CONTACTING ZION: PASTOR'S PAGE - Winter 2006
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I stand beside thy cradle here
O Jesus-child, my being,
I come now, bring and offer thee
What thou to me hast given.

Take all! It is my spirit, will,
Heart, soul and mind, take all to thee,
And let it serve thy pleasure!

Words: Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676), Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier;
translation: John Troutbeck (1832-1899), alt.

Dear members and dear friends of ZION,

This wonderful hymn by the great German Pastor and hymn writer Paul Gerhardt, whose 400^th birthday anniversary we are about to celebrate in 2007, has been one of my favorite Christmas carols from early on.

It takes you right into the manger scene from its very beginning. It is not a reflection from a distance, no mystic symbolism, but an instant invitation: to stand along the singer at the manger, to make his I into our, my I. This is what Christmas is all about: to not just look at it as something that happened some two thousand years ago in a distant place in the Middle East, but to let it happen here and now. We are invited to hear, to come, to adore, to bring to the Christ child what he has first given us, and, by laying it before him, to receive his gifts anew.

This does not come “naturally”. We need pointers and helps. The shepherds in the field could not grasp what was happening had it not been for the angel telling them, and for the multitude of angels singing their message: Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. Then, they were ready to go and “see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us." (Luke 2:15)

The hymns and carols of Advent and Christmas are part of reiterating and spreading the angels’ message in our place and time. Even their use as constant noise in malls etc. has not been able to diminish their ability to take us out of our daily routine right into the heart of the matter. When I was researching an old Zion newsletter from 1909 for another article in this newsletter, I came across some wise words from my predecessor at the time: “Why do we have ornaments in church? For the same reason that we sing Easter and Christmas hymns: everything has to be in harmony with each other: our inner and outer being. And everything needs some preparation. You have to get yourself prepared for Christmas. Such a feast must not jump at you out of a totally different environment, but needs a corresponding and adequate frame.”

Indeed, the Christmas music is much more than a frame. It is like a key opening up our minds and hearts for the wonderful, unheard of message, good tidings of great joy: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. He wants to come into your heart. Come to the cradle and you will find what your heart and soul have been missing for so long: meaning, redemption, life and love.

I invite you to find your place at the manger prepared for you once again in your Zionskirche.

This year, Advent IV, the last Sunday before Christmas, actually falls on Christmas Eve. This is why we will celebrate an Advent IV service (in German) in the morning, and then mark the Eve with our bilingual service for the entire family at 7:00 pm.
Our Christmas service proper will be the Midnight Mass that night at 11pm.

We will have a brass trio at the 7 pm and our Choir at the 11 pm service to bring us the best of Christmas music and support our own singing. I would appreciate if you could contemplate making a special donation to our St. Cecilia Fund to make this special music possible, as well as help us decking the church with greens, poinsettias – and gladness!

Ihnen allen eine besinnliche Adventszeit und ein gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest!
 -  Have a blessed time of Advent and Christmas!

Your Pastor Dr Holger Roggelin

Eins aber hoff ich wirst du mir,
Mein Heiland, nicht versagen:
Daß ich dich möge für und für
In meinem Herzen tragen.
So laß mich doch dein Kripplein sein;
Komm, komm und lege bei mir ein
Dich und all deine Freuden !

Pastor Roggelin's Archive of Past Messages From Zion