Churches conquer the night

Created: 06/26/2022Updated: 06/26/2022 14:56

The Long Night of the Churches is back after a three-year Corona break.

Although the program presented itself slightly slimmed down, it was well received.

And it was surprising even for the city pastor Andreas Christian Jaster

Germering

– The fact that the congress bell in the tower of St. Cecilia weighs over 1000 kilos was one of the aha effects during the tour of the church area of ​​the Catholic parish on the eastern edge of the city.

The rectory, sacristy and nativity scene, the group of those interested listened attentively to Regine Thalhammer's explanations - including the city pastor Andreas Christian Jaster.

But then Thalhammer reported on the church inaugurated in 1960: “The altar was one of the first people’s altars.

Back then, people even came from afar to see it.” Jaster lifted his head in surprise: “That's new to me.

But interesting to find out.”

But the Long Night of the Churches also delivered very personal stories – like that of Ella Anders.

She only got into painting in 2015, at the age of 69, she reported.

Nevertheless, a lot of colorful pictures have already come together.

So many that they fill the exhibition in the Freie Evangelische Gemeinde well.

"Sometimes I start with my eyes closed, so I let God guide my hand," says the believing woman.

When painting and then looking at the pictures, she always feels a lot of inner joy, says Anders.

In contrast, “Sound-around”, a crossover choir that combined pop and gospel in Don Bosco, really carried their enthusiasm to the outside world.

"Finally we can sing for you again," they announced their performance in front of the crowded rows.

And the audience was gratefully carried away, responding with applause and spontaneous cheers – almost like at a pop concert.

But it fit: the choir had pieces by Robby Williams and Rammstein in their luggage.

For Deacon Benno Saruba, proof that church is not boring and complicated.

"We had a lot of young audiences," he said.

The Long Night of the Churches could have the effect that one or the other find their way into a church community in everyday life.

At the concluding gathering in front of the town hall (from left): Pastor Michael Lorenz (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church, Thomas Scheitacker (Free Evangelical Church) and town pastor Andreas Christian Jaster blessed the visitors. © Hans Kürzl

The Catholic and Protestant parishes had prepared and made their own contribution to the preparations for this.

"Thanks to many committed people, it went quite smoothly," reported Pastor Thomas Scheitacker from the Free Evangelical Church.

As in the other churches, Scheitacker always left the doors of his house open to signal a warm welcome.

This corresponded to the motto taken from the Gospel of Matthew: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst."

This applied equally to the rather quiet offerings, which included lectures on “Betrayal and Resistance in the Third Reich”, the meaning of faith, silent worship and meditation, but also the film service in the Jochen-Klepper-Haus.

The end of the Long Night of Churches was the "Come together" in front of the town hall.

As with the previous Long Nights, the ecumenical blessing was given.

City pastor Jaster took this as an opportunity to speak of a "wonderful connection between the official church and the believers".

It was also a great pleasure to be able to come together again after the Corona restrictions.