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Sunday, September 05, 2010
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Article on MMT Service from a Bavarian Newspaper
Bavarian Newspaper ...
Published: 6/28/2005
Article on MMT Service from a Bavarian Newspaper
Note: We are sharing with our prayer supporters the article translated into English below to praise the Lord for the clarity with which He enabled the Gospel to go forth in Waldsassen, a major stronghold of Roman Catholicism in Bavaria. In both 2004 and 2005 the team has held concerts to assist two national church planters in Waldsassen. The newspaper spread includes large photos of the choir and the brass quintet.
Waldsassen (Germany) newspaper (June 24, 2005)
Headline: "It is not only about the beautiful music."
Musical Mission Team from the USA: Gospel of Christ in Song and Word—Concert in Raiffeisensaal Waldsassen (MKT).
For members of the Musical Mission Team, their name is their message. Their aim is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in song and word. So the team brings a rich repertoire of spiritual music, with church songs and Gospel songs taken from English and American hymns as well as a great variety of church songs in the language of each country it visits.
The 24 students from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, USA, who make up the choir gave an engaging concert Tuesday night in the hall of the Raiffeissen Bank. Thomas Bernreuther of the Christiangemeinde of Waldsassen rejoiced over the triumph achieved by his guests under the leadership of Professor Dr. William McCauley. He described the occasion as a "home game played by Protestant guests who came to the city of monasteries."
Grounded in the Faith
These students who are well-grounded in the Christian faith, according to Bernreuther, use their summer holidays to tour across Europe. For ten weeks they travel from Geneva to Moscow. In between they are in Switzerland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Russia. The team's German interpreter, Daniel Reuther of Frankonia, says that the program the group presents is not merely beautiful music but music with a message that is evident in the English texts.
One member of the group who was born and grew up in Moscow gave a testimony about the hardships of growing up as a Christian in Communist Russia. He mentioned that it was difficult for Christians to proclaim their faith and to walk in the way of Christ in an atheistic state where churches were closed down and where church services could be held only in secret in small places. "I say this," said the young Christian, "so you will also understand that the songs you hear us sing are not just beautiful music to us. They represent the personal testimony of each member of this team."
Another team member recalled in his words an appropriate passage from the Bible: "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him shall be born again and have everlasting life." In addition, the young man spoke about the core experience that drew him out of sin and led him toward Jesus Christ on a wonderful summer day when suddenly a tornado swirled above his home. As the tornado brought the possibility of death and destruction toward him, he reacted at first with shock. Soon thereafter, however, he turned toward Jesus Christ, Who heard him and saved him from his sin. "It was clear to me that if I had died then, when I was still in sin, I would have been forever condemned in hell."
Prayer at the End
The concert included numbers by a brass ensemble, a violin duo and two excellent soloists from the choir: a magnificent bass and a wonderful tenor, both featured in Gospel songs. The listeners were touched and didn't spare their applause even though the program gave them the feeling they had attended a church service. The team wrapped up the concert of one and a half hours with a song that invited audience participation and then a prayer.
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