Mystery Worshipper: Portola
Church:
Pentecost service at the Bornheim Watch Tower
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Date of visit: Sunday, 8 June 2025, 10:30am
The building
The service was held on a public square which belongs to the Frankfurt district of Bornheim. The congregation gathered under chestnut trees located between the Friedberger Warte (Watch Tower, with accompanying building and courtyard), built in 1478, and a small shopping centre. Two congregations organized this service: The Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Frankfurt Bornheim and the Evangelische Festeburggemeinde. The Festeburg congregation regularly holds services at this plaza once a month on Sundays at 5pm.
The church
The service was supported by three congregations from the Frankfurt districts of Preungesheim and Bornheim. Because of reduced resources, the congregations in Frankfurt are being restructured. Instead of having services in every church on every Sunday, services are being reduced and held in cooperation among neighbouring groups of congregations. On this Pentecost Sunday, three churches were without a service, and the members of these three congregations were invited to attend this public service at the Watch Tower plaza. Apparently, this service was an attempt to reach out to people who do not usually attend a church. Accordingly, the streamlined service was geared to people with short attention spans and without knowledge of traditional church language.
The neighborhood
The Friedberger Watch Tower is located on a busy street which is used heavily by commuters and shoppers entering Frankfurt on work days. Buses and a streetcar line have a stop next to this tower building, which has housed a ‘beer and apple wine’ restaurant since 1815. On Sundays and holidays, stores in Germany are closed, so that the plaza was empty of pedestrians. Not even a dog owner was visible. Pentecost Monday is also a public holiday, so that the four-day Pentecost weekend is a popular time to travel, which affects church attendance. A traffic jam 30 miles long was recorded on an autobahn.
The cast
The service was led by the pastors of the Evangelische Festeburggemeinde and the Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Frankfurt Bornheim. The Bornheim pastor preached.
What was the name of the service?
Divine Service on PentecostHow full was the building?
30 persons.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
No personal welcome
Was your pew comfortable?
There were permanent wooden benches with back rests at the location of the service, which provided enough seating for the participants, but I preferred to stand in the midst of the congregation rather than sit at the outer edge.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
The brass band practised. There was quiet conversation.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
‘Good morning! A hearty welcome to this service on Pentecost.’ The first liturgical words: ‘We celebrate this service in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’
What books did the congregation use during the service?
Sheet with three hymns and a paraphrased Psalm 106.
What musical instruments were played?
Four brass instruments.
Did anything distract you?
It was cold and windy; rain was forecast. Adjacent to the gathering, a gymnastic group carried out exercises throughout the service and could occasionally be heard in the background. As I arrived and saw th gymnastic group from afar, I was afraid they might be practising for participation in the service, because they were so close to the congregation.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
This was a minimal service which was over in 25 minutes: three hymns, a psalm in contemporary form, a short sermon, opening and closing prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, a benediction. There was no altar, cross, Bible, scripture reading, creed or sacrament, and no liturgical red for Pentecost. Perhaps the poor weather played a role in this brevity.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
About 7 or 8 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
5 — The sermon began so inconspicuously that it was well underway before I realised that I was hearing a sermon. The preacher had a loud, clear voice and could be understood without microphone.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
Thirty-six years ago, when the Berlin Wall fell, the Scorpions sang about this event in ‘Wind of Change’. In our world there are many winds of change, some are good, some are malignant. Wherever peaceful demonstrations contribute constructively to freedom, they can be considered encouraging winds. The Holy Spirit is a wind of change. We should try to recognise where he is active among us.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
On the one hand, it was encouraging that an attempt was made to bring the gospel outside of the church into the community by celebrating Pentecost in a public place. The pastors conveyed warmth and friendliness.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
On the other hand, this service was not effective as a public statement of faith because the plaza was empty, the singing was barely audible, and the service lacked the vitality necessary to attract the attention of passersby. This public proclamation of the gospel was without witnesses, aside from the gymnastic group, which continued with their exercises as though the service was not taking place.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
There was no motivation to stand around afterwards as it was cold, windy and rain threatened. Everyone wanted to get away as soon as possible.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
No coffee.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
2 — I prefer to worship in a church and to celebrate Pentecost with more traditional Christian content.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
This service made me glad that I had a warm coat and an umbrella in my pocket. It did not feel like a celebration of the Christian identity which was established at Pentecost.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
Of the 30 people, 11 came with walkers. These 11 people demonstrated a remarkable devotion to Christian worship by coming to this service in wheeled walking frames, despite the cold winds and the risk of getting soaked in rain.