Casting Shadows (Reformation Blog #5)
Monday morning came quickly! We enjoyed a quick but splendid complimentary breakfast at the Maritim Hotel and then boarded another bus to spend the day touring the city of Berlin. We were delighted to end up seated behind Dr. David Robuck and his daughter. Dr. Robuck is the historian for the Church of God. I met him several years ago when he came to lecture in Falcon for Heritage Lectures. Our tour guide was exceptional. She had lived through the cold war and was able to provide political, social, historical and first-hand understanding and knowledge of the city.
In one day, we learned about significant portions of the history of Berlin. Within an hour, I began to realize that what I thought I knew about the impact of the Edict of Milan, the history of Prussia, the Protestant Reformation, the 30 Years War, the rise of Nazi rule, the Jewish Holocaust, World War II and the Cold War was so little compared to all there really was to know.
First of all, the city itself is so much larger and grander than I ever came close to imagining. Although it is a very old city, it is also a very young city because of the extensive damage of WWII. So much of it has been rebuilt, built and adapted since the 1950’s forward. There are also four universities in the city and they attract younger people. In many ways, attempting to take in all the information of the city was overwhelming. I took copious notes and a load of photos.
One major thing I was able to pick up on was one city’s various attempts at granting and maintaining religious tolerance. At times it has gone right and other times, it has gone terribly wrong. I was also able to observe the residual effects of socialist and communist governmental approaches on a democratic society. Even the way Berliners live is fascinating. They are a very responsible people in stewarding their resources, their history, and even their ideas. They are simultaneously efficient and artistic, respectful of others and fiercely independent. Much effort is given to provide everyone with equal opportunities and there is a sincere pride among the people in what they are now able to choose as “we”. However, I could not begin to really tell the story of this city…
The moment this really hit me was when I took a photo of the Holocaust memorial that was expanded after the Berlin wall came down. From the road, it looks like a series of raised coffins but up close they are cement structures of various sizes. No two are alike. I had just walked through the memorial and I could not help but notice that as I stood at the outer edges of it, I thought that I was appreciating it in the way that the artist had intended. However, when I walked down into the center of that monument an eerie solemnity moved me on a much deeper level. I could look ahead from a distance and see glimpses of hope, a light and a way out but I could also be unexpectedly intercepted at any point and had no way of seeing what was coming around the corner.
Just before returning to the bus, I turned around to take one more photo but as I was taking it, I realized that my shadow was falling on the monument. That is when this thought crossed my mind, “This is what I have been doing all along. My experience and knowledge of what I thought I knew have been casting shadows on the truth of all there is to know about the life and times of this city. How true might that be for so many other things I think I know about?”
What a poignant moment that was for me. I am trying to hold on to that thought and feeling because I think it is really important.
Over lunch, we enjoyed fabulous German cuisine at a local restaurant called, “Julchen Hoppe” and a robust conversation with a woman named Donna and her two sons, Ian and Stewart. They were associated with the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). Ian was a youth pastor in the UPCI but Donna and her other son left the UPCI about ten years prior and joined a new network of churches called the Apostolic Christian Network (ACN), instead. The ACN is similar to the UPCI theologically but their concept of holiness is centered more on inner expressions of holiness than concerns with outward appearance or leadership structures that Donna found inhibiting to her ministries. This conversation was very enlightening.
Donna and her husband came to faith as adults and were already licensed attorneys who were running their own law offices. She is a natural leader but found ministry progress challenging in the UPCI due, in part, to her gender. I also learned that the UPCI, like other Pentecostal denominations, can be somewhat cautious of the educated. Some Pentecostals have trouble imagining that a person can be simultaneously educated and spiritual. Together, we considered the amount of education that the Apostles Paul and Luke must have had. This is especially significant when considering that those two men are responsible for writing the majority of the New Testament. However, Pentecostals seem less fond of remembering the lengthy formal educations of these two apostles (or even the extended informal education of the disciples) and more fond of the passage from Acts that remarks, “The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced.” I hope we will strike a better balance in the future.
Upon our return to the hotel, we attended the opening dinner and beginning session of the Congress. Here, I was able to connect with Dr. Harold Hunter, head historian for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church and with Dr. (Pastor) Lou Shirey, whom I have grown to truly appreciate. His heart for pastoral ministry is unmistakable. We joined with several friends from SC for another great meal. During this, we listened to opening remarks and the sales pitches of several evangelistic organizations. Afterwards, we were led in praise and worship by a wonderful worship team from the Phillippines and then we sat down to hear from three speakers who each highlighted the importance of embracing the great commission for our generation. The challenge is to be willing to make any and all necessary reforms in order to carry this out.
Tim Hill, General Overseer of the Church of God, gave the bold challenge to FINISH the great commission in this generation.
F – Find
I - Intercede
N - Network
I – Invest
S – Send
H - Harvest
Glenn Burris, president of the Foursquare Church, challenged us to:
1. Lead like Jesus
2. Love like Jesus
3. Live like Jesus
4. Liberate like Jesus
Our third speaker, Alex Mitala, founder of Back to the Bible Truth Evangelistic Mission, encouraged us to consider 1 Corinthians 9:26:
“Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”
He challenged us with two points:
1. Sowing Intentionally & Going Purposefully.
2. Sowing Into What Will Outlive You.
These were all good. We did have some trouble staying aware of who it was that was speaking to us. We had no biographies to read or itinerary to go by because the materials did not arrive on time. Fortunately, at the end of the session, a simple version of the itinerary was handed out. The opening plenary sessions were inspirational and did a good job of laying the groundwork for establishing why it is biblical and imperative that this generation engages in the great commission. However, they were not academic in the way that I have come to expect a plenary session to be. inspirational homilies on their assigned topic. I do know that at least two of tomorrow’s speakers will likely provide rich historical context for us to consider as we reflect on our individual and collective call for the present. So maybe tomorrow will be a little different.
Tomorrow is another packed day with an early start. We are being encouraged to take in as much as we possibly can since this moment in time will come and pass but once. I am glad to be taking part in it and I hope that overall, it will cast a refreshing shadow on the future of the church.
