After a few days in the quiet countryside of Tuscany, we made our way to the art and the crowds of Florence.

A tour through the Uffizi Gallery (below)

allowed us to experience some of the finest Italian art on display anywhere. Our walking around the town constantly brought us back to the Duomo (Cathedral) that was built from 1296-1436 A.D. Like its great church, the artistic beauty everywhere in Florence is truly impressive.

But the best part about Florence was not the art, as great as that was. The best thing was that three of Andrew’s college friends from Birmingham were passing through town and we had a chance to hang out together. After an entire summer of only being with the family, don’t you know that Andrew was glad to see some friends come along? We all were. Two great meals together allowed us to catch up on some news from Alabama. Then the four guys explored Florence after the parents went to bed!

We move on to the final city tomorrow. Venice will be our place of departure from Europe. We fly home on Wednesday and will arrive back in Huntsville on Wednesday night. The blog is coming to an end . . the memories and impact of this summer never will. I can’t wait to be with you on Sunday morning as we think about the Parable of the Prodigal Son and what it means to come home. Just as the return of the son was the cause of a great feast, we will gather around the Table of the Lord and remember what it means to find our home in Christ.

I look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday.

Very blessed,

David

Sabbatical is a time for rest and renewal. It also provides the pause from work that allows for reflection, thinking, and the deepening of relationships. Tuscany was just what we needed near the end of our trip to find a place of retreat for this kind of reflection.

For five nights we stayed in an apartment that was up these steps . . .

on the grounds of a villa in rural Tuscany. The views were breathtaking . . .

and the grounds were filled with wondrous gardens.

We only ventured out to buy groceries, and let Emily and Andrew create pasta delights that were enjoyed late into the evening on the terrace. It all started in this kitchen, which was also the sight of some great card games and conversation . . .

Surrounded by the wonder of this place, I thought about our entire adventure, and began to write about what I have learned, how I have grown, and what we have experienced. It will take many months for it all to sink in, but Tuscany provided the place to start these reflections. I was filled with gratitude for all that has been over these last three months and energized and excited about coming home and seeing you again.

Looking forward to August 10!

David

A part of the personal journey of this sabbatical trip has been for me to retrace some of the steps from my first, and only, trip to Europe in 1962. I remember the fascination that I had as a seven year old boy with all of the castles that were present in Germany. No place epitomized these grand buildings more than the Rhine River valley. Some of my most distinct memories of that trip long ago were of these castles. I felt the need to return.

For the past week we have been taking a river cruise up the Rhine River. Beginning in Basel, Switzerland and ending in Amsterdam, this boat ride has been an excellent way to see the sights along the way while having the transportation, lodging, and food provided on the ship. Some of the highlights along the way have been . . .

Castles . . .

and even more castles.

Churches, like this one in Strasbourg, France . . .

and the grandest of them all, the largest Cathedral in Europe which is located in Cologne.

Beautiful vineyards and mountains provided the natural landscape for the journey.

We have now reached Amsterdam and have left the boat. It is time to begin our last leg of the trip which will take place in rural Tuscany in Italy. Internet connections may be scarce there, so it may be a few days before I can send another journal entry.

Our experiences are rich, the memories will be lifelong, our health and spirits are good, and our desire to return home is growing stronger every day. We look forward to seeing you on August 10!

Very grateful,

David

The most striking natural beauty that I have seen on our trip so far occurred during our days in Lucerne, Switzerland. This charming town is located on a river that runs into a larger lake.

Towering over the town are the Swiss Alps. We decided that our only full day in Lucerne had to involve going to the top of the highest mountain. Fortunately, the rain gave way to a gorgeous sunny day and we set out on an incredible journey.

First came the ride on the boat . . .

Then the climb up the steepest cogwheel railway in the world . . .

 

Along the way the views were fabulous.

The top of Mount Pilatus was breathtaking.


 

Coming down the mountain involved a ride in one of these gondolas suspended high in the air.

The name of the mountain comes from the legend that the ghost of Pontius Pilate finally found its resting place here. For years people were forbidden to climb the mountain so that nobody would disturb the ghost of Pilate. I certainly am glad that we have all gone beyond such superstition so that we were free to climb the mountain and enjoy the beauty of this incredible place.

David

Along our journey we have seen many amazing churches. Of course, that is usually the first stop for me in a new city. I love to tour the great churches. While some of them are striking examples of architecture and engineering marvels, my deepest interest is in the churches that have a story to them. Where was history made? What famous preachers or musicians were associated with the buildings that we visit today? These places are much more interesting to me than those which are merely impressive collections of stone.

Zurich provided for us a stark contrast in two churches that have great stories to them. One I knew about from my study of church history and sought out upon arrival in town; the other I just stumbled upon. Planning and serendipity are truly the way to travel - and to live life!

You have certainly heard about the Reformation. The two biggest names associated with this movement within the church would be Martin Luther and John Calvin. There is another name, lesser known, but also of great importance in the history of the Reformation in Europe. Have you ever heard of Ulrich Zwingli? While not as well known today, he joins Luther and Calvin to make up the three most influential figures of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. As pastor of Grossmunster in Zurich, Zwingli and Calvin in Geneva were the leading voices for the Reformation in what is now Switzerland. (See his statue below with the twin towers of his church in the background.)

Some of Zwingli’s reforms were good. He brought the church back to an emphasis on the Scriptures and on the personal faith of Christians. He worked to establish ministries for the poor. However, I do not like his insistence that it was the duty of the government to control public worship and religious observances. A few years later the Baptists provided a needed corrective reform to his ideas. In addition, I cannot adopt his view that the church should be stripped of artistic renderings that he called “worldly.” He had many pictures, altars, sculptures, and even the organ removed as being too worldly. While Grossmunster has put some of these adornments back in place since Zwingli’s time (the organ is present, for example) it still is strikingly simple as a sanctuary.

Across the river from Grossmunster is another church. It is called Fraumunster. A different story caught my eye in this place.  I know nothing of a preacher from that church. What amazed me was the art. The very thing that Zwingli tried to eliminate was added into the Fraumunster in recent years. The famous artist Marc Chagall designed the stained glass windows that were placed in a renovation of the old building in the 1970s. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed inside the church building. Here you can see the church and the outside of the Chagall windows.

Sometimes the grand story of God’s grace is explained in words. At other times it is found in the sounds of music. The same story can also be proclaimed through the touch of a visual artist.

I am grateful that our church tells the story in all of these beautiful ways. Through word, music, and art our hearts are re-formed.

David

Our Internet access has been very limited for the last few days, so I write a quick post without pictures. We are in a stretch of the trip that finding enough online time to transfer pictures has become difficult. So that we can stay in touch, let me tell you of our Switzerland adventures and show the pictures later.

After a wonderful time reliving memories in Goettingen, Germany we traveled to Zurich on Wednesday. Our first truly rainy day of the trip did not keep us from seeing some of the sights. Of course, my favorites were the churches. I will write more about that later. We should have some great pictures, especially after climbing the tower of the Grosse Munster to look out over the city.

Friday brought us to Lucerne. This may be one of the most beautiful scenes of our entire trip. The mighty Alps are all around this charming town located on a lake. Yesterday the weather turned beautiful and we took a boat ride on the lake and a cogwheel car to the top of Mount Pilatus. What a view. That was a memorable day.

We are soon to travel back to Zurich to meet up with a group that will take a boat ride up the Rhine River.

We are doing great. The pictures are beautiful, and we will send them along as we are able. In the meantime, we wanted to let you know what we have been doing.

David

The walk down memory lane comes to an end today. Dad and Susan are back at home now, and the rest of us make a journey to Switzerland today. So, I leave you with some parting shots of the place that was my home for a brief time, but will always hold a special place in my heart.

Susan and I are standing together in front of our old house.

Susan teaches Dad about the value of an afternoon “snack” at the Konditterei (or wonderful bakery and coffee shop). We seemed to stop by this window and look in every time we passed by.

A final family lunch together by the Rathaus that consisted of Wurst and ice cream!

The wonderful stories of this place are passed on to the next generation.

We move on - the train awaits.

David

Along our journey I have been richly blest by worshiping with Baptists in England, Hungary, and Prague. However, the greatest worship experience for me was in the Baptist church in Goettingen, Germany.

During our year of living in Goettingen (1962) we worshiped in this Baptist church. On Sunday my Dad and I went to this congregation in which he had preached years ago. What would things be like after all those years? 

First, the building was different. The building in which we worshiped (see below)

was given to the city in exchange for some other property across the street. Due to lack of city funds to restore this building, it now sits abandoned. Today the church meets in a building that was occupied in 1983. Some pictures below show the outside and inside of the building.

Fortunately, the service is translated into English. We put on our headphones and were able to follow along. Due to the University presence in the city, a number of internationals from all over the world are in town. English is the universal language that many know, even if they do not know German.

Words to the hymns and the Scriptures that were projected on a screen allowed me to follow the English of our translator while seeing how much German I remembered. Since I went to a German school at age seven, I had learned the language as a child. I promptly forgot what I had learned after we returned home, only to rekindle my interest in German by taking that as my required language in high school. Many of the words were understandable, but we were most grateful for a translator.

We did not meet anyone whom we knew from the time of our participation in the church. However, the folks were most gracious and interested in our story of returning to worship after all these years. Our translator was very helpful after the service in giving explanation about the church. He connected us with a woman from Indonesia, another from Israel, and one from Germany who all spoke English and we sat together during the coffee time after the service. The woman from Germany at our table had a son who was going to start first grade at Albani Schule (my school!) in the fall. 

At coffee we also met a long-time member named Herbert who knew the pastor and people during our time in the church. He shared information and gave us a tour around the church grounds.

Our travels have covered thousands of miles and have reminded us just how big the world really is. However, when you worship in a Baptist Church and sit and drink coffee in the Fellowship Hall, it’s really not that big after all. A helpful translator, some young women from other parts of the world, and a new friend named Herbert reminded us how closely related we all are.

David

One of the truly unique aspects of our sabbatical trip is the opportunity to visit Goettingen, Germany. Many of you have traveled throughout Germany on work or on vacation. Not many of you have made your way to this charming town. It is not on the American tourist, military, or business path.

Goettingen is a university town with a rich history. Many Germans make their way to Goettingen, in the same way that people from Alabama travel to Auburn or Tuscaloosa. However, not many folks from our country include the town in their travel plans. For our family, however, this town was a most important destination.

In 1962 my father was on a sabbatical from his teaching assignment at the seminary. For one year we lived in this town and he studied with one of the great New Testament scholars of the day (Joachim Jeremias). I was seven years old, and my sister, Susan, was five. I wanted to see the place again and take my family with me. In a very special bonus to my sabbatical plans, my Dad and my sister have traveled to Europe and we all met together in Goettingen on Friday for a walk down memory lane.

It is truly indescribable to return after 46 years to a place that was home for one year of my life. We found the house in which we lived . . .

and the German school that I attended.

 I even was able to look into my old classroom and remembered how I had to learn German just to understand my first grade lessons.

Near the school we found a park where I used to feed the swans.

 We found our way through the charm of the historic German town . . .

and made a pilgrimage to the Rathaus that was at the center of the city.

A dinner in the Ratskeller stirred memories of when we ate there in 1962.
     

It was great for three generations of Hulls to gather in front of the town symbol, the Goose Girl, that is located in front of the Rathaus. The favorite experiences of yesterday were relived today.

Goettingen is not my home. I would never refer to it as the place where I grew up. However, it was my home for one very important year in my life. The experiences and opportunities of being a seven-year-old living in Germany have shaped my life tremendously. Come to think of it, the town was a place where I did a considerable amount of growing up, even though the time span was only twelve months. In a sense, then, these days are like “going through home again” for me.

David

A greeting from David Hull while at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague. You will hear background noise from the wind and the water in the fountain as you listen to the video.

David Hull Greeting from IBTS