Claudia’s Ride to Church in Moelv, Norway

Today’s Ride to Church comes to us all the way from Claudia (Faithful Dissident) in Moelv, Norway.   Claudia writes:

Almost nine years ago, I moved to Moelv, Norway.   This town is located in the heart of Norway’s breadbasket of Ringsaker commune.   A half hour north is Lillehammer (where the winter Olympics were held in 1994), a half hour south is Hamar, and two hours south is the capital city of Oslo.   Fjord country is a five hour drive.   It’s a beautiful area, surrounded by mountains, situated on the shores of Norway’s largest lake, with an unlimited supply of opportunities for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.

The most direct highway route to church would take about 30 minutes.   But I thought I would take you along the scenic route, which takes you along some interesting and beautiful places such as medieval churches and scenic views.   In order to really enjoy it, you wouldn’t want to see everything in a day, which is why I didn’t take all these photos on the same day.

I hope you all enjoy my ride to church in the summer.   Maybe next time I’ll show you what it all looks like in the dead of winter.

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Additional information from Claudia regarding the photos.   Enjoy!

001 — This is Ringsaker church dates back to around 1100 A.D.   Before the Reformation it was Catholic, but now of course it is Lutheran.

002 — Unfortunately, my camera couldn’t get a very good shot in the dim light inside the church, but here is a glimpse of the altar.   Ringsaker church is still in use and there is a service there on most Sundays, usually in connection with baby christenings or confirmations .   Ringsaker parish covers a pretty large area, so on most weekdays there is bound to be a funeral service and perhaps a wedding on some Saturdays.

003 – Although church and state are not separate in Norway, in reality, I would say that they are more separate in practice than in the U.S.   I think that most Norwegians today look at their connection to Christianity as a part of their cultural heritage, as opposed to a religion that they feel obliged to practice.   The Church of Norway ordained its first female priest in 1961.   Homosexuals can be priests (there is a married lesbian priest very close to where I live), but same sex marriages are not being performed in the church.   But this is likely just around the corner, especially since same sex civil marriage has been legal here since 2009.   I think it’s also just a matter of time before church and state become separate.   Being Canadian, that always sounded like common sense to me.   But since the Church of Norway is currently funded by the taxpayer, and since attendance rates are dismal, I wonder how many of the stunning and historically important churches (such as Ringsaker church) around the country will be preserved without state help.   The harsh climate and the fact that some of the oldest churches were built out of wood (i.e. “stave churches”) means that they require a lot of maintenance.

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005 –Right in this area, there are a couple of places named Jerusalem and Jeriko.   A few years ago I read an article in the local paper advertising a historical tour about a group of Mormons who lived in that area before emigrating to America.   Unfortunately, the tour was at the same time as church and at the time I still felt obligated to go to church every Sunday.   Now I regret that I didn’t go on the tour.

006 –On a warm, sunny day, this place is perfect for cycling, hiking, kayaking, canoeing or picnicking (which is what we were doing when this photo was taken).

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009 –In the background, you can see what looks like a large glass structure, which brings us to the next photo.

010 –If you look closely, you’ll see rows of chairs that are set up.   Occasionally there are concerts and different events inside the cathedral.   Last year I attended a jazz concert there by Melody Gardot.   You can also get married there, though I’ve heard that the cost of renting it for a marriage ceremony is around 20,000 Norwegian Kroner (approx. $3600 USD).

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013 –Cities are small here by North American standards.   Oslo is the biggest, with about 500,000 people.)   This is a view of Hamar’s pedestrian street.   I have to warn you all that Norwegian cities are not what draw tourists here.   With a few exceptions, the cities are pretty dull and unimpressive.   It’s the spectacular nature that can persuade people to vacation in what is perhaps the world’s most expensive country to travel in.

014 — The LDS church building also houses an architect’s office and what used to be a kitchen and bath store.   You can see the sign on the side of the building which says “Jesu Kristi Kirke av Siste Dagers Hellige.”   A literal translation would be “Jesus Christ’s Church of Last Days Holies.”   I believe the branch started with just a couple of members in the 1960’s.   Gradually it grew, but converts are rare and most of the members are older.   Currently, there are around 20-25 active members, though I think the membership roll lists somewhere around 80.   Norway is divided into several “fylker,” which is a bit like a state.   This area is located in Hedmark fylke and the people of this area had a reputation of being among the most stubborn when it came to converting to Christianity back in the day.   “Hed” comes from “hedning,” which means heathen or gentile.   “Mark” means field.   So Hedmark can be translated as “field of heathens,” which some would say is still quite an appropriate name.

015 –On a perfect summer day, however, it never gets dark and the sunsets are spectacular, such as this one on Mjøsa.

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