waiting for the hope, joy, justice and peace that comes with the birth of baby Jesus. Last year I experienced the season, although a little prematurely to the actual season, in a uniquely tangible way, gaining perspective on the themes of the season as I was on call to watch the siblings of the soon to come little brother of the family in which I was babysitting for at the time. Logistical preparations were made, the expectation and anticipation of the due date brought necessary changes in my study habits, making sure I stayed on top of assignments so that I could slack off a bit in the event I needed to skip out on a few classes, and most impressionable was the waiting. As the due date approached, it was odd to get requests to babysit, assuming "we're still four." Soon things would be different, but in the meantime routines carried on as normal. There were also plenty of questions that marked the waiting period. Would he come early as his siblings did? Will my phone ring in the middle of the night (will I hear it if I'm asleep?) or during class? How proactive should I be in writing my paper early or would this event come at a time in which everything would continue on as normal. And as the due date passed, the anticipation and expectations were heightened and the sense of waiting ever more present. He could come any day or moment, but when? Would I be going to the meeting I had scheduled or would I be minding after two energetic (also anticipating) little ones? When could I stop planning the potential schedule changes that would need to be made, depending on when my babysitting services where needed, and be certain of my routine?

As it turned out the actual timing of the birth was hardly an interruption to my routine, needing only a few minor rearrangements to be made. And while the event itself (at least on my end) was a fairly regular afternoon of babysitting, it was the anticipation, expectation, and preparation all encompassed within three weeks of waiting that gave me a new perspective on how to approach the season of Advent. I was now a babysitter for a family of five and I witnessed family dynamics change as siblings and parents adjusted to the new life. I look forward to this Advent season as the lectionary texts break away from the ordinary and lead me through reflections of anticipation, expectation, preparation and longing as we wait for the arrival of Christmas and the incredible change that it brings us with the hope, joy, justice and peace that is present in it.

This Advent is certain to bring new experiences and perspectives as I celebrate in a land with traditions, songs, and liturgy familiar but different from my own. I am eager to celebrate and to discover these customs with new friends, but it is also these same new traditions and customs, in a season so familiar, which brings the reminder home is a little further away this year. With this reminder comes moments in which I wish that I could be celebrating and waiting together with friends and family. While some find great comfort in looking at the moon, knowing that friends and family who are away are looking at the very same moon making the distance between them not so wide, I take great comfort in knowing that friends and family are entering into this same season of Advent. We anticipate, expect, prepare, long and wait together.

24 days to go...