Luther slept here

Here we are again, at the Leipzig train station.

 

More travel excitement on the way to Erfurt -- the trains out of Wittenberg Sunday morning had been cancelled, and the buses to the next train stop weren't running because of the flooding.  We milled around the bus station until we met up with some traveling students who were also going south, and decided to share a taxi ride to Pratau, where we picked up a train to Leipzig.  When we got into Erfurt, the rain was pouring down like on a Florida summer afternoon.  We reached the tram stop on our corner, trying to keep our luggage dry and took turns running out into the downpour trying to find our night's lodging.  My brother Paul finally found it a block away, and we ran all the way there, just as the rain was beginning to let up...

The view out our window
into the courtyard of the Augustinerkloster,
Luther's old stomping grounds in Erfurt.

We decided to spend an extra morning in Erfurt after spending a night at the monastery where Luther studied.  The town is charming, with colorful buildings and more history than we can take in in just one visit.  What a contrast to where we are now, in the metropolitan heart of Munich.  Here we see people from every conceivable culture mingling and working side by side.  We are staying at the YMCA, a crowded, loud but happy contrast to the quiet, austere monastery.  Back in Erfurt it felt like a secluded, storybook retreat from reality.  Here on this street of hotels and ethnic restaurants (there's a Uyghur restaurant we want to try) we could be in almost any big city around the world.


The view from the Erfurt citadel

UPDATE (June 25): I think Erfurt was our favorite place on the trip.  It was a wonderful small town, safe and fun to walk around, with a market bridge over the tiny river downtown.  We climbed the citadel for a view of the whole city, and were surprised at how big it really was. 


Luther is served some wine by an under-dressed Mona Lisa
at Pavarotti's restaurant in Erfurt.

in Luther's footsteps

Statue of Katie Luther in the Luther Haus courtyard.

We spent the morning in Martin Luther's old house.  When the Lutheran Reformation put the local monks out of business, they gave the former monastery to Martin and Katie.  They ran it as a boarding house, with Katie as its hard-working caretaker.   Here were creaking floorboards and ancient heavy doors, and we passed through these rooms that once echoed with their laughter but have now been filled with displays, portraits, manuscripts, and countless items from historic treasures to mere memorabilia.

Example of an indulgence,
from the Luther museum at Luther Haus.

There was an example of an indulgence like the ones Luther protested, and a coffer like the one in which the questionable church fundraisers collected coins.  So many of these paintings I've seen in history books, so many of these pamphlets I've read in English - it was all  so familiar, but now there is a human context to it.  Luther's robe stood all unfurled in its display case, and I know people were smaller back then  but could he have really been that short?  This man who stood in the way of popes, kings, emperors, just one man, but a man who turned out to be the wind of a storm front - was just one small man like you or me.

Luther's robe in display case -- kind of small...

Never think that God has no use for one small, simple person.  The words encircling the tower of the castle church are familiar: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, "A Mighty Fortress is our God." 

We were allowed into the church today, despite all the renovations going on, for a concert benefitting local flood recovery efforts.  The sounds of Renaissance music and familiar hymn tunes filled the air of this ancient sanctuary where Martin Luther and his sidekick Philip Melanchthon were buried. Their tombs remind us that even with a museum full of evidence of his superstar status putting even Elvis' Graceland to shame, Luther was and is in the hands of God, loved and forgiven, and offered grace, yes, just like us.

Lutheran Disneyland?

A Wittenberg street with the Castle Church tower in the background.

Brian's impression of Wittenberg: "This town feels like Disneyland."  I remember our visit to Disneyland - we couldn't ride Space Mountain because they were renovating.  Here they are renovating the castle church, so we couldn't stand next to the famous doorway where Luther supposedly posted his theses.

The Castle Church door,
commemorating Luther's posting of the 95 Theses --
no Admittance

But later, standing in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus, where Martin and Katie lived and boarded visitors from all over the world, a shiver went down my spine, something unlike anything I felt at Disneyland - "This is it," I thought.  This is really where it all happened.  These are the rooms they worked in, the doorways they passed through, the hallways, alleyways and chambers where the Reformers had conversations that would change the world.  Yes, this town has the charming feel of a made-up medieval dream, but every now and then you pass a house that has not been renovated in a while, and the cracks and crumbling cornices, the century's dirt and strange architecture remind you that these are no facades-that this beautiful, storybook village was the battlefield for the soul of the modern world.

In the courtyard to the Luther Haus.

I'm in Wittenberg

The view from our room at the Luther Hotel in Wittenberg

My son, brother and myself arrived in Wittenberg today.  The area around the town is flooded, and they have officially cancelled the Luther Wedding festival that was supposed to be this week.  I'd show some pictures, but this site doesn't seem to want to upload from German Internet.  I will keep posting what we're doing and try finding a way to get pictures up.
UPDATE: It's June 25th and I'm back home now and have decent Internet, so I will add pictures to the blog and try to fill in some details I didn't get to when I was on the road.  Here is the first email I sent to my wife Susan from Germany, which gives an idea of the time we had getting here.  She read portions of it at church:

Finally reached the hotel

Had a rough time getting here

Bus ride from airport to train station was awful

Brian wanted pizza from pizza hut, BUT didn't eat much as it seemed to be topped with tuna - then

Train was late

Then we accidentally sat in first class (and got kicked out)

Then missed our stop and since it was an express it took us all the way to Leipzig

So we took a slow train back

But missed the fact that the last connection was by bus

So we missed the bus 

But walked into this little town

And a nice lady from the fire station

Gave us a ride into Wittenberg

But on the way she told us the festival has been canceled due to all the flooding

We passed flooded fields

And saw sandbags along the road into Wittenberg

Flooding on the river Elbe in Wittenberg

 

So far, except for Veronica who gave us the ride, Germans seem to be easily irritated people...at least easily irritated by us

But we're here in our room and it's a beautiful little town and we will make the most of it

Paul just took a shower (just survived an attack by the shower head)

and Brian's sound asleep (but we will wake him up to go eat soon)

So far I have not been able to get my debit card to work at the ATM

But I will give it another try once we find another one nearby

Paul got his to work so we do have some money

This wifi is very slow

So I doubt the phone calling will work

Will try once I get the phone charged.

Anyway we are alive and surviving and will soon venture out after some vegan food

Miss you very much

Tell George we love him too

And tell everyone we said hi

 

Love ya

The Luther statue at the town square in Wittenberg
where the festival wasn't taking place.



for the road ahead

Rick Steves' guide to Germany has been the
cornerstone of our planning.  Great advice for the
budget conscious - and he's a proud Lutheran!

k

a community of grace

This morning I worshipped with our friends at Grace Community Church.
Pastor Jeff Olson played guitar and led the service, which included communion.
They are a mission congregation of a small Lutheran denomination,
holding services in the cafeteria at Wiregrass Ranch High School.

blessing the children

Children from the Little Pioneers Daycare celebrate graduation day
at Atonement.  As my last official act before my Sabbatical,
I shared a blessing and opening prayer for their ceremony on May 31.