Martin Rinkart (1586–1649)

Born April 23, 1586, Martin Rinkart became a German Lutheran clergyman, Latin scholar, and hymn writer whose ministry is remembered for steady faith under crushing pressure. Educated in an age when theology and classical learning were closely linked, he brought a disciplined mind and a warm pastoral heart to the pulpit. His life shows how sound doctrine and practical mercy belong together, especially when suffering tests a community’s hope.

Eilenburg and the Thirty Years’ War

Rinkart served as pastor in Eilenburg, a small Saxon town caught in the devastation of the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648). Warfare brought repeated sieges, heavy taxation, and the collapse of ordinary food supplies. Famine and plague followed, turning homes into places of mourning. In those years, a pastor was often the last steady presence when civil structures failed. Rinkart remained at his post, tending the sick, comforting the fearful, and preaching Christ to a people surrounded by loss.

Pastoral Heroism and Costly Love

He is remembered for burying vast numbers of the dead—often with little help, in conditions that threatened his own life. The grief was not distant: he reportedly lost his wife during these trials. Yet he continued to serve, embodying the calling to “carry one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). His courage was not bravado but perseverance: doing the next faithful duty when tears, exhaustion, and danger made every step hard.

“Now Thank We All Our God” (Nun danket alle Gott)

From these dark days came a hymn of bright gratitude: “Nun danket alle Gott…” (“Now Thank We All Our God”). Its enduring power lies in its refusal to pretend suffering is small, while boldly confessing God’s goodness as greater still. Rinkart’s song teaches believers to thank the Lord not only after deliverance, but also during affliction—trusting the Father who sustains His people and will finish what He began.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)

“And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him…” (Romans 8:28)