I am about to accept an invitation to speak at Kirchentag which will happen in Hamburg next year. Every two years, 100,000 Protestants gather in a German city for this festival. In 2011 Kirchentag happened in Dresden and I had the privilege of being on a panel to talk about building and keeping relationships in the church world, as well as leading a workshop on blogging and the internet. It was a great time. The outdoor worship was amazing, as I shared in my post “A worship service your city won’t forget”.
Anyway, the theme of this 34th Kirchentag is “As Much As You Need” and they want me to lead a Bible study on the feeding of the five thousand, John 6:1-15. I am about to say YES because it’s an amazing event and because Germany is such a crucial country right now as the world steadies itself from a global recession and so many countries look to Germany to help them out.
The question Jesus asked his disciples in that passage, “Where are WE going to get enough to feed these people” is the same question Germans are asking of themselves. Its not a case of standing back and letting God act apart from his people, but of partnership with him as Jesus and His Body the church find creative ways of providing for a hungry, hurting, struggling world.
I think I will accept the invitation. Kirchentag will happen in Hamburg May 1-5, 2013 and my session will be May 3. Is anyone else going top be there, apart from the 100,000 Germans, I mean?
“The question Jesus asked his disciples in that passage, “Where are WE going to get enough to feed these people” is the same question Germans are asking of themselves. Its not a case of standing back and letting God act apart from his people, but of partnership with him as Jesus and His Body the church find creative ways of providing for a hungry, hurting, struggling world. ”
The church sure does need creative ways to move forward. One denomination in Latvia is seeking to sell of property to the highest bidder, but that is not a creative solution that benefits the communities where the land is sold. They may have financial issues but God is calling for greater imagination than that. Some of the lands are currently used for people to supplement their own meagre wages, take that away and people are going to struggle even more! Is that what Jesus would have done? Is that really good stewardship of the land? I’m sure they are not the only denomination facing these issues and I am praying for more creative approaches than selling out to the world’s economy.
Hi Andrew,
We would be glad to have you as a guest in our house here in Hamburg.
We met way back late 90ies at Golden Gate, then again 2004 in London.
But you probably don’t remember.
We’re doing simple/organic stuff now in Hamburg.
Btw: loved your post on the worship songs. It always drives me nuts: why would we ask God to praise himself?
Blessings
David