# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1920_S77 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 76 The Lutheran Pioneer. welcome news than that contributed from Napoleon- ville in some of the earlier issues of the PIONEER. We are sorry to say that the sad state. of affairs which still exists among us, fills us with depression and perplexity, rather than cheerfulness and joy. We feel like the Jews during their Babylonian cap- tivity, who found themselves unable to sing their songs of Zion in a strange land. Our hearts give response only to sad feelings, and we are able to relate nought but a sad story. Do you ask why we are so sad and despondent? It is true, you have sent us the pure and unadul- terated Gospel of salvation, that sweet message of peace which cheers the affrighted heart, gives abid- ing peace to the sin-wearied soul, affords courage and support against the assaults of Satan, and as- sures of victory in the hour of death. These price- less treasures you have made ours by your Christian ‘giving. Words cannot express our heartfelt grati- tude to you that you have sent us the Gospel, and we praise God for His grace. Surely, when we con- “template our favored lot, that we have a Lutheran church in our midst, we feel indeed blessed. But do you also remember, dear reader, how, some time ago, we published a sad account of the great damage our chapel sustained during a storm? The building still stands unrepaired, at the mercy of wind and rain. In spite of the dangerous condition of the chapel, zeal for the Lord’s house urges pastor and ~ members to assemble in their house of worship, though it is not unusual to have the rain come streaming down on altar, pulpit, and pews through the sieve-like roof during services. Love for the Word of God keeps our little flock regularly wend- ing its way to the house of God, though no public thoroughfare leads to the church, a passage being gained through the neighbors’ yards which give admission to a dark, muddy, and lightless alley, amidst the haunts of prostitution. A sad state of affairs, is it not, dear reader? But in spite of these obstacles, we say with David, “I was glad when _ they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” ; : But these are not the only reasons for our sad- ness. Our apprehension is great that at any time death may invade our little flock. How unfortunate it should be, since we have no cemetery where we may deposit our dear departed in their last resting- place. And with what feelings of apprehension and depression are we not sometimes seized when one of our members is cast upon a sick-bed! Are you ‘not..seized with feelings of sympathy as you read this article, and as your thoughts wander away and you are seemingly placed in our position? But the sad -experience of losing a member without having a cemetery to bury him has already occurred. And with what measure of depressed feeling we were seized, and what happened we will leave for you to imagine. But God be thanked that He has spared us from further experiences of this kind. A fund to the amount of $1,538 has already been raised by our Christian friends, but the sum raised is inadequate to meet the expenses of buying a new site and erecting a new chapel.