Woman at the Well

However, it turns out that ‘recharging’ is not a solo pursuit but can be enhanced by a group experience and before I could jump into a jacuzzi, I was ushered into an ‘Aufguss’ sauna ritual, along with 20 others. It was probably the most unusual and hilarious 15 minutes of my trip. I had no idea what to expect, but clearly some were experienced sauna lovers, wearing nothing except a traditional sauna hat, which can best be described as a felted pixie bonnet.

This multisensory experience was conducted by an ‘Aufguss meister’ (also wearing felt sauna hat that resembled a Roman centurion’s helmet, but fortunately also wearing a towel around waist). He dramatically poured water, and snowballs mixed with essential oils onto the hot sauna stones, to the soundtrack of ‘Kill Bill’. Using a towel, he directed the steam towards us. I tried relaxing into the experience and closed my eyes, like others around me were doing, but found myself being splashed with cold water by our Aufguss meister, who had now picked up bunches of oaks leaves drenched in cold water and was busy flicking each sweaty person. I was reminded of the practice of ‘asperging’, the act of sprinkling holy water as a preparatory ceremony before the Eucharist or after the renewal of Baptismal vows, which I had experienced on occasion in an Anglo-Catholic setting.

The parallels with baptism didn’t stop there, as we were quickly ushered into a cold plunge pool. Being a novice, I went full under, experiencing brain freeze, and resurfaced to the experienced participants shaking their unsubmerged heads at me. There was no time to dwell on my rooky error, as we were back in the sauna having the heat ramped up, this time to the tune of ‘I’m only human’ by Rag’n’Bone Man. Without instruction, the sauna erupted into a group karaoke session, singing and clapping along to the tune, as our Aufguss meister danced along like a chicken, using fans like wings to waft the hot air over us. It was a surreal and humorous moment that I will never forget.

It made me consider the different Church rituals I think are perfectly normal because I’ve grown up in that environment, which an outsider might find weird. For example, a service led by a person in a funny hat and robes, sprinkling people with water, wafting incense, knowing when to sit, stand and sing group karaoke are not just found in sauna rituals, but form part of Christian liturgical ceremonies. Messy Church, aimed at those who wouldn’t normally attend church, does its best to model a Christ-centred community, without religious Christian jargon and terminology, that make services inaccessible to outsiders. However, I wonder how often we develop our own Messy Church culture, and forget to explain why we pray, spend time in messy activities and eat together as part of our worship? Do we expect a newcomer to just slot into our culture, or do we extend the hand of welcome and spend time explaining what will happen and where to find the toilets?