Showing posts with label Löfstad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Löfstad. Show all posts
04 October, 2010
Time to unpack the superlatives
It's a good thing I brought my great big bag of American superlatives, because tonight I will need them to tell you the tale of Tranås.
It was nearly 5 pm and time to head back to Löfstad church. I grabbed my backpack and put only the necessary items in it. Video camera 1, video camera 2, audio recorder, webcam ,laptop, batteries, extra batteries. Check!
I strolled down the hotel staircase and the moment I stepped out onto the sidewalk, the wind cut right through me. It didn't really matter. I was too busy thinking about what I might be doing when I got to the church.
The walk lasted just five brisk minutes and suddenly I was at the door. I hung up my coat and scarf and walked into the kitchen. Then, an incredible thing happened. I was a stranger to them - some woman from the US they knew nothing about - yet they ushered me into their world and gave me a place at their table. Literally. It was refreshing and quite humbling.
We jumped into the preparations. We stood at a table just outside the kitchen and prepared sandwiches. We buttered bread, added ham, veggies, cheese, and a little dollup of seafood spread to each sandwich. And as we stood there, we learned a little something about each other.
Other volunteers were elsewhere creating centerpieces for each table in the cafe. A candle, flowers, leaves, and apples were being put together to create a colorful Autumn touch for everyone to enjoy while they ate their sandwiches and drank coffee after the program.
The sandwiches were finished and stored in the fridge, so I was given a second job of pulling out the coffee mugs and placing them on the table. There was still a lot of life happening in the kitchen. People were brewing more coffee, pulling out plates, placing food into the fridge, cleaning up work stations, etc. It was like a choreographed dance, with people weaving in and out in perfect sync.
I felt like I was in a travel show where the host visits a wonderfully unique and open place with real heart and soul. A place tourists may pass up, but in reality is the best place in town to be. I was here with people who had welcomed me in and treated me like family the moment I walked in.
Jenny would later talk about how she saw God's voice and guiding hand in moments like this one. As she spoke those words, my thoughts were immediately directed the people who make up Löfstadkyrka. And there it was. That feeling, that understanding that the Kingdom of Heaven is here and now. Among the people in this place.
The all-volunteer kitchen crew was preparing to seat about 150 people in the cafe after the performance. Ten minutes before the start of the show, 140 tickets had been sold.
I had finished up what I could in the kitchen, so I decided to take my seat in the church. Just a few minutes before showtime and the place was packed. There were a few benches in the back and some small spaces here and there. I walked up one of the rows, scanned the room, and saw a little lone seat at the front right side of the room. I asked the gentleman beside me if the seat was taken. It was free, so I sat beside him and saw he had a camera, a pencil and a piece of paper. As I pulled out all my recording equipment in preparation, he joked with me about everything I had.
The program itself was quite moving. It grabbed me like no other program. The character and atmosphere was different than the previous day. It almost seemed like the program was set to go one direction with a general program, then went a different direction entirely. Jenny raised some profound thoughts and ideas, which struck a chord with a lot of people, including myself. The longer description of the presentation will be up on The Jenny Source as soon as I get the opportunity to write and send.
Some pictures from the cafe even after the program:
(Also some video in the Bambuser feed of people enjoying the evening)
Four hours had passed from the time I opened the church door until the time I started walking back to the hotel, but it felt more like four seconds. It was the most amazing, most incredible, most heartfelt, most wonderful, fantasic time I've had in a very, very long time. See, I told you I'd need those superlatives! And not one of them was overused or unnecessary.
A mighty thank you to everyone at Löfstad for all the hospitality, the great company, and the wonderful event! It was a real blessing to be with you all tonight. You are all a true treasure in Tranås! If our paths don't meet again here on Earth, we'll meet again in Heaven - where there will be "No More Nights".
It was nearly 5 pm and time to head back to Löfstad church. I grabbed my backpack and put only the necessary items in it. Video camera 1, video camera 2, audio recorder, webcam ,laptop, batteries, extra batteries. Check!
I strolled down the hotel staircase and the moment I stepped out onto the sidewalk, the wind cut right through me. It didn't really matter. I was too busy thinking about what I might be doing when I got to the church.
The walk lasted just five brisk minutes and suddenly I was at the door. I hung up my coat and scarf and walked into the kitchen. Then, an incredible thing happened. I was a stranger to them - some woman from the US they knew nothing about - yet they ushered me into their world and gave me a place at their table. Literally. It was refreshing and quite humbling.
We jumped into the preparations. We stood at a table just outside the kitchen and prepared sandwiches. We buttered bread, added ham, veggies, cheese, and a little dollup of seafood spread to each sandwich. And as we stood there, we learned a little something about each other.
Other volunteers were elsewhere creating centerpieces for each table in the cafe. A candle, flowers, leaves, and apples were being put together to create a colorful Autumn touch for everyone to enjoy while they ate their sandwiches and drank coffee after the program.
The sandwiches were finished and stored in the fridge, so I was given a second job of pulling out the coffee mugs and placing them on the table. There was still a lot of life happening in the kitchen. People were brewing more coffee, pulling out plates, placing food into the fridge, cleaning up work stations, etc. It was like a choreographed dance, with people weaving in and out in perfect sync.
I felt like I was in a travel show where the host visits a wonderfully unique and open place with real heart and soul. A place tourists may pass up, but in reality is the best place in town to be. I was here with people who had welcomed me in and treated me like family the moment I walked in.
Jenny would later talk about how she saw God's voice and guiding hand in moments like this one. As she spoke those words, my thoughts were immediately directed the people who make up Löfstadkyrka. And there it was. That feeling, that understanding that the Kingdom of Heaven is here and now. Among the people in this place.
The all-volunteer kitchen crew was preparing to seat about 150 people in the cafe after the performance. Ten minutes before the start of the show, 140 tickets had been sold.I had finished up what I could in the kitchen, so I decided to take my seat in the church. Just a few minutes before showtime and the place was packed. There were a few benches in the back and some small spaces here and there. I walked up one of the rows, scanned the room, and saw a little lone seat at the front right side of the room. I asked the gentleman beside me if the seat was taken. It was free, so I sat beside him and saw he had a camera, a pencil and a piece of paper. As I pulled out all my recording equipment in preparation, he joked with me about everything I had.
The program itself was quite moving. It grabbed me like no other program. The character and atmosphere was different than the previous day. It almost seemed like the program was set to go one direction with a general program, then went a different direction entirely. Jenny raised some profound thoughts and ideas, which struck a chord with a lot of people, including myself. The longer description of the presentation will be up on The Jenny Source as soon as I get the opportunity to write and send.
Some pictures from the cafe even after the program:
(Also some video in the Bambuser feed of people enjoying the evening)
Four hours had passed from the time I opened the church door until the time I started walking back to the hotel, but it felt more like four seconds. It was the most amazing, most incredible, most heartfelt, most wonderful, fantasic time I've had in a very, very long time. See, I told you I'd need those superlatives! And not one of them was overused or unnecessary.
A mighty thank you to everyone at Löfstad for all the hospitality, the great company, and the wonderful event! It was a real blessing to be with you all tonight. You are all a true treasure in Tranås! If our paths don't meet again here on Earth, we'll meet again in Heaven - where there will be "No More Nights".
03 October, 2010
Löfstad Church in Tranås
Early morning today! I wanted to get to the church for Sunday morning services. I got here in time to get ready, but even with such a small town, I managed to turn myself around. Five minutes until the service started and I asked a woman at the ICA if she knew where the church was. She did! She explained in detail how to get to the church and she made sure I understood. It was right where she said it would be and with two minutes to spare.Several churches in Sweden tend to run by a similar calendar with various themes every week relating to the church year (Think about the Psalmer för Livet CD set). Today's theme was angels, specifically St. Michael. Sixty of sixty-six books of the Bible mention angels. A little fast fact I learned this morning at the church. Even though I've never been to a service at the church, it was very familiar due to the similarities churches have no matter where you go. The congregation was very welcoming. I was greeted and several people stopped to talk, even though they'd never seen me before.
The Pastor, Per-Gunnar, also welco
med me and provided a little background on the church itself. Original parts of the church are from 1872 and has been renovated several times, the last time 1964. It will be renovated again shortly. The church is a blend of three different congregations. In 2008, they built a new congregation from a Covenant church, a Baptist church, and an Alliance church. The local area was originally called Löfstad, but was later changed to Tranås, so when the new congregation formed in '08, they called it by the original name of the area.The congregation itself is a lively blend of people from all ages and backgrounds and it looks like there is a lot of engagement from the people within the church. A lot of people stayed for coffee and conversation after the church service was over.
Just as I was leaving, I heard them discussing plans to set up for tonight. They were expecting a pretty large size group. I asked if they would like some more help and they said yes, so I'll be heading down there an hour early to help set up. What fun!
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