# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 06 15_S114
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

held, or if some other arrangement is not made in their place, one that fully replaces them.

What, then, is one to say when one so often hears it said: "I go to church and to the holy Lord's Supper, I give my contribution, I lead, by God's grace, a Christian walk — is that not enough for a Christian?" — It is indeed true that for your own person it might well be enough, but not for your neighbor, not for the congregation. What you permit yourself, you must also grant to another; you must therefore grant that everyone may stay away from the congregational meeting. But what, then, would result from that? Nothing less than that you yourself would lose what you now enjoy and confess to prize so highly. For just as the precious gift needs the vessel in which it is carried, so also the church, so long as it still struggles in this world, needs the vessel of human administration, of outward order, of discipline, and of a visible court of judgment. If you now will not take an active part in the congregational meetings, then you are neglecting a precious, holy duty.

But here perhaps someone will say: even if I do not come, the congregation is not thereby destroyed; there are others there whom I trust, who will surely see to everything as it should be, even without me.

This objection brings me to the second reason why it is a holy duty of every voting member of the congregation not to neglect the congregational meetings without necessity; it is namely this: because it is unfair to let others work for oneself when one is equally obligated with them. It is an inexpressible blessing when some number of Christians unite to establish a rightly-believing preaching and teaching office, to maintain it, and to procure and see to everything for its continued existence. Now whoever shares equally with others in the enjoyment of a thing ought also to bear, along with the others, the burden connected with it. Here, too, one might apply that word of the apostle: "If any would not work, neither should he eat." It is therefore altogether unfair for you to tend to your rest at home, or meanwhile earn money or go for a walk, or edify yourself in complete undisturbedness, while your brothers assemble for your benefit and that of all, breaking off and denying themselves time, earnings, and any recreation they might have; while they toil to become clear about what serves the welfare of the congregation and to attend to its business, and — so that nothing necessary be left undone — trouble themselves, sweat, and labor, and let themselves be told many an unpleasant thing, and strive to settle distasteful disputes, and the like. How would you answer for this before the judgment seat of a conscience enlightened by the Word of God? How would you reconcile it with the royal law of love, if you wish only to enjoy the benefits of a Christian congregation, at most bear the burden of monetary contributions, but will not take upon yourself the often most unpleasant business that is nevertheless indispensably necessary for its continuance? Then you are, in a spiritual sense so to speak, eating your own bread not by your own labor. What? Must you not blush before the saying in Galatians 6:2: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ"? Must you not rebuke yourself, when the holy apostle calls into your heart the words: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philippians 2:4)? Can you then sit calmly at home, when you know: now my brothers are assembled, bearing the common burden — will you not then hurry to join the laborers and lend a hand wherever you can?

"But that is precisely the main reason why I do not come, because I believe I can do little there," so perhaps someone speaks in his heart at this point. Let him now hear my third reason for the obligatory participation in our meetings; it is namely this: because every Christian has received his gifts from God, and indeed for the common benefit. For thus speaks the holy apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 7:7: "Every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that"; further, Romans 12:4-6: "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us." Further, 1 Corinthians 12: "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. — For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. — And the members are many, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary. — God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." So far the holy apostle. With this glorious comparison of the church and its members to the human body and the relation of its members one to another, St. Paul cuts off every such thought as that this or that Christian could be of no help at all in the church. No; each one has

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his gifts, which serve and are meant to be used for the building up and the furtherance of the welfare of the church. And those gifts which, by human reason, seem to be the least fruitful, are often the most important. Even if you have no great knowledge, no particular eloquence, no deep discernment, you can still often bring great benefit to the congregation, if only you add your voice for what is best; if you make known your disapproval of un-Christian conduct that occurs; if you show zeal for the good; if you go before others in modesty, humility, love, earnestness, and a spirit of reconciliation, etc. For after the apostle, in the passage just cited, had spoken of the gifts of all Christians, he finally cries out: "But covet earnestly the best gifts" — and which does he mean by that? He states it himself: "Seek after love." — Oh, let each one only come to the meeting with this prayer: Lord, let me too contribute my mite for the use and benefit of all; then each one, too, will become a blessing for the whole congregation. The simplest, plainest testimony is often more powerful than the most eloquent and most acute argument.

Yet I go still further. A fourth reason for what I am presently urging is this: because, through the neglect of the congregational meetings by individual members, the congregation is at the very least always held back whenever it wishes to take steps toward improvement. For this proposition the experience we have had so far speaks so plainly that it is almost only necessary to call this reason to everyone's remembrance. After long, often very toilsome and burdensome deliberations and struggles, something has at last, more than once, finally been decided. One rejoiced that God had at last brought about unity concerning some important matter. One often already regarded it as a prize won with great effort and sacrifice, and behold! one or another member of the congregation had been present at neither the struggle nor the making of the peace, but came at last after the conclusion, raised new objections, and thereby rendered vain the work of whole months, and of a still longer period of time. Is this not sad and lamentable? Who, if he was to blame through indolence and indifference, will answer for that before God? — What happened? Either the congregation refused to take up the matter again, and then had to submit to being regarded as unloving and as burdening consciences; or the congregation began again from the beginning, sacrificing to the one individual, with untiring patience and love, all the time and effort of the past, but the natural consequence was that most grew discouraged, became, I might almost say, hostile to the meetings, or at least weary of them, and felt themselves moved to sigh against their brother. Oh, how much precious time we would not have lost, how many useless words