Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, Darmstadt, Germany
Here in Germany, where Jan and I are visiting friends, we learned about the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary. The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary is a Lutheran monastic order of nuns. It was founded by German women in 1947. Its mission is to repent for Germany’s cruel treatment of Jews and other nations during the Second World War by doing good works for the love of God.
From Wikipedia. “The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary is a Lutheran based, religious order, founded in 1947 by Basilea Schlink and Erika Madauss in Darmstadt Germany.” The nuns are not Catholic; they are Lutherans. They do not worship the mother of Jesus. Mary is their model for living a life completely devoted to God. Mary said,
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; Be it done unto me according to your will. My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever. Luke 1:38. 46-55)
From the Website: Why we are called after Mary?
We want to give Mary her rightful place, the place the Bible gives her (Luke 1:48), and to see more Christians doing this. Mary was faithful to Jesus from His birth to His death on the Cross, because she loved Him. A legacy of her unconditional commitment and trusting obedience comes to us through her words, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5) – a challenge for us to follow.
On the property of the monastery is a walkway that includes a garden of Jesus’ sufferings. It is quite beautifully presented. The reader can visit the garden here.
The nuns live by faith. They write:
God led our mothers, the founders of this religious order, to live by faith. Knowing they were called to work for Him, they were confident that He would provide everything they needed. God would be honoured as He took care of the impossible. They knew they were not to turn to others for help or provision in their needs. “Kanaan” (Canaan), the land God gave us in response to faith, is a tangible example of His goodness.
After all these years of living in dependence on our heavenly Father, we can affirm more than ever that He is absolutely reliable as our advisor, helper and the provider of our every need. When we make it our first priority to do as He tells us, He makes it His first priority to ensure that we do not lack anything (Matthew 6:33).
Read about the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary here.
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I read a book by Basilea Schlink around 1972. I was interested because I was a Lutheran from 1962-1968, coming to know the Lord when I was 14. Luther was my hero. Then I was part of the Jesus People Movement, meeting in homes. I felt church buildings were part of what was wrong with the church. Then I read her story of depending on God in the middle of bombed out Germany. They worked to help people and money was provided for land. The owner was dying, but did not want to sell. When they visited her, she was on a bed of 37 mattresses that had been left to her. They sensed demonic control, prayed for her and she was set free. After she sold her the land, I remember that they baked mud bricks, lined a low area and collected rain. Their buildings built to serve the Lord, as lead by the Spirit, were beautiful to me.