An­ne-Ma­rit Kar­hu

It is Sa­tur­day eve­ning and com­mu­ni­on ser­vi­ce is about to be­gin in the be­au­ti­ful Ger­man Church in Stock­holm’s Old Town. Eric Jur­mu, who ser­ves as mi­nis­ter in the Rock­ford cong­re­ga­ti­on in Min­ne­so­ta, is due to as­sist du­ring the Holy Com­mu­ni­on. He is sit­ting in the front part of the church, wai­ting for the ser­vi­ce to be­gin.

Du­ring his short mis­si­on trip Jur­mu has been sche­du­led for three ser­morns at the Sum­mer Ser­vi­ces. He says that he has vi­si­ted Swe­den a coup­le of ti­mes be­fo­re and knows many of the Swe­dish spe­a­ker brot­hers. Ho­we­ver, this is his first time at the Swe­dish Sum­mer Ser­vi­ces. The last time he at­ten­ded the Fin­nish Sum­mer Ser­vi­ces was in 1991.

– I would say that, in terms of size, the Ame­ri­can Sum­mer Ser­vi­ces are so­mew­he­re bet­ween the Swe­dish and Fin­nish ser­vi­ces. When it co­mes to cul­tu­re, Swe­den re­minds me more of Ame­ri­ca than Fin­land does, Jur­mu says.

Lis­te­ning to the Eng­lish trans­la­ti­on of Swe­dish and Fin­nish ser­mons through he­adp­ho­nes has wor­ked re­al­ly well. Al­so, the ser­mons have see­med fa­mi­li­ar and se­cu­re. Jur­mu tel­ls about a me­mo­rab­le in­ci­dent du­ring the Sum­mer Ser­vi­ces. A small boy and his grand­pa­rent, whom he had ne­ver met be­fo­re, came up to him af­ter one of his ser­mons.

– The grand­pa­rent told me that the lit­t­le boy had been lis­te­ning to the ser­vi­ces where I pre­ac­hed and af­ter a while he had tur­ned to his grand­pa­rent sa­ying: ”It feels like I know this man!” We all be­long to God’s King­dom and the word that is pre­ac­hed is the same here and in Ame­ri­ca. That feels se­cu­re, Jur­mu conc­lu­des.