My first in-person church visit in COVID-era Berlin

We visited the Lutheran church on Müllerstraße today in Zehlendorf. Today is the Sunday commemorating baptism.

We sat in singles in pairs with social distance. The congregation is older than we are and equally white. A few people had evident disabilities.

The pastor is engaging. His speech and movement convey energy. The sermon started with the idea of Erwaehlung — I tried to look it up in Google Translate, then I got Silke's help. "Gott liebt mich grundlos." The pastor connects the traditional Lutheran message to our contemporary world. Examples: it's a mistake to play on a computer to avoid feeling pain. He said something about #BlackLivesMatter but as a language learner I didn't understand the context. I went in with low expectations of understanding everything, then the experience beat my expectations — I understood 75% of everything spoken.

Du oder Sie? I know we say Du to God. Does God say Du to me?

The organist today played the hymns clearly and confidently — dare I say unapologetically? Back at Christ Lutheran in El Cerrito, I enjoyed each song individually, yet our alternation between musical styles would make the musical program feel slightly labored overall.

I understood that the bell tower at the entrance was meant to be boldly welcoming, but for me it was oppressively loud. When we go again, I'll want to arrive early so we can be seated in the church when the bells sound.

I felt welcome at this church today. I am also curious to explore other churches. After landing in Berlin this is a good moment to sample from the buffet.