The following report is by DW (excerpts):
Staged under the name, “Anti-Hero — Taylor Swift Church Service,” organizers at the Protestant church said the event was conceived to attract younger people, as well as to focus on the profound religious convictions expressed in many of Swift’s songs.
“The Church of the Holy Spirit has always been a place of encounter and exchange. That’s why a pop-music religious service fits so perfectly,” said Heidelberg Pastor Christof Ellsiepen. “With it, we are giving space to the questions and issues that occupy the younger generation.”
Parish Pastor Vincenzo Petracca quoted numerous lyrics and traced Swift’s biography, emphasizing her attachment to and understanding of Christianity in everyday life.
Petracca acknowledged that Swift’s songs are open to numerous interpretations but highlighted the strong Christian — and political — messages she integrates into her songs, which address the subjects of women’s rights, racism and gender equality, among others.
“Theologically speaking, she points to the justness of God,” says Petracca, adding, “For her, faith and action are inseparable.”
Throughout both Sunday services — two were staged in order to accommodate the large number of people who attended — the congregation, which was notably younger and and more female than is often the case, were treated to live performances of six Swift songs.
These were performed by Tine Weichmann — a singer from Hamburg and now a professor of popular church music in Heidelberg — and her band. Behind them, a rainbow-colored sign reading, “Everybody is welcome!”
One of the most emotionally stirring moments of the service came when Weichmann and her band performed, “Soon You’ll Get Better.” Swift wrote the song for her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer.
The lyrics she penned speak to desperation and the healing powers of medicine — and of prayer: “Holy orange bottles, each night I pray to you / Desperate people find faith, so now I pray to Jesus, too.”
Pastor Petracca, who admitted the Church of the Holy Spirit was “built for Gregorian liturgical music and not for Taylor Swift,” said of the service, “I stared into beaming faces — and during the song that Taylor wrote for her cancer-stricken mother, many had tears in their eyes.”
But no Swift-themed service would be complete without an uplifting communal outburst of joy, which is exactly what happened when the band struck up the concluding hymn, “Shake It Off!” This brought the entire congregation to their feet, singing and dancing before breaking into furious applause.
“Anti-Hero” was just the latest in a series of “City Church Rock ‘n’ Pop” services started in 2015.
This June, the Church of the Holy Spirit has invited guests from across Europe to take part in a street dance service that will be held at the same time as its “Church Battle” dance competition.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Ezekiel 16:29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. [30] How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman; [31] In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; [32] But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband! [33] They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. [34] And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.
The Western world – the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, etc. – has played the harlot for many, many years, and has adulterated from the Lord and the truth of his word. The people worship a goddess spirit, that same old feminist, that filthy whore Jezebel. They may not say her name but they follow in her footsteps, just as Taylor Swift and other harlots like her are worshipped as some divine goddess from the stars. She is often portrayed as a powerful goddess in her music videos and concerts. She’s nothing more than a sacred whore: a symbol of female empowerment and lewdness, constantly swapping boyfriends like trading cards.
Acts 19:26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: [27] So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. [28] And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. […] [34] But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. [35] And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? [36] Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. [37] For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
Ezekiel 8:13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. [14] Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
Though DW did a full story on this, this type of disgusting behavior is far more common these days in the typical church building, idolizing these abominations and filthiness. You don’t have to go far to find it.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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God’s anger is kindled so much there’s embers flying about.
Church buildings since their inception and even back when I was being brainwashed in the pentecostal harlot, were an absolute travesty!
VeggieTales and watered down feel good sermons or some hireling putting on a carnival act to get the flesh riled up into a frenzy, and then when the new hireling took over first as youth pastor, it only got worse.
With the youth group back in 2003, I kid you not: they had costume parties! One was 1950s night and another one was hippie night. Ichabod!
Now we got these phony church buildings glorifying Taylor Swift and anybody that speaks out against it, they say “haters gonna hate.”
Well God hates it, and God hates THEM!