It’s day 4 of the tour. The unofficial part of the tour began in Berlin with free-time. I devoted much of this time to visiting parts of the now-fallen Berlin wall. In certain parts there are very small sections of the wall which do not seem very threatening. However, when seeing a larger section of the wall it was quite depressing to think about how this divided a nation for so many years! At the same time, the other side of the wall had artistic works from all artists from different part of the world reflecting upon different aspects of war, peace, oppression, hope and other relevant themes.
We spent day 2 on a tour which took us to the various parts of the wall and Checkpoint-Charlie, our skilled and knowledgeable guide also took us through various areas of Berlin and spoke about how some post-war rubble had been cleared as recently as this year. He talked very frankly about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust and I sensed that Berlin is a truly repentant city. The mood is one of great grief and shame, and everywhere you go there are monuments and tributes in honour of the Jewish people. Such as the one here pictured. Embarrassingly we didn’t know what this was (we thought at first that it might be a maze), but in fact the blocks are meant to represent tombs of different sizes. The complete collection of Berlin Photos may be found here:
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DAY 3 – TUES 22 JUN
BERLIN – WITTENBERG – EISLEBEN – LEIPZIG
Journey to Wittenberg, Luther’s home for 30-plus years and birthplace of the Reformation. Enjoy a guided walking tour including the REFORMATION MUSEUM, LUTHER HOUSE, ST. MARY’S CHURCH, where he preached, and CASTLE CHURCH, where he hung his 95 Theses. Also visit MARTIN LUTHER’S TOMB. In Eisleben, visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the HOUSE in which Luther was born and the STERBEHAUS MUSEUM, home of his last residence. Then, visit ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH, where he preached his last sermon, followed by a visit to the ST. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH, where Luther was baptised. Overnight in Erfurt. (B)
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DAY 3 – TUES 22 JUN
BERLIN – WITTENBERG – EISLEBEN – LEIPZIG
Journey to Wittenberg, Luther’s home for 30-plus years and birthplace of the Reformation. Enjoy a guided walking tour including the REFORMATION MUSEUM, LUTHER HOUSE, ST. MARY’S CHURCH, where he preached, and CASTLE CHURCH, where he hung his 95 Theses. Also visit MARTIN LUTHER’S TOMB. In Eisleben, visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the HOUSE in which Luther was born and the STERBEHAUS MUSEUM, home of his last residence. Then, visit ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH, where he preached his last sermon, followed by a visit to the ST. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH, where Luther was baptised. Overnight in Erfurt. (B)
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On day 3 we began the European Reformation Tour beginning in Wittenb
erg (the so-called “cradle-city” of the Reformation). Wittenberg is where Luther spent much of his life as a Lecturer at the University and the home of the Cathedral where his famous 95 theses were posted. We visited the Castle Church and St Mary’s Church. Martin Luther and his closest friend and fellow reformer, Phillip Melanchthon, are both buried at the Castle Church. The Reformation Museum and Luther’s House in Wittenberg provided countless statues and images of Luther, Melenthen and Katie.Wittenberg is a beautiful town. We reflected there on how it was in Luther’s time an academic town: how Luther came to preach at the local Churches as an academic cleric and monk and that the forum of posting theses to a Cathedral door was in fact and invitation to academic (albeit Theological) debate. It’s good to know that academics can play such an important role! A further reflection is that Luther was ‘average’ in one sense; an academic doing his job but driven by a sense of integrity for the truth: spiritual, philosophical and theological.
Many of the statues and images of Luther depict a sternness: a bible in one hand, a man with a mission! Some of the younger depictions demonstrate an anxiety: as though perhaps tortured by his own thoughts and reflections. The Luther Garden was particularly beautiful with sweet smelling flowers and beautiful greenery and an amazing sense of God’s Spirit dwelling therein.
Finally we moved to Eisleben to both the “Birth House” and “Death House” of Luther which offered further insights to Luther’s life and death.
At the beginning of this day, Rhys encouraging us to reflect on the following two big ideas of the reformation. The Matter: How do human beings receive grace? Who provides grace? How important is the Church in mediating grace. Justification by grace through faith.
Formal Principle: The authority you appeal to argue your case about how grace is received.
SPECTRUM
RC – Priesthood / Papacy
Middle – Scripture alone – final authority (Does the scripture forbid it?)
Anabaptists – Scripture important but not alone
Luther moved from an absolutist Roman Catholic perspective to an understanding of God’s grace as “love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5.5). Some of his writings are reminiscent of the apostle, Paul, who writes in Philippians Chapter 2 about his faithfulness and adherence to the Jewish law and how he now considers it all “rubbish” in order that he “may gain Christ.” Against this background Luther came to see that Christians need no longer appeal to a priest, pope or institution for divine favour but have access directly from a loving God who crucified sin on the cross and made us all righteous-through what he did not anything that we can do.
Finally we moved to Eisleben to both the “Birth House” and “Death House” of Luther which offered further insights to Luther’s life and death.
At the beginning of this day, Rhys encouraging us to reflect on the following two big ideas of the reformation. The Matter: How do human beings receive grace? Who provides grace? How important is the Church in mediating grace. Justification by grace through faith.
Formal Principle: The authority you appeal to argue your case about how grace is received.
SPECTRUM
RC – Priesthood / Papacy
Middle – Scripture alone – final authority (Does the scripture forbid it?)
Anabaptists – Scripture important but not alone
Luther moved from an absolutist Roman Catholic perspective to an understanding of God’s grace as “love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5.5). Some of his writings are reminiscent of the apostle, Paul, who writes in Philippians Chapter 2 about his faithfulness and adherence to the Jewish law and how he now considers it all “rubbish” in order that he “may gain Christ.” Against this background Luther came to see that Christians need no longer appeal to a priest, pope or institution for divine favour but have access directly from a loving God who crucified sin on the cross and made us all righteous-through what he did not anything that we can do.
More Witternberg and Eisleben pictures here:
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