Annual motto
As Jahreslosung is from the Ecumenical Association for Bible reading three years in advance on (ÖAB) for each year of verse from the Bible selected.
For many Christians, the annual motto, especially the German language, is the key verse for the year. In churches where there are no liturgical regulations to the contrary, it is often chosen as the sermon text for the first Sunday of the year. It appears on the first page of the annual issue of the Herrnhuter Losungen .
Selection process
The annual solutions have been published since 1930. The first annual slogan was chosen by the Swabian pastor Otto Riethmüller , then chairman of the Reich Association of Female Youth, in consultation with the umbrella organization of the Evangelical Young Men 's Association, a forerunner of the YMCA . It read: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ” ( Rom 1.16 LUT ).
The Roman Catholic Church has been involved since 1969. Since 1970 the annual motto, monthly sayings and Bible reading plans have been published by the Ecumenical Working Group for Biblical Reading (ÖAB). The working group consists of 24 Christian umbrella organizations. In addition to the Christian Association of Young People (YMCA), the Association of Evangelical Free Churches , the Youth Association Decided for Christ , the Working Group of Protestant Youth, the "Joint Office for Religious Issues" of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the Working Group Missionary Services ( AMD) at the Diakonisches Werk der EKD for ÖAB.
The ÖAB is not limited to Germany; In addition to the Germans , the Swiss and Austrian Bible Societies are also among the member associations.
The proposals for the annual slogan come from the 24 member associations of the ÖAB. Each association takes two suitable Bible verses from the current ecumenical Bible reading plan, which are discussed in four working groups at the annual meeting of the Ecumenical Study Group for Bible Reading. Each of these working groups finally presents two proposals to the plenary for final discussion. At the end of this discussion there is an agreement on two verses that will be put to the vote. The annual motto will ultimately be that of the two verses that receives an absolute majority of the votes.
Annual solutions from 1930
The published annual solutions from 1930 to 2021 are:
| year | Bible text | Bible passage |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. | Romans 1:16 |
| 1931 | Your kingdom come. | Matthew 6:10 |
| 1932 | Sing a new song to the Lord for he works miracles. | Psalm 98: 1 |
| 1933 | God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of strength and love and discipline. | 2 Timothy 1: 7 |
| 1934 | But the word of the Lord abides forever. | 1 Peter 1:25 |
| 1935 | You too, as living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house. | 1 Peter 2.5 |
| 1936 | No one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. | 1 Corinthians 3:11 |
| 1937 | But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God! | Luke 9.60 |
| 1938 | Jesus Christ yesterday and today and the same forever. | Hebrews 13.8 |
| 1939 | Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; You are mine. | Isaiah 43: 1 |
| 1940 | The kingdom of God is not in words but in power. | 1 Corinthians 4:20 |
| 1941 | Seek the Lord and you will live! | Amos 5.6 |
| 1942 | So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that all who believe in him would not be lost, but would have eternal life. | John 3:16 |
| 1943 | The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Master, the Lord is our King; he helps us! | Isaiah 33:22 |
| 1944 | The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and protect you from evil. | 2 Thessalonians 3,3 |
| 1945 | Let us look to Jesus, the Beginner and Finisher of the Faith; who, since he should have been happy, endured the cross and ignored the shame, and sat on the right hand in the throne of God. | Hebrews 12.2 |
| 1946 | Jesus Christ says: “I am the way and the truth and the life; nobody comes to the father through me. " | John 14.6 |
| 1947 | For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. | Matthew 6:13 |
| 1948 | It is a voice of a preacher in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord!" | Mark 1,3 |
| 1949 | God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of strength and love and discipline. | 2 Timothy 1: 7 |
| 1950 | You too, as the living stones, build yourselves into a spiritual house and a holy priesthood. | 1 Peter 2.5 |
| 1951 | See, I am with you all days until the end of the world. | Matthew 28:20 |
| 1952 | Your word is the joy and comfort of my heart; because I am called by your name. | Jeremiah 15:16 |
| 1953 | Do not throw away your trust, which has great rewards. | Hebrews 10:35 |
| 1954 | Jesus says: "I am the bread of life." | John 6:35 |
| 1955 | The harvest is great, but few are the workers. Therefore ask the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into his harvest. | Matthew 9:37, 38 |
| 1956 | Be reconciled to God! | 2 Corinthians 5.20 |
| 1957 | But what do you call me Lord, Lord, and don't you do what I tell you? | Luke 6.46 |
| 1958 | So now consists in the freedom to which Christ set us free. | Galatians 5.1 |
| 1959 | If you do not believe, you will not stay. | Isaiah 7.9 |
| 1960 | Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last and the living one. | Revelation 1,17b |
| 1961 | Lord teach us to pray. | Luke 11: 1 |
| 1962 | Do not worry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. | Nehemiah 8:10 |
| 1963 | Lord our ruler, how glorious is your name in all lands. | Psalm 8.2 |
| 1964 | We have one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and we through him. | 1 Corinthians 8: 6 |
| 1965 | You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses. | Acts 1.8 |
| 1966 | Let us be truthful in love and grow in all pieces towards Him who is Head, Christ. | Ephesians 4.15 |
| 1967 | You will make us, Lord, peace; because everything we do, you did for us. | Isaiah 26:12 |
| 1968 | Serve one another, each one with the gift he has received. | 1 Peter 4:10 |
| 1969 | The word of the Lord is true, and what he promises he certainly keeps. | Psalm 33: 4 |
| 1970 | Hold fast to mercy and justice and always hope in your God. | Hosea 12.7 |
| 1971 | Accept one another just as Christ accepted us. | Romans 15.7 |
| 1972 | We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as the Lord. | 2 Corinthians 4: 5 |
| 1973 | My spirit shall remain among you. Do not be afraid. | Haggai 2.5 |
| 1974 | You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. | John 8.32 |
| 1975 | Don't you know that God's goodness guides you to repentance? | Romans 2,4 |
| 1976 | Show me, Lord, your way, that I walk in your truth. | Psalm 86:11 |
| 1977 | All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus Christ. | Colossians 2,3 |
| 1978 | God says: "Seek me, and you will live." | Amos 5.4 |
| 1979 | God created man in his own image. | Genesis 1:27 |
| 1980 | God wants all people to be helped and to come to the knowledge of the truth. | 1 Timothy 2,4 |
| 1981 | Do not forget to do good and share it with others; for in such sacrifices God is pleased. | Hebrews 13: 6 |
| 1982 | Always rely on the Lord, for the Lord God is an eternal rock. | Isaiah 26: 4 |
| 1983 | Jesus Christ says: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called God's children." | Matthew 5.9 |
| 1984 | God did not give us a spirit of despondency, but a spirit of strength, love and prudence. | 2 Timothy 1: 7 |
| 1985 | May the word of Christ dwell with you with all its riches. | Colossians 3:16 |
| 1986 | I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods besides me. | Deuteronomy 5: 6–7 |
| 1987 | The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Romans 6.23 |
| 1988 | Jesus Christ says: "Repent and believe in the gospel." | Mark 1:15 |
| 1989 | God is not far from any of us. | Acts 17:27 |
| 1990 | Jesus Christ says: "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in the darkness." | John 8:12 |
| 1991 | Those who trust the Lord draw new strength. | Isaiah 40:31 |
| 1992 | Jesus Christ says: “In the world you are afraid; but be confident, I have overcome the world. " | John 16:33 |
| 1993 | You have to obey God more than people. | Acts 5:29 |
| 1994 | Christ is our peace. | Ephesians 2:14 |
| 1995 | Turn to me and you will be saved, the ends of all the world; because I am God and no one else. | Isaiah 45:22 |
| 1996 | It is the goodness of the Lord that we are not over; his mercy has no end. | Lamentations 3.22 |
| 1997 | Jesus Christ says: What use is it to a person if he wins the whole world, but in the process loses himself and is harmed? | Luke 9.25 |
| 1998 | Live in love just as Christ loved us. | Ephesians 5.2 |
| 1999 | Jesus Christ says: "See, I am with you every day until the end of the world." | Matthew 28:20 |
| 2000 | If you will seek me with all your heart, then I will let you find me. | Jeremiah 29:13, 14 |
| 2001 | All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus Christ. | Colossians 2,3 |
| 2002 | Yes, God is my salvation; I want to trust him and never despair. | Isaiah 12: 2 |
| 2003 | A person sees what is in front of his eyes; but the Lord looks at the heart. | 1 Samuel 16: 7 |
| 2004 | Jesus Christ says: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." | Mark 13:31 |
| 2005 | Jesus Christ says: "I have asked for you that your faith not cease." | Luke 22:32 |
| 2006 | God says: "I will not drop you and will not leave you." | Joshua 1,5b |
| 2007 | God says: "See, I want to create something new, now it is growing up, don't you recognize it?" | Isaiah 43:19 a |
| 2008 | Jesus Christ says: I live and you should also live. | John 14:19 |
| 2009 | What is impossible with humans is possible with God. | Luke 18:27 |
| 2010 | Jesus Christ says: “Do not be alarmed! Believe in God and believe in me! " | John 14.1 |
| 2011 | Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. | Romans 12:21 |
| 2012 | Jesus Christ says: "My strength is mighty in the weak." | 2 Corinthians 12: 9 |
| 2013 | We don't have a permanent city here, we are looking for the future one. | Hebrews 13:14 |
| 2014 | To be close to God is my happiness. | Psalm 73:28 |
| 2015 | Accept one another as Christ accepted you to praise God. | Romans 15.7 |
| 2016 | God says: "I will comfort you as his mother comforts one." | Isaiah 66:13 |
| 2017 | God says: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you." | Ezekiel 36.26 |
| 2018 | God says: "I will give to the thirsty free of the spring of living water." | Revelation 21: 6b |
| 2019 | Find peace and pursue it! | Psalm 34:15 |
| 2020 | I think; help my disbelief! | Mark 9.24 |
| 2021 | Jesus Christ says: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful! | Luke 6:36 |
| 2022 | Jesus Christ says: I will not turn away anyone who comes to me. | John 6:37 |
| 2023 | You are a god who sees me. | Genesis 16:13 |
Monthly sayings
The Ecumenical Working Group for Biblical Reading (ÖAB) also determines biblical monthly sayings, which are also selected from the ecumenical Bible reading plan for the corresponding month. The monthly verse applies to users as a guiding verse for a certain month.
The monthly sayings appeared for the first time in 1934. They go back to an idea by Oskar Schnetter, who was youth warden in Kassel at the time.
See also
Web links
- Website of the Ecumenical Study Group for Bible Reading
- Evangelical youth organization in Württemberg : Jahreslosung.net (materials about the annual solution)
- Marcus Mockler: With the “Annual Solution” against Nazi propaganda. In: evangelisch.de . 19th November 2018 .
- Nicole Marten: inventor of the annual motto. (pdf, 151 kB) In: Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt für Württemberg. 29/2018
Individual evidence
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↑ Annual mottos. Ecumenical Bible Reading Group, accessed January 16, 2019 . Beschnidt: How is the annual motto created? (pdf, 5 kB) Ecumenical Study Group for Bible Reading, April 17, 2013, archived from the original on May 20, 2014 ; accessed on January 16, 2019 . Hildegard Führ: On the annual motto. (pdf; 459 kB) In: Good news: Evangelical monthly newspaper. 8/15 January 2006, archived from the original on September 10, 2016 ; accessed on January 16, 2019 .
- ↑ monthly sayings. Ecumenical Bible Reading Group, accessed January 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Rosemarie Micheel, Eberhard Fuhr: Origin: Do you know who determines the annual motto and where it comes from? In: Jahreslosung.net. January 17, 2014, accessed January 16, 2019 .