English-speaking churches and their diversity

[andeyeroo 38]

last sunday i decided to take my 18 month old boy to an english speaking church i d been told about. i am not a regular church goer, but since it was 1st advent, and so on, i thought it might be nice.

so, i got there, there are about a dozen african dudes, with a little band on stage, and a couple of german girlfriends. the service eventually started, and the guys started walking around, speaking in tongues(really) while the 'pastor' was reading a text, there was a lot of 'halleluja' and 'praise the lord' while over it all, the keyboard player was singing a prayer as he played. my boy looked at me and laughed, and started dancing around , as he loves all music. it was surreal, like some kind of movie.after half an hour he got bored, and headed for the door.

 

so, this sunday, i went to my local Evangelical church.at the end of the(german)service, the pastor called the dozen or so adults to the front, where , after singing a bit of what sounded like latin, he started handing out little wafers, and came round with a big silver cup of cheap tasting white wine.( iwas expecting red, for some reason)

now, me being christened a good Northern Irish Protestant, i had always imagined this type of thing happening in the ''other lots'' churches, if you know what i mean.i almost burst out laughing.( if the boys in the lodge could see me now)

 

it was a nice experience though, and i was just wondering if this was typical to germany, and if i have been short changed all these years, or if this an experimental or confused pastor?

i might go back next week, BYO bottle!

be blessed

andi

[Expaticus 752]

There's an old saying about "right church, wrong pew" ... but you seem to have hit "right pew, wrong church(es)".

 

You seem to be doing the storefront church tour of Germany. Heads up if they break out the snakes.

 

Is there really no CoE/Episcopal church nearby?

[gaberlunzi 814]

 

( if the boys in the lodge could see me now)

Maybe you should go and see the masons, they have lodges in Germany.

[Owain Glyndwr 888]

http://www.anglicans-in-germany.de/churches.html

[brenda50 4]

Try this one

 

http://www.crosswaychurch-berlin.org/

 

great singing and no sillness.

[RainKing 1,318]

 

so, this sunday, i went to my local Evangelical church.at the end of the(german)service, the pastor called the dozen or so adults to the front, where , after singing a bit of what sounded like latin, he started handing out little wafers, and came round with a big silver cup of cheap tasting white wine.( iwas expecting red, for some reason)

now, me being christened a good Northern Irish Protestant, i had always imagined this type of thing happening in the ''other lots'' churches, if you know what i mean.i almost burst out laughing.( if the boys in the lodge could see me now)

Is that unusual? I'm fairly sure I've seen bread and wine dished out in Anglican and maybe even Methodist (Presbyterian?) services.

[Bell the cat 428]

if the OP is really an ulster protestant then isn't he more likely to be Presbyterian/Calvinist than Piscy?

[Bell the cat 428]

 

Is that unusual? I'm fairly sure I've seen bread and wine dished out in Anglican and maybe even Methodist (Presbyterian?) services.

at Presbyterian churches you only have communion very very occasionally. The wine is usually not alcoholic and is passed in tiny thimbleful glasses to each coimmunicant with a tiny square of bread. The services where communion take place are usually in the hour following the normal service and are only for full communicants in the church. I think it only takes place about three times per year.

[Keefy 3,573]

 

if the OP is really an ulster protestant

And I say unto you, verily, that in this House of the Lord there shall be NO SURRENDER! ;)

[Bell the cat 428]

except the Rev Paisley had his own tiny wee extremist Presbyterianesque sect. Mainstream presbyterianism is actually often more liberal than anglicanism.

[Keefy 3,573]

Ah, 'twas only a provocative wind-up, so it was.

 

I love NI (and the Republic, for that matter) to bits.

 

Always remember visiting "Stroke City" (Derry/Londonderry) in 2001 for the Apprentice Boys' Day March. Thought to myself "If this was depoliticised, it'd be the most tremendous folk festival" and to be fair, it was, mostly. A few kids wearing Glasgow Celtic T-Shirts were shouting "Ye bastards, ye" at the Protestant marchers - and the marchers were smiling at them, and the Royal Ulster Constabulary saying to the kids "Would ye ever go back home te yer Mam" and - no trouble at all.

 

Ulster/the Six Counties deserves peace. It's one of the most beautiful places on God's earth, so it is. The Antrim Coast and Glens is a magic area. I wish the province well.

[mikem 1]

 

so, this sunday, i went to my local Evangelical church.at the end of the(german)service, the pastor called the dozen or so adults to the front, where , after singing a bit of what sounded like latin, he started handing out little wafers, and came round with a big silver cup of cheap tasting white wine.( iwas expecting red, for some reason)

now, me being christened a good Northern Irish Protestant, i had always imagined this type of thing happening in the ''other lots'' churches, if you know what i mean.i almost burst out laughing.( if the boys in the lodge could see me now)

 

it was a nice experience though, and i was just wondering if this was typical to germany, and if i have been short changed all these years, or if this an experimental or confused pastor?

I'm no Christian but my uncle is an evangelical pastor here in Germany and I have seen that quite often when we visited his church services. I have also seen them using grape juice for children and alcoholic wine for the adults. Seems to be normal.

[andeyeroo 38]

totally agree with keefy. i dont know about presby/calvinist, but i went to Lutherian service once in holland, man it was heavy. not a cheerful tune to be heard. but the kids from my local school are doing an enlish language service tonight, at the aforementioned local church. so i shall check this out later, let my partner put the kids to bed.

[andeyeroo 38]

totally agree with keefy. i dont know about presby/calvinist, but i went to Lutherian service once in holland, man it was heavy. not a cheerful tune to be heard. but the kids from my local school are doing an enlish language service tonight, at the aforementioned local church. so i shall check this out later, let my partner put the kids to bed. where is that edit button?? was gonna say its at the Petrus church in Kröllwitz, if tha Vicar wants to come along;)

[bluebell16 972]

The white wine was also a shock to me originally. Although the churches I've gone to back home in Canada have all used red, the ones here seem to favour white... Anyone have any insight into why this is?

[sand&sun 2]

Well, Water that was changed to wine might stay the same colour

[sand&sun 2]

Why don't you go for the Christmas service and see what it is like and compare what goes on then.

[osmachar 324]

 

... me being christened a good Northern Irish Protestant, i had always imagined this type of thing happening in the ''other lots'' churches, if you know what i mean.i almost burst out laughing.( if the boys in the lodge could see me now)

...

If you want a proper solem put-the-fear-of-got-into-you church service go to the roman catholics (BUt you won't be allowed the 'wafer' unless you've gone through their training)

[sand&sun 2]

Tell me, how would they know if you went through "their" training or not? Just go up and take the wafer and the wine, whatever the colour it is.

 

I also hear that the Church of England is more Catholic than the Roman.

[osmachar 324]

They people in the church wouldn't know if you know what the right thing to do is. But you'd go streight to hell for faking :P