ZION NEWSLETTER  

Volume 21, Number 2
THE LENT ISSUE

February / March 2006

Pastor Roggelin's Resume and Links

Pastor’s Message

(SBH 553, Cecil F. Alexander, in Hymns for Public Worship, 1852).

Dear members and friends of Zion,

February 4 marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This German Pastor and teacher has become known as one of the great followers of Christ during the 20^th century, who sealed his discipleship with martyrdom on April 9, 1945, when he was executed for his part in the resistance movement against Hitler.

We celebrated his life with a series of presentations last year to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of his death, culminating in an Ecumenical service on April 9^th, which was described later by a Pastor colleague of mine as one of the most moving services that he had ever attended.

This year, however, we will do what Bonhoeffer would always do first and foremost: think about Christ. “Wer ist Christus für uns heute / Who is Christ for us today?” (letter to Eberhard Bethge, April 30, 1944) was the question that moved him all his life until last. From his university lectures on Christology thru his famous book Nachfolge/Discipleship all the way to his decision to stay in Germany and become involved in the resistance movement, while at the same time exploring new ways of relating our faith in God and the life in world, “pray and do what is just” as he put it. He faced a twofold challenge: a 19^th century concept of Christianity that had reduced discipleship to some religious feeling or moral obligation, and a vigorous new myth of Nazism that had captured and allured Millions.

Who really is Christ for us today – what are the challenges and promises in our day and age? And what could our response be as those earnestly seeking to faithfully follow Christ?

For Lutherans, the season of Lent has always been a prime time for a deeper encounter with Christ. The Lutheran tradition added to the traditional Lenten discipline of prayer, almsgiving and fasting a specific culture of what you might call a Christ-centered mystical meditation. J.S. Bach’s Cantatas and Passions or Paul Gerhardt’s moving chorale “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden / O sacred head now wounded”, are classic examples for this kind of piety.

I invite you to put this Christ-centered meditation to work in encountering one of the most popular and widespread myths of our time: The da Vinci Code. Please look at the schedule of this year’s Lenten course and join us!

Have a blessed Lent 2006!
Eine gesegnete Passionszeit wünscht Ihnen

Your Pastor Dr Holger Roggelin

Almighty God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and also an ensample of godly life: Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavor ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.