by Audrey Novak Riley and Deb Bogaert

In April, 82 bold women (and a few men) visited Germany to see the sites where Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora Luther lived, worked, and died. We were there to learn about life as a Christian in Luther’s footprints then and now. This "Bold Women of the Reformation" tour was part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Women of the ELCA. We learned about more than Reformation history on this trip — we discovered how the church has been an agent of reformation and hope even into our own time.

We began in Berlin, the capital of reunited Germany, a vibrant city where the past is always present. We visited the Berliner Dom for midday prayer; this monumental cathedral is home to the Evangelical Bishop of Berlin–Brandenberg. We were interested to note that we never saw the word Lutheran — ever since the King of Prussia united the Lutheran and Reformed churches in the 19th century, Evangelical is used.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, in a bustling shopping district, is in two parts. The old part is a broken steeple, left just as it was after the city was repeatedly bombed during World War II. The new part is a modern building glazed with 21,000 blocks of blue stained glass from Chartres, a symbol of reconciliation between old enemies.

Effects of the past
Almost all our route was in the former East Germany, a place held under totalitarian rule and closed to the West for decades. The 1989 opening of the Iron Curtain made it possible for Lutherans again to visit the places where Luther walked. We were amazed and delighted by the beauty of the cities and countryside we visited — everything seemed freshly painted or newly remodeled, clean and colorful, with very few exceptions.

As we walked with our sisters and brothers who are the church in that part of the Lutheran world, we learned of the challenges the church there faces. One challenge, clearly a result of the oppression of those previous regimes, is the very small number of practicing Christians in Germany. Recent surveys show that only about 33 percent of the population in the former East Germany consider themselves members of any religious denomination, and only about 5 percent attend services weekly. Only about 30 percent say they believe in God. (By contrast, in the United States, 78 percent consider themselves members of a religious denomination, and about 96 percent say they believe in God.) How did this come about?

The Communist East German government (the GDR) did its best to discourage the practice of faith, although it did not interfere in the internal affairs of the churches. For example, one of our guides, a retired teacher, told us that "in GDR times" he could never be made principal of his school because he was a practicing Christian.

A pastor in Leipzig told us of another tactic the GDR used to separate people from the church. Confirmation, for most people, was simply an occasion for a party for a teen becoming an adult, a time to give presents and take pictures. A parallel secular ceremony was developed by the GDR, and teens who did not take part in the secular ceremony would not be admitted to the university. The GDR’s long campaign to separate people from the church was devastatingly effective.

Like yeast
The pastor in Leipzig told us that though their numbers are small, Christians feel that their purpose is to be like yeast, bringing life and light to their surroundings.

One of those communities of yeast is the Diaconal Community of Dresden. Sisters Esther and Sylvia welcomed us and sketched the history of the community.

In 1844, four Dresden noblewomen opened a house where they would live, pray, and work together, serving the sick in their own home. In 1846, these women and their guests moved to a larger property, and here they remain.

During World War I I, Dresden was bombed and the deaconesses’ chapel and hospital were not spared. In 1961, the chapel was at last reopened. The sisters welcome neighbors and visitors to join them in worship daily.

On the front of the lectern in the chapel is a Coventry cross, formed of large nails. The cathedral of Coventry in England was also heavily damaged in World War II; it has been at the forefront of movements for peace and reconciliation ever since (see www.crossofnails.org). In 1965, the Coventry movement sent a group of young Englishmen to help rebuild the deaconesses hospital. The deaconesses have never forgotten this. Every Friday at noon, the community gathers in the chapel to pray for peace and reconciliation using the Coventry prayer: "Father forgive."

The 250–bed general hospital is the first in the city to be accredited by a respected independent agency, and is the birthplace of about 1,000 new Dresdeners each year. The deaconesses also care for the elderly and disabled with a wide range of services. There is a kindergarten for the very young and a vocational high school that prepares young adults for work in health care. The deaconesses also sponsor a respected nursing school, whose 170 students follow a three–year program.

Beatitudes to freedom
In the early 1950s, the border between the Eastern bloc countries, including East Germany, and the West was fortified — not to keep Westerners out, but to keep Easterners from defecting. But by the late 1980s, the GDR was in crisis. Governmental corruption, crackdowns on dissidents, and food shortages led to desperation among the people. In Leipzig, the church of St. Nicholas added discussions on surviving in the GDR to its regular Monday evening prayer meetings, and people began to come by the hundreds.

These meetings inside the church walls were the only place where people could speak openly. Other churches opened their doors for the same kind of meetings, and soon enough the churches were filled every Monday evening, with thousands of others standing outside holding candles, all calling for reform and praying for peace. The unnerved government officials began sending spies to infiltrate the meetings. This is what they heard:

Jesus said: "Blessed are the poor," and not "Happy are the wealthy."

Jesus said: "Love your enemies," and not "Down with your opponents."

Jesus said: "Many who are now first will be last," and not "Everything stays the same."

Jesus said: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose her life for my sake shall find it," and not "Be very careful."

Jesus said: "You are the salt," and not "You are the cream."

Every Monday evening, the people inside the churches would come out to meet the thousands of others holding candles outside and they would all march through the city, calling for change. Troops surrounded the marchers but the demonstrators chanted, "No violence, no violence." In October 1989, the thousands of peaceful protesters encircled the city of Leipzig and then marched to the headquarters of the dreaded Stasi secret police.

There was no response. The government knew it had lost. Before long, party leaders resigned their posts. Free elections were held. And then the Wall fell and the world changed.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

Reform and hope
Back in the early 1500s, Duke Friedrich of Saxony decided that his neighbors would think more of him if his duchy had a university. Among the monks who came to teach at the duke’s new university was Martin Luther. And we know what happened then.

Martin Luther, a penniless, powerless monk, saw that the system around him had become corrupt and oppressive. He called for reform, drawing the wrath of the powerful.

In Wittenberg, we prayed in the Castle Church where Luther preached. We sang his best-known hymn around his grave. We visited Castle Wartburg, the mighty fortress where he carried out that great work of translation. We prayed with the Luther an sisters in the Augustinerkloster where Luther made his vows as a monk, and with the Roman Catholic sisters at Kloster Helfta whose chapel houses an altar made of stones brought to Helfta by all the congregations, both Protestant Protestant and Catholic, for miles around. Semper re formanda, always reforming, always in need of reform. We saw so many signs of reform, reconciliation, and hope in our travels in the footsteps of Martin Luther. What signs of reform and hope do you see in your own travels? In your own town? In your own congregation? What do you see that is in need of reform? How would you call for a peaceful revolution?

About the trip
The pilgrims on this trip were from all over the country: New York to California, Minnesota to Florida. They ranged in age from about 40 to over 80. Most were seasoned travelers, and several had lived in Germany. There were three mother daughter pairs among the group, a pair of mothers–in–law (mother of the bride and mother of the groom), and several married couples. There was a group of six from the same congregation. Several pastors were among the travelers, and one seminary professor. Many were planning to make a presentation on the trip to their congregations later. All found the tour to be an inspiring, even life–changing event.

The ELCA Wittenberg Center coordinated with Christian Tours and Women of the ELCA to make all the arrangements. To learn more about the ELCA Wittenberg Center, go to www.elca.org/wittenberg. To read a blog of the trip and view some wonderful photos, see www.20thanniversarytour.blogspot.com.

Deborah Bogaert is director for communications, Women of the ELCA. Audrey Novak Riley is associate editor of this magazine.