Worship without borders

The sermon was prepared by the following two ministers: Mikuláš Vymětal, the ECCB’s minister for minorities, and Gerhard Frey-Reininghaus, who is originally from Germany. 

A diverse mix of languages was heard throughout the sermon, from German, through Slovakian, Ukrainian, to Korean. There was also room for personal prayer – everybody could join in and symbolically light a candle. 

Powerful stories were also told by those who have their own experience of migration. “I have been at home in Prague for 32 years now and every year I feel more at home here. I wish every migrant could be as lovingly received as I am; I don't feel like a migrant at all, but like a loved person who just belongs here,” said Gerhard Frey-Reininghaus. 

Jongsil Lee, a pastor from South Korea, also outlined his story. A native of Seoul, he was originally supposed to spend only a short time in the Czech Republic. It was his interest in the Czech Reformation that brought him here. However, he liked our country so much that he and his wife moved here permanently and have lived here for over 20 years now. He found his spiritual home in the Church of Jacob's Ladder in Prague, where he cares for the Korean Christian community and the development of Czech-Korean ecumenical relations. In his speech, he thanked the Lord for his acceptance in the Czech Republic and for not feeling like a foreigner here.

Of course, another topic that resonated strongly was the situation in Ukraine, where war has been raging for almost a year now. Many of the prayers were therefore requesting help for those who have been affected by this war, who have lost their loved ones, who are fleeing, or, on the contrary, cannot escape this bloody trap. 

The individual participants, without distinction of origin or denominational affiliation, then gathered in a circle for the Lord's Supper. The love of Christ knows no boundaries. We pray that we, too, may accept others without distinction.

Adéla Rozbořilová