Unity through Repentance: The Journey to Wittenberg 2017
Chapter 16
Volkenroda, 2013
You’ve read Chapter 16, and you’re hungry for more? Don’t worry, we got you!
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US Website - Volkenroda Meeting
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Podcast Page - Volkenroda Teachings
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German Website - All Meetings
Through the Wardrobe Door
John & Vicky Porterfield
John & Vicky are long-time friends and respected ministry partners for so many in Austin. Vicky is an intercessor who helped organize prayer for the Passion conferences, for many years. John is a CPA who has helped numerous US and international non-profits sort out thorny accounting issues, including Wittenberg 2017 and AHOP / Christ the Reconciler.
When John walked into the Christus Pavilion in Volkenroda, he turned to me and Duane:
“I’ve just walked through the Wardrobe Door!”
We agreed, while picking our jaws up from the floor as well.
The Christus Pavilion
The World Expo in the year 2000 was held in Hanover, Germany. A renowned architect built a remarkable structure, meant to imitate a cloister in a monastery. A surrounding wall had panels filled with various objects, creating unusual and colorful patterns. Inside was a stone-grounded walk around the central structure. Artwork hung on the walls, and alcoves around the edges represented the “I am” sayings of Jesus - “I am the light of the world”, “I am the bread of life”, and so forth. Metal beams formed a framework, from which transparent marble walls hung down, creating a cubical meeting space. From the interior, sunlight filtered through and the silhouettes of birds flying outside could be seen through the walls. Truly magical.
And … after the expo was finished, it was moved to Volkenroda!
Vertical panorama in the Christus Pavilion, showing a candle near the altar, one of the walls with evening light and shadows on it, and the ceiling with structural beams coming down.
The Christus Pavilion at night, with the interior lights showing through the transparent marble walls.
One of the panels in the exterior wall, filled with cassette tapes
Candle in the Christus Pavilion - "I am the Light of the World"
Richard Harvey’s Rainbow
“I didn’t know why I came here. But as I arrived, I saw a rainbow from my car window, and knew I was in the right place. And now I know why. I must write a book about Martin Luther, from the perspective of a Messianic Jew, for the 500th anniversary. There will be many books from many different perspectives that will be published leading up to 2017. But none of them will address him from a Jewish point of view. My book will.”
Richard Harvey with David Sanders in Volkenroda
One of the slides from Richard's talk in Volkenroda
The Volkenroda Meeting
Richard Harvey, Benjamin Berger, Hans-Peter Lang
Sandi Pedrotti & Sr. Joela
Julia Stone & Tracy Knox
Pre-meeting prayer time
The three pioneers of reconciliation in Germany (left to right): Friedrich Aschoff, Furst Castell, and Franziskus Eisenbach
Sr. Damiana, Sr. Joela, and Benjamin Berger
Hanna Miley
Ryan took this beautiful picture of me with my mother, Ann
Being embraced by Ryan & Noleen Thurman
Me with Hanna Miley
Morning worship in the main meeting room
Prayer in the chapel, taken from outside through the window, showing the reflection of the sky and trees
Noon prayer, joining with the Jesus Bruderschaft in the chapel
What an amazing group of people gathered around one table!
Repentance for Anti-semitism
Damaged crucifix that was salvaged from the ruins, and now stands in the Volkenroda chapel
Repentance before the Jewish messiah
Messianic Jews Benjamin Berger and Hanna Miley viewing the burning of the anti-Semitic papers, an act of repentance initiated by the Lutheran leader Sr. Joela, who is standing next to Hanna
In the bus on pilgrimage to the Buchenwald concentration camp
Christiana from the Jesus Bruderschaft community, at Buchenwald, Thuringia
After the Volkenrolda meeting was complete, I drove back to Berlin with my mother, John & Vicky, John Martin, and Patty. Wittenberg was right on the way, so we stopped there for dinner. It was October 30, Reformation Eve, and we had a lovely dinner with German speeches and plays about Martin Luther happening around us. Then we went for a quick walk around the old city, and stopped underneath the "Judensau" on the City Church. As I described what it was, something about the horror of it combined with the tenderness of our hearts from the recent repentance to the Jews awoke a deep grief in us all. Vicky Porterfield looked up at it, and proclaimed: "This must come down." This was the trigger point of the Judensau initiatives that came forth from the Wittenberg 2017 initiative, because when I reported this to the leadership team, Sr. Joela became convicted and with fear and trembling wrote a letter to the Lutheran leaders in Germany.
Meeting Program with Links to Teachings
2nd
Wittenberg 2017 Working Group Meeting
Volkenroda, Germany, 27-30 October 2013
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Sunday, 27
October |
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16:00 |
Arrivals & Registration |
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17:00 |
Bridge Prayer |
Romans 15:7-8 |
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17:20 |
Thomas Cogdell |
Vision, Introductions, Purpose of the Meeting |
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18:20 |
Dinner |
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19:30 |
Franziskus Eisenbach |
7 Steps in the division of the body of Christ relating
to the two sons in Luke 15 |
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21:00 |
Off to bed! |
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Monday, 28 October |
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07:30 |
Jesus-Bruderschaft |
Morning prayer service |
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08:00 |
Breakfast |
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09:10 |
Claudia Wiedermann |
Worship |
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09:30 |
Richard Harvey |
The First Split in the Body of Christ & Its
Consequences |
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10:50 |
Break |
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11:10 |
Verena Lang |
History of Anti-semitism |
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12:00 |
Bridge Prayer |
John 17:13-19 |
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12:20 |
Lunch |
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14:30 |
Sr. Joela, Friedrich Aschoff |
History of „Entjudungsinstitutes“
in Eisenach |
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Benjamin Berger |
Response to Verena’s & Sr. Joela’s
talks |
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Sr. Joela, Friedrich Aschoff, Benjamin Berger |
Identificational Repentance, Prayer |
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18:20 |
Dinner |
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19:30 |
Bridge Prayer |
Ephesians 2:14-18 |
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19:50 |
Open time |
Fellowship, rest, etc. |
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Tuesday, 29
October |
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07:30 |
Jesus-Bruderschaft |
Morning prayer service |
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08:00 |
Breakfast |
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09:10 |
Claudia Wiedermann |
Worship |
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09:30 |
George & Hanna Miley |
Reconciliation in Gemünd:
Principles for Wider Reconciliation (Listen
in English to a further talk by George on Christian-Christian reconciliation
in particular) (Listen in English to another talk by George & Hanna on Jewish-German reconciliation in particular) |
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10:40 |
Break |
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11:00 |
Small Groups |
Prayer & Discussion |
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12:00 |
Bridge Prayer |
John 17:20-23 |
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12:20 |
Lunch |
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13:00 |
KZ Buchenwald |
Depart by bus from Volkenroda |
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15:00 |
KZ Buchenwald |
Resistance to the Nazi regime- example of Paul Schneider, the Preacher of Buchenwald, and Otto Neururer. |
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17:00 |
KZ Buchenwald |
Return by bus to Volkenroda |
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19:00 |
Dinner |
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20:10 |
Bridge Prayer |
Ephesians 2:19-22 |
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20:30 |
Open time |
Fellowship, rest, etc. |
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Wednesday, 30 October |
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07:30 |
Jesus-Bruderschaft |
Morning prayer service |
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08:00 |
Breakfast |
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09:10 |
Claudia Wiedermann |
Worship |
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09:30 |
Thomas Cogdell |
Review of the meeting |
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Duane Grobman |
Planning for the Wittenberg 2017 initiative |
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Patty Keyuranggul |
Communication Trends |
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12:00 |
Bridge Prayer |
John 17:24-26 |
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12:20 |
Lunch |
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13:00 |
End of the meeting |
(Listen
to some final thoughts & prayers, in English and German with some
translation) |