The Blessing - Sunday April 23

11:30 am found me leisurely winding my way down Bayview, into the valley and along the Skyway towards High Park. Even though I hadn't lived in Toronto for 22 years, it still felt familiar and like home. Coming here always brings back a flood of memories ... childhood, parents, friends ... .the deaths of my brother, mother and dad ... memories of coming back years later for visits with my sweetheart and our young children ... could I live here again? I'm not sure I would like it.

Today I was on my way to have lunch with Pastor Meyer and his family. He was my pastor when I was in my formative years, while my family attended the Deutsche Evangelische Gemeinde on Ossington Avenue through the sixties and into the early seventies. Pastor Meyer had been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer this past December. Even though the doctors had given him just a short time, his health has become remarkably stable and he is even able to sit at the table and eat! Praise the Lord!

I hadn't seen him since he presided over my Father's funeral 11 years ago. I had a strong sense that this was an extremely significant meeting for me and I was somewhat anxious.

Turning up the Dunn off-ramp towards Parkdale ... more memories of darker times. My life in Parkdale in the seventies was death defying. God saved me from what would have been a miserable demise. ... Now coming to the end of King street onto

Roncesvalles ... looking for a place to buy some flowers for the Meyers. One grocer after another, all with flowers

... I think the Lord is leading me to just the right store, to just the right pot of flowers.

Oh no ... am I going to be late? I have to be there at 12 noon sharp, I really want to bless them. Have I driven by every flower shop now? Lord which one? ... Ah, there's one more before I have to turn.

Yes, these little red potted flowers will do fine.

... Indian Road, Indian Crescent, Indian Valley Crescent, Indian Grove, Indian Trail ... um ... so I grew up here, drove cab and still feel a little disoriented ... better call ...

... Ok that's better ... here I am. High noon, sharp!

My dad would have been proud (or at least somewhat satisfied).

Thomas answered the door. Hard to wrap my mind around the contrast of seeing a man of 30 something in a track suit who is the President of the Toronto Ultimate Frisbee Club, as well being a Harvard business grad, with the young boy I saw him as last.

After a brief meeting with Mrs. Meyer in the kitchen, (I really don't think she's aged much, her voice and appearance seem to be the same as I remember, still so healthy and youthful!) I was ushered into the dining room. Seated with Thomas, Marion (more contrast for me - the youngest sibling and now a young women in her 30s), Gudrun & Pastor Meyer who joined us after a few minutes.

Pastor Meyer was obviously very weak and it was difficult to understand him when he spoke. The light in his eyes and the spirit about him though were full of life, joy and peace. I was so blessed to be there! He gave thanks after which we ate a typical German style, Sunday roast beef dinner, so delicious, simple and gracious! We chatted about what occupied Thomas and Marion as well as what I was up to these days and how my family was doing.

Pastor Meyer soon grew tired and needed to return to bed. After he was positioned and settled in, I asked him if he would like me to read to him, as I noticed that there was a small devotional on his bedside table. He responded that he hadn't had it read to him that day and that it would be nice. I had brought him a devotional as well, as a gift. While laying the copy of "Every Day With Jesus" on the bedside table I noticed that his devotional was "Die Losungen" by the Brüder-Unität of Herrnhut!!

Herrnhut (meaning The Lord's Watch), the little town near the Czech and Polish borders in Saxony founded by Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. In the 1700's this small community of Christians experienced one of the most powerful outpourings of God's Spirit in European history. The Moravians (as they are still called to this day) were so consumed with the fire of God that they established 100 years of unbroken prayer and intercession as well as one of the most far reaching missionary movements of that time. They were so moved to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world that some of them even sold themselves into slavery in order to bring the message of love and salvation to the slaves of the West Indies.

Incredible! Once again the Spirit of God is stirring in Herrnhut. A 24/7 centre for prayer has just been established. The Jesus House Herrnhut has just begun to operate out of the renovated former hospital. The vision is for continual intercession and missions as well as renewed praise and worship, just like in by-gone days. Will I visit there this July? Perhaps the Lord will open that door as well!

As I picked up the booklet, I remarked on the significance to me. Pastor Meyer proceeded to tell me that he'd been to Herrnhut 5 years before. He had learned there that in communist East Germany (were Herrnhut was situated) it was strictly forbidden to print bibles and so the presses had lain idle. Five or 6 years before the opening of the frontier (1989) the Brothers Herrnhut felt led by the Lord to start printing bibles again. They had no idea what was to come, and in their obedience to God they clandestinely printed and stockpiled bibles. When the wall came down, the Lord had prepared them for the great hunger of a people no longer repressed by a brutal regime. Pastor Meyer then turned his head and looked at me with gleaming eyes and said: "Erweckung" - "awakening" (revival).

I read the devotion of the day to him with a broken voice that strained at suppressed sobs. This was not grief I was feeling. The Lord had His hand on me with power and His presence filled the room. Herman closed his eyes and fell asleep.

I sat with him while he slept and thought of the past. I looked at the books on the shelves and gazed out the window at the typical High Park neighbourhood. As the rain pattered down on the window pane I thought of all the years that had gone by and how the Lord had blessed me through this man as well as the others associated with our little fellowship. I thanked God for Hermann's many years of humble service to Jesus, which were a legacy now. A field of, not sprouting seeds, but fruit bearing vines. I prayed that the Lord would continue to fill this little room and apartment (which was also still how I remembered it) with His manifest presence and that the whole family would increase in their intimacy with and revelation of Jesus Christ. I thought about how he would see His Lord's face soon and how glorious and amazing that meeting would be. What would he think as the fullness of Christ would be revealed to Him? What joy as His reconcilliation with Father would reach it's penultimate moment: "Well done, good and faithful servant, come into My rest".

I heard Gudrun retire into the living room after having finished in the kitchen, and so I joined her to share what the Lord had been doing in our lives. It was incredible to talk about the various people we both knew. It suddenly seemed to me like little time had transpired since the last time we visited ... must have been over 18 years ago when my Benjamin was still an infant and my marriage with my beautiful bride Kirsten was new and sweet. Still sweet and undefiled by nefarious outside forces and inner hidden darkness.

I showed Gudrun the CAN promo video on my notebook. She watched intently and with interest as the sea of Jesus worshipping faces moved accross the screen and the declarations of revival in Germany were pronounced. But I think speaking about my heritage as a German and my true inheritance as a son of the Most High truly told the story of why I was going. The key word is "Erweckung". This is my true inheritance, the discovery of the German people as a nation, of their biggest achievement: The discovery of their need for God. ... followed by such a downpour of God's Spirit resulting in a massive flood, filling the hearts and land, ultimately flowing accross the borders and into the rest of Europe ... the real "Blitzkrieg"! ... Oh God ... are Your clouds on the horizon? ... is that the sound of thunder I hear? ... will this be the true "Vatersland"?

I felt that it was getting close to the time for me to leave. I asked Gudrun if she thought that her husband would have enough strength to be able to pray for me and perhaps even speak a blessing over me. She answered that he might be too weak but that I could ask him.

As I walked into his room, I quietly called out his name. His eyes immediately opened and as he looked at me he lovingly exclaimed, "Christoph, da bist du!" (there you are!). I asked him if he would be willing and able to pray for me and speak a blessing over me. And so, after he replied that he would try, he closed his eyes and spoke ernestly with our heavenly Father on my behalf.

Every sentence was preceded with "Ich danke Dir" (I thank You). He prayed that I would walk in such a way that I would be a blessing to those around me. And then I received my 'Segen' from what I know now is one of my spiritual father's. I then prayed as well, thanked him and said goodbye. I am so grateful for this powerful moment, a moment that is a spiritual milestone in my life and ... the lives of my children and their children.

As I emerged from his bedroom I mentioned that I should be on my way as it was close to 3 pm. Mrs. Meyer invited me to coffee and cake. Of course! Kaffee Zeit! We sat down to a delicious pumpkin pie that Marion had made. We chatted some more and as I prepared to leave, Gudrun said that she really liked the flowers, little red ones ... just the kind she liked!

Thank you God!