Next year is a big year for reformed theology. In fact, its huge! 500 years ago, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany and really started something! He was a priest but disagreed with several tenets of the Catholic church. We owe our Presbyterian heritage, in part, to Martin Luther. Until then, the “Church” was the Catholic Church. Now, of course, there are Protestant churches of all kinds as well as non-denominational churches.
Germany is preparing for a huge celebration next year and I am organizing a Reformation Choir Tour to be a part of it. Next June, this choir will travel to Berlin to join in the celebration, visit Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s church, then visit other cities where Martin Luther lived and worked, nailed those 95 Theses to the door, and translated the New Testament into German directly from the Greek in a small castle room. We will also see where great musicians such as Bach, Handel, and Mendelssohn lived and worked! We will perform in church services and give a concert or two to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in song!
The tour begins with a big music festival in Berlin’s Dom Cathedral. Choirs from all over the United States will join together in music of Bach and Mendelssohn conducted by the world-famous Bach expert/conductor, Helmuth Rilling. I had the incredible good fortune to sing under him once before and can only say that he is a great conductor and knows his Bach!
In preparation for the tour Michael and I went on a “Director’s Preview Tour” this summer where we visited the places we might tour with the choir. We joined with other directors and singers to customize the tour for our own choirs. Its really awe-inspiring to see these beautiful Protestant Cathedrals but what’s really special is singing in them! The acoustics are quite live and the music swirls around you as you sing. I think of it as my offering to God that rises like incense into the air. The music doesn’t just die after you sing it—-it lives and lingers. The builders of these churches desired to give their very best in architecture and art to praise and honor God. They’re centuries old and you can feel the history around you as you imagine Martin Luther preaching from the pulpit in Wittenberg or J.S. Bach playing the organ in Leipzig. As a lover of history, I’m enthralled by it all!
In Erfurt we had a wonderful tour guide named Mathias. He was extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the history of his city. When asked about his religion he said he had studied many religions, but was waiting for “a heart moment”! I’ve been praying regularly for him that God would reveal Himself to Mathias. 500th anniversaries don’t just roll around all the time! This is a big thing - so if you would like to see these places, participate in the celebration, and make new relationships then join us! While the tour is predominantly for singing in the choir, there is room for both singers and non-singers.
The choir will begin rehearsing music in late January and will rehearse on Sunday afternoons at the church. Then in early June we’ll give a pre-tour concert for everyone! The details and cost of the tour are accessible on the Worship Ministries portion of our webpage. You can also contact me for more information or find me on a Sunday morning at church!
By Dr. Julie Carter