# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1903_S24 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer. Confirmation at Greensboro, N. C. DEAR PIONEER : — May 10 was a day of joy and thanksgiving for Grace Congregation at Greensboro, N. C. For the second time in less than a year we were permitted to have Confirmation in our church. Though there were only three cate- chumens who on this day vowed allegiance to their heavenly Saviour, yet this was ample cause for praise and gratitude to God, since “‘there is joy in the presence of the angels of God even over one sinner that repenteth,’’ Luke 15, 10. Lutheran church, for which God be praised! Grace Church had been handsomely deco- rated for the occasion by tender hands with calla-lilies and beautiful roses, and so many visitors attended the solemn service, that the question was raised, where all the people came from. The address was based on 1 Tim. 6, 12. The examination, which lasted almost an hour, proved to the satisfaction of all that the new members were well able to give a reason of the hope that is in them, and excited the admira- tion of all present. After the oldest of the three had received the regenerating waters of holy Baptism, the solemn consecration took place, according to Lutheran custom, and .praise was heard on all sides because of the edifying celebration. May Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Captain of our salvation, help also these new soldiers of the cross to fight the good fight of faith until their blessed end, so that, finally, they may lay hold of the incorruptible crown of eternal life, whereunto they are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses! This is the earnest prayer of Your Humsie CorRRESPONDENT. —_—_——— oP oe The South Sea Islands. ' The traveler Gordon Cumming writes of the islands in the South Sea: ‘‘Think of the sick buried alive; the array of widows who were de- liberately strangled on the death of any great ‘man; the living victims who were buried beside ‘every post of a chief’s new house, and must needs stand clasping it, while the earth was pond heaped over their devoted heads; or those who were bound hand and foot and laid the ground to act as rollers, when a chief ~ ed a new canoe, and thus doomed to “ 1 of Benen agony; a time when nd no man knew how quickly his C of cEge | might come; when whole All three catechumens, two of whom were married ladies, had been attend- ants at the services and catechetical instruc- tions of our church for years, and were there- fore well versed in the doctrines of our dear they do. Now you may pass from isle to isle, certain everywhere to find the same cordial reception by kindly men and women. Every village on the eighty inhabited isles has built for itself a tidy church, and a good house for its teacher or native minister, for whom the vil- lage also provides food and clothing. Can you realize that there are nine hundred churches in Fiji, at every one of which the frequent services are crowded by devout congregations; that the schools are well attended; and that the first sound which greets your ear at dawn, and the last at night, is that of hymn-singing and most fervent worship, rising from each dwelling at the hour of family prayer?’’ tt oe Hard Work. Few people realize the difficulties which mis- sionaries and native catechists have to face sometimes when preaching in the ‘‘bazaars’’ ix India. The Rev. J. A. F. Warren writes: ‘tIn the bazaars one has to stand, it may be at a noisy, dusty corner, and first succeed in attracting an audience. As a rule, this is not very difficult— the streets are always thronged with people; but after having got your audi- ence, the difficulty is to keep it. Men stop for a minute or two, and then pass on, it may be with a loud laugh or jeering remark which has the effect of drawing away others. But even when you have got an audience, your difficulties are not over; two or three little yagabonds, almost innocent of clothing, will worm themselves through the crowd, and after gazing at you for afew minutes, and listening to your remarks, having pronounced the pro- ceedings ‘slow,’ commence to enliven matters by an animated attack upon one another’s persons. When peace is restored, and the preacher picks up the thread of his discourse, a ‘fakir’ comes up and looks on: immediately all eyes are turned away from the speaker to see what the ‘holy man’ thinks of the busi- ness. He soon passes on without vouching any opinion, and attention is once more ob- tained. Not for long, however, as someone in the crowd is sure to start more or less clever objections. These have to be answered, and if not satisfactorily, the audience very often breaks up in disorder, the remarks made as to the intelligence of the catechists being the reyerse of complimentary; and this goes on day after day.”’ —_— ~