PASTOR'S MESSAGE - 
October/November 2002

ZION NEWSLETTER

Volume 17, Number 5

The THANKSGIVING issue
October/November 2002

Pastor’s Message

„Nun danket alle Gott, der große Dinge tut an allen Enden,
der uns von Mutterleib an lebendig erhält und uns alles Gute tut.
Er gebe uns ein fröhliches Herz und verleihe immerdar Frieden zu unsrer Zeit in Israel,
und daß seine Gnade stets bei uns bleibe und uns erlöse, solange wir leben.“

“And now bless the God of all, who everywhere works great wonders,
who fosters our growth from birth, and deals with us according to his mercy.
May he give us gladness of heart,
and may there be peace in our days in Israel, as in the days of old.
May he entrust us in his mercy and may he deliver us in our days!”

(Eccleasiasticus, Jesus Sirach 50:24-26)

Dear members and dear friends of ZION,

It is not without irony that the scriptural basis of one of the most loved hymns in our Lutheran church does not come from one the gospels, but from the little known book of Ecclesiasticus, or Jesus Sirach. This book of the Bible (containing wisdom words, rules of life, and psalm-like prayers) belongs to the Apocrypha, books that are not part of the original Hebrew Old Testament. While the Roman Catholic Church dogmatically acknowledged all of these as Scripture at the Council of Trent in 1548, most protestant churches dismiss these books altogether as unscriptural. 

In Luther’s edition, however, the Apocrypha are gathered in a separate section after the Old Testament. The caption read, "Apocrypha: These books are not held equal to the Scriptures, but are useful/profitable and good to read." (LW, 35, 232 & 337, note 1). In a similar way, the Anglican Article VI says of them: "the Church does read (the books of the Apocrypha) for an example of life and instruction of manners; but yet does not apply them to establish any doctrine".

For Martin Rinckart (1586-1649), the author of “Now thank we all our God”, these verses from Jesus Sirach were especially useful and good to read. He had to live through dark and turbulent times, being the Pastor of Eilenburg in Saxony/Germany during the gruesome Thirty Years’ War. In 1637, a terrible pestilence raged, followed by a severe famine. We are told Pastor Rinckart had to bury several thousand parishioners in one year. When the Swedish army captured the town and demanded a huge ransom, Rinckart went to their camp to intercede. On being rebuffed, he came back to the church, called the people to prayer, and then again visited the camp, where he secured a compromise.

“Now thank we all our God” was originally intended to be sung as a table prayer “wo drei Kindelein eins ums andere beten”. It is a very faithful poetic rendering of the original text, only adding “mit Herzen, Mund und Händen / with heart and hands and voices”, thus giving our gratitude a wholistic, sensual as swell as spiritual dimension.

Rinckart’s hymn soon outgrew its home use. It became quickly known and used as the German TeDeum. Some people remember it as the "Choral von Leuthen", because Friedrich II., the old Fritz, King of Prussia, had his soldiers sing it after the battle of Leuthen, his most famous battle. It surely reflected the deep feelings of the King and his men – however we today will have to question such use … Transcending its Lutheran origin, it was sung at the dedication of Cologne cathedral in 1887, at several British Royal jubilees, and whenever Christians have gathered to give thanks to God.

The hymn even more than the original text is indeed “an example of life and instruction of manners”, calling and encouraging us to be thankful at all times. It might not establish doctrine, but it surely helps establishing our faith, strengthening our hope, and fuelling our love.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Your Pastor Dr Holger Roggelin

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