by Adelia from Indonesia

 

I had a nice retreat for five days with the topic “My Journey through Life” with Lydia’s congregation and women. We drove to Scherfede, a small town in North-Rhine Westphalia. Pastor Birgit Worms-Nigmann, Vicar Verena Tigges, and many women were there. We went to the deaconess community. They call this „Zionsberg“ in the Protestant monastery of the deaconess community. „Zionsberg“ lies above the village of Scherfede. The Scherfeder deaconess community started from the diaconal work for the evangelical refugees after the second world war. After the founding of their diaspora deaconess motherhouse „Zionsberg“ in Rimbeck, the deaconesses moved to the newly built buildings on the Scherfede Kellberg. In 1971 it was restructured into the deaconess community „Zionsberg“ with a focus on „Ora et Labora“.

Among the individual guests, some want to be accompanied by us in pastoral care. People who meet God in a retreat and those who are simply looking for relaxation in mind, body, and soul. „Zionsberg“ has a beautiful garden. The place is clean, quiet and we can enjoy the panorama. They have work, creative and group rooms, the library, a small and a large chapel as central places for prayer, collection, and for making music together.

Every day we have two times of prayer that regulate our daily routine and allow us to pause. In the morning, at noon, and in the evening, the hand-rang bell calls for common prayer. On the third day, we made a prayer book with sisters. Then on the fourth day, we are made to the meditation path in the labyrinth. And we celebrated the Sunday greeting party on Saturday and we celebrated with other congregations. We have a lot of fun and were very happy with this retreat in „Zionsberg“.