The St. Martin Luther Zimbelstern

Prologue

The first zimbelstern I remember hearing was at a Return to Wittenberg conference. Churches I had attended in the past either did not have a zimbelstern or did not use it. Not knowing what it was at the time, I called them “organ bells”. To me, the shimmering, tinkling sound of the zimbelstern is often the final stop to pull. When the organ is roaring and filling the room with its majestic sound, and we rise to belt out the final stanza of praise to our Triune God, it is truly glorious.

Designing and building the zimbelstern

Coming soon…

Meaning behind the name

The name “St. Martin Luther Zimbelstern” carries much meaning. First, it pays homage to the great reformer, Martin Luther who is remembered as we celebrate various 500-year anniversaries of Luther’s work during the time of the reformation. Second, since the sound of the zimbelstern often calls to mind the song of heaven, the additional title of “St.” reminds us that we are joined with Martin Luther and all those who are saints in heaven by Jesus’ blood. Third, this zimbelstern was designed and built specifically for Martin Luther Church in Sunset Hills, Missouri, whose name is also reflected in this name.

Easter Sunday

The St. Martin Luther Zimbelstern was completed just in time for Easter, and the dedication took place during the Easter Festival Divine Service at Martin Luther Church in Sunset Hills, Missouri, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord on March 31, 2024.

Below is the original announcement, written by Mark Knickelbein.

Download: Zimbelstern Introduction.pdf

Conclusion

Thank you to Mark Knickelbein for patiently helping test features, providing feedback, and sharing his perspective as an organist.

This project is open-source on GitHub: https://github.com/cmspencer109/Zimbelstern

How to not make a zimbelstern? Check out the Zero Star Zimbelsterns group on Facebook for some humorous and quirky designs.