Week 14: Church in Switzerland

On Saturday the 17th, Erin and I headed off to Switzerland and Germany for a mini vacation before flying back on the 22nd. We flew into Zurich and met up with the Bachmanns, a WELS family that live right outside of Zurich. Sigmund, the father, picked us up from the airport and drove us into town where we adventured around for a little bit. Here are some of the things we saw:

   

After venturing around for awhile, we took a train out to where the Bachmann’s live and Sigmund picked us up from the train station. From there we drove to their house, which is out in the country of Switzerland, on farmland. We met Sarah, whom I had been in contact before the trip, and the youngest brother, Tommy. On their farm, they have a few animals – a pony, a horse, bunnies, a dog, and probably more animals that I am forgetting to list… We had a DELICIOUS Swiss supper with different kinds of meats, cheeses (yes, even Swiss cheese), veggies, breads, and spices. We felt completely content after a meal like that. We had a nice visit with them and then headed off to bed after a long day of traveling!

The next day was Sunday and you know what that meant… CHURCH! Erin and I had never been more excited for church; sure, we had been to mass a few times and do daily devotions on our own or watch MLC chapel online, but there was something about ‘church’ that we were missing while in Ireland.

One of the things that Erin and I wanted to do while in Europe was get in touch with the WELS chaplain and attend one of the services held over here. Throughout the month, services are held in England, Germany, and Switzerland. It just so happened to work out that that weekend that we wanted to travel to Switzerland and Germany was the weekend that Pastor Bruss, the pastor filling the vacancy in Europe at the time, was going to be in Switzerland. So we contacted the Bachmann’s about coming to church and went from there!

Church was held inside the Bachmann’s house. They usually have a few families come from around the area, but the day we were there, it was just the Bachmann family. Sigmund and Sarah have 5 kids, 4 of which were at the service: Maria, Floran, Stefan, and Tommy. They have church every Sunday in their living/family room and when Pastor comes, they have communion. Here are some pictures of their house:

Sarah and Pastor chatting it up before the service. Sarah was preparing a fellowship meal for everyone after the service in the kitchen. 

The dining room. Their house was so festive in the Christmas spirit!

The living/family room where the church service was held. (Real candles on the Christmas tree that they light on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Epiphany.)

The church in Switzerland is small in size, but every member of that Bachmann family plays a huge role in the church. They all help get the service prepared, make the pastor feel welcome, cook the fellowship dinner, make sure the offering basket is out and the advent wreath candles lit. When we were singing in that living room, I felt like I was in a church of a hundred people singing Christmas hymns at the top of their lungs; heartful singing.

One thing Sarah pointed out to us while we were there was that every WELS church struggles with a different problem. The problem in Switzerland is that they don’t even have a church to go to; they have the service in their own home. Other churches may have problems deciding what time to hold services or what type of music should be played in the church. But in the grand scheme of things, does that really matter? We fuss over the little things, making them a big deal, stressing ourselves over it, forgetting our main motives for even going to church. When on the opposite side of the world, people are dealing with the struggle of not even having a church to worship in; nonetheless, they get excited every 3rd Sunday of the month because that’s when they actually get a pastor to come lead the service and give Communion.

When I look at the big picture, I realize how lucky I am to have a huge family of believers stretched across the globe. I am lucky to have a church to attend every Sunday, with someone guaranteed to lead the services every Sunday. I am lucky to have visited the church in Switzerland to realize the different struggles we face, but how those struggles are nothing compared to the life we will live eternally someday. I am lucky to have met and stayed with the Bachmanns and to watch and learn about what a servant-like heart really is. I am lucky to have my church mindset refreshed (still don’t like getting up early for church though…). I am lucky that there is so much to be thankful for!

The Bachmann family with Pastor Bruss –
(From left to right: Pastor Bruss, Floran, Tommy, Sigmund, Sarah, and Maria. Not pictured: Stefan, who played piano for the service)