32 - A MIGHTY FORTRESS

A MIGHTY FORTRESS

21 ¾ x 13 ¾ inches

(Lutheran church, Mellinghausen, Germany)

Weitzenkamp is German for “wheat field”—it befits the family heritage. Great-Grandfather Deitrich Weitzenkamp’s name was found on the register of this 800-year-old German Lutheran church. The multi-faceted imagery points to a higher power. Impenetrable rocks convey the strength and power of the faith itself—a mighty fortress. It was the force that motivated and kept my great-grandfather resolute in his quest for success in America.

After finding land that embodied quiet strength, he and other German immigrant families built their own German Lutheran mighty fortress surrounded by their peaceful land. The tradition was to surround their church with the graves of their deceased members. Many Weitzenkamps are buried next to their beloved St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. As their numbers grew, they built a sister church in Uehling where I was trained in the German Lutheran traditions.

When our small congregation in Uehling bellowed the words “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” we felt united inner strength. That rhythmic precision deeply imprinted itself on my soul. The music and the rock-solid church were firm and uplifting symbols for me.

Upward direction brings inner strength and power.