This is Why I Came

          

My friend Rev. Andreas was showing me his church that he serves....St. Pankratius.

It has an ancient history dating back to the 1200's or so. At one point he opened up a ceiling trap door and slid a ladder down so that we could climb up into the bell tower.

              

Dust, cobwebs, pigeons standing outside the small windows...kept out by chicken wire. The inside was brick and old, old wooden beams that had been hand carved from the then-surrounding forests...900 years ago.

                   

An hour earlier we stood outside the bell tower when it chimed at 3 pm sharp. I noted that my wrist watch said 2:58 ( 2 minutes off the official time and chiming) but that my cell phone read 3 pm on the nose. German efficiently....the bells were on a timer and that timer matched with our cell phones. We toured the church, climbed the bell tower. 

                  

       At one point we climbed an old ladder and found ourselves in the actual bell chamber 

            with three bells. I looked at how massive they were and Andreas explained that the 

            original bells had been melted down for the WWII effort. 

        

Suddenly it occurred to me and I asked Andreas if they might be ringing soon.

I glanced at my watch and realized with some concern.....that it was 3:58!

                  

Like so many ancient churches, the history involves a continual making and remaking, building and rebuilding, discovery of long forgotten details and just plain forgetting forever details of the art and history.

                

Such is the long history of St. Pankratius.....above we see a Baptismal Fount that must weigh as much as a Buick. But at one time they had an even more huge Fount which has been taken away....this is THE original one and baptisms take place here even today. There is a copper bowl in the top....this is not a Fount for full-immersion..

                 

The sanctuary was built in two or three parts. I am standing in the main aisle between the pews looking towards the altar area.

Their altar Bible is hundreds of yeas old with replacement pages from another sister-Bible kept in a museum elsewhere in Germany.

              

The carved panel behind the altar...which obscures some ancient frescoes and windows...(when one huge piece of art obscures other works of art...you know it is a later addition)....and this was a later addition and came from a nunnery elsewhere in Germany.

                        

These ancient (a word I use a lot in this blog to describe the items in St. Pankratius) were from the maybe 14th century and were whitewashed over during the Reformation (as they attempted to cover over all-things Roman Catholic.)

          

And they were discovered behind the white paint but in the 1950's. There are other frescoes in the church hiding behind white paint.....but it is too costly to uncover them all.

                   

  Stained glass windows reside in both Romanesque and Gothic arches...and one side of the sanctuary has more windows than the other side.

                     

Here is the full....maybe15 inch painting of St. Pankratius ..... On the inside of the door to the wall cabinet that held the communion elements long ago.

          

And somewhere long ago....the congregation installed a sand-filled hour glass....that measures out 15-minute-intervals.....for the Minister to turn over when he/she begins to preach. It's right beside the pulpit.

                       

The list of ministers from 1254 AD...to...2003.....is actually quite short....if one realizes that list covers nearly 800 years.

                           

And of course....what would a European church be....without a reference to St. George slaying the dragon....over the front entrance.

  

        These keys unlock the massive wooden front entrance.

          This is why I came.

             Peace,   Bob