Our Luther quote for the day has to be, “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.” Luther said that statement in Worms, Germany.
We weathered a rainstorm and the Frankfurt traffic for an hour on the way across the Rhine to Worms. As we got off the bus, the rains stopped and the tour begin. They say in Germany that when angels tour the weather cooperates. Now, our tour guide Rosey said that, yes, when angels tour, they are often little devils on the bus. Of course that did not apply to us….except the angel part.
Now, last night we held our devotions in the hotel bar…to the dismay of the bartender. After all, when your patrons are praying in the bar, it tends to do something to the drinkers…they leave. But I must confess, all have agreed that the devotions as a small group have been a special blessing and a way to grow in our faith and as a family.
The bus trip gave us a chance to sing happy birthday in English and German to Joe Bulock! People think that all Westlake Lutherans were born in August—Craig, Kristine, Joe… Hey, we like to celebrate.
We started our tour outside the St. Peter Cathedral (Dom St. Peter) in Worms. Luther never was able to enter because when he visited he was on the verge of being labeled a heretic. He was made to come to the Diet of Worms in 1521, and Luther was asked to recant of all his works in front of the Emperor Charles V. The Bishop Court or Emperor Palace is no longer there, but there is a plate we saw where Luther was to have said his famous “Here I stand” statement and refused to recant.
Frederick the Wise was wise enough to remind the emperor that Luther was very popular with the people, and it would be wise to let him have a day to get out of the area and then release the edict condemning him and those who protect him. That way someone else would have to capture or kill Luther.
It is on the road away from Worms that Luther was kidnapped and taken into hiding at Wartburg Castle. There was very little else to see in Worms directly related to Luther’s life. We saw the Cathedral that is the only Catholic church to have a stained glass frame in a window honoring Luther and his stand on the authority of Scripture. Today, this is no longer a cathedral because it is a church that combines both catholic and protestant members. Now, that is bridging a divide!
We also saw the Reformation Memorial in Worms that has the largest statue of Luther. It was done in the 19th century (1868) from contributions from around the world. Much was given from Scandinavia and the US. Although the statue of Luther is at the center and dominates the memorial, it is really a tribute to the entire Reformation. The memorial captures images of Luther, Knox, Frederick the Wise, Hus, Melanchthon, and many others. The cities that are important to the movement are also honored.
We left Worms for Heidelberg to see the Heidelberg Castle and a plaque which honors the Augustinian Monastery where Luther came to debate his 95 Theses in April of 518. The monastery no longer stands, but the debate was still important in the emerging drama around Luther. Luther thought he would not be received well, but he found many in agreement and even those who disagreed warmly debated him. To the public, he was like a rock star, and many came from miles away to see Luther. He was not to return, but many of the future reformers were impacted by the debate they saw in this city.
It is however a very beautiful city and the ruins of the castle were enjoyable to see. We found it interesting as the guide talked about keeping them ruins because it is more romantic. Yes, artists like to paint and do poetry about ruins not restored buildings. So, the current scaffolding at the ruins were not to return it to its original grandeur but to restore the ruins. Only artists would call this a mission worthy of work.
What was memorable was the gigantic wine barrel in the castle that apparently even Thomas Jefferson was impressed with. He had taken measurements of the barrel when he visited the castle while serving as a diplomat to France. I didn’t take measurements; it was too big to even capture on camera. I settled for a drink of wine!
We had time for shopping. The biggest purchase was done by Karen—a very large white German cuckoo clock. She had been waiting for the opportunity to find the right one. Now, we settled for a small Christmas ornament and were very happy.
It’s another night of eating, devotions, sleep and maybe even a walk downtown. Dan Daigle was hoping to go to the Cave—a jazz joint in town. Now, if only he had is sax! Enough for today!
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