ZION NEWSLETTER Volume 23, Number 5 The FALL issue September / October / November 2008 1808 - 2008 200 YEARS
	Pastor Roggelin's Archive: Past Messages From Zion
Pastor’s Message:	Pastor Roggelin's Resume and Links

Lobe den HERRN, meine Seele, und was in mir ist, seinen heiligen Namen; Lobe den HERRN, meine Seele, und vergiss nicht, was er dir Gutes getan hat.

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits

Psalm 103: 1+2 (English: KJV)

Dear members and dear friends of ZION,

It is with a profound sense of gratitude that we will mark the 200^th anniversary of the completion and dedication of our church building this fall.

For the first decades after 1755, our congregation worshipped in a log cabin style building on Fish St. (now Saratoga St.). According to our history book, Pastor Kurtz’ “prayers were answered and his sermons fell on fertile ground”, when on September 15, 1806 the Church Council announced its decision to build a new church.  In less than a year, 273 individuals had pledged a total of $12,559.60 (that’s the equivalent of a little over $3 Million in 2007 money, if you take the unskilled wage indicator for comparison) Two church members, George Rohrbach and Johann Mackenheimer, who had worked with acclaimed architect Maximilian Godefroy on St. Mary’s chapel, the first example of Gothic revival architecture in the region, were entrusted with the design of the building and supervision of the workmen.[*]

While the church was built, the congregation continued to grow. In 1807/08, Pastor Kurtz solemnized 64 marriages, conducted 57 funerals, and baptized 150 children.  Then, on October 9, 1808 our building was formally dedicated and the first worship services held.  The organ played a symphony.  Our history book states that “specially written texts adapted to melodies of Lutheran hymns and an Ode of Praise exuberant with joy upon Zion’s completion” were used for singing by the choir and congregation during the three services that were held that day.  And although the building burnt down in 1840, after which the interior had to be rebuilt completely, it is basically the same place that we have been using for worship ever since that October, two hundred years ago.

For Lutherans, churches are not sacred places in and by themselves. According to Martin Luther’s famous sermon for the dedication of the Torgau castle church in 1544, however, this is the place where “our dear Lord himself speaks to us through his holy Word and we in turn speak to him through prayer and praise.” („das unser lieber Herr selbst mit uns rede durch sein heiliges Wort, und wir widerumb mit ihm reden durch Gebet und Lobgesang.“) This church has been hallowed by what has been said and sung and done in it for generations. Just meditate for a moment, giving thanks for the many worship services, happy and sad occasions that have been celebrated and observed within these walls for two centuries! Remember your first impression of this place called Zion Church and how it has since shaped your journey of faith… Pray (and help your part) that it will continue to be a house of prayer for all people and a blessing in the heart of the city.

We will mark this happy anniversary with a cornucopia of events, as it were. This fall will see the most numbers of events since our anniversary year of 2005, among them:

- Wine Tasting, Saturday, September 20, 7-9 pm;
- Michaelmas Ecumenical Vespers, Sunday, September 28, 5 pm. Preacher: Chaplain Paul Cannon (LtCol, USAF) - we will commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the Berlin Air Lift
- Festgottesdienst, a festive bilingual Eucharist, Sunday October 12, 11:15 am
- Festkonzert, a festive concert presented by the German Embassy, Tuesday, October 14, 7 pm. The award-winning Brass Quintett of the Landesjugendorchester Rheinland-Pfalz from Germany will perform, as well as the Young American Virtuosi. A reception and opportunity to meet the artists is to follow in Zion's Adlersaal.
- Sour Beef Event: the classic, with Beer Hall, Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 22 and 23, 2008
- "Candles in the Window", Wednesday, October 29, 7 pm, a two-person-play based on the life and thoughts of the German theologian and martyr, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, performed in the Adlersaal.
- Lutherfest “Woes, Worries, Wine”, Sunday, November 9, 7-9 pm
- Christkindlmarkt, Saturday/Sunday, November 29/30

We will also host an Ecumenical Service by the Central Maryland Ecumenical Council for the Civic community on Thursday, September 11, at noon.

Please join us with a heart full of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness!

Ihnen allen eine gute Herbstzeit und ein gesegnetes Erntedankfest
Have a blessed time of Fall and Thanksgiving!

Your Pastor Dr Holger Roggelin

This issue of the newsletter is a three-month-issue, covering the months of September, October, and November 2007. The next issue will be published in connection with Christkindlmarkt
and the first Sunday in Advent at the end of November, 2008