This weekend, we had a special treat with a small group that come from Memphis, TN to lead us in a spring conference. My church here in Germany, Neuenburg International Church (NIC), has a fall conference and a spring conference every year. Their fall conference is usually in the Black Forest somewhere for a weekend in October. Their spring conference is typically held at the church in March.
With a full teaching schedule, I find it difficult at times to get away for a weekend as I want to just be an introvert, hole up in my apartment, and recharge from the week and get ready for the next one. :)
This year, for the spring conference, they planned a Friday evening session for anyone, a Saturday morning breakfast session for the men, and a Saturday afternoon session for the women. I signed up for the Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and am so glad I did!
Friday evening, we had a wine tasting along with a collection of cheeses, nuts, veggies, bread, etc. to go with the 4 different wine tastings. A gentleman from a local winery was there to introduce the wine and share information about each in English and in German. In between these tastings, we had our sessions on worship along with some singing. We began our time together with prayer and singing, "I love you, Lord" which was lovely. The gentleman in the green coat led our time together and sang beautifully! He is a worship minister at his church and is opera trained. His brother played the piano and guitar and another gentleman friend of theirs from their church also plays guitar and the banjo.
Here is a little sample from Friday night.
Saturday afternoon, I and my friend, Becky, drove to our pastor's house and enjoyed kaffee (tea for us) and cake and heard more about what woship looks like in the home. Our leader shared the impact that his parents (including his mother) had on his love of singing as a boy and how it has impacted him as an adult and in his relationship with the Lord. One thing that stuck out to me was for parents to be encouraged to lead their family in devotions in the home. And encouraging them that now is always a good time to re-start devotions. What he had to say spoke to me as a single person as well. I spend time with God in the mornings with reading scripture and time in prayer. I also spend time in God's Word after work as I have Bible study homework to complete. Recently, I have begun spending time in the evening as well; reading a devotional, praying, and singing a hymn. I have a hymnal that I found at the BFA book swap a few years ago and it has been a treasure. I used to have a hymnal from the church in Watertown where I grew up but it has become lost in some of my moves over the past several years.
The three pics above are from Saturday afternoon. I'm on the left in all the pictures in a light pink sweater with my hair up. :)
This morning (Sunday), these three gentlemen led us in worship. They played an anthem and sang just as our service began and led us in all of our music this morning. Was it ever incredible! I have loved every moment of our singing in worship this weekend! It was a small earthly taste of what we will be doing in eternity as we sing praises to our Lord! I will leave you with this passage in Revelation 5:11-14, 'Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.'
The first video below is from this morning (Sunday) and the second is from Friday evening.
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