# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1927_S79 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 78 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER. Christian Teachers Needed. Two chiefs at one time came to James Chalmers, the missionary, and said: “We want Christian teachers; will you send them ?” Chalmers had no one to send, and he said: “T have no one. I cannot send any one.” Two years passed, and those two chiefs came to him again. Chalmers himself happened to be at liberty, and he traveled over the intervening country and arrived on a Sunday morning. To his surprise he saw the whole tribe on their knees in perfect silence. Chalmers said to one of the chiefs, “What are you doing ?” - He said, “We are praying.” “But,” Chalmers said, “you are not saying any- thing.” “White man,” the chief answered, “we do not know what to say! For two years every Sunday morning we have met here, and for four hours we have been on our knees, and we have been praying like that, but we do not know what to say.” A Dead Idol. It was evening in Benares. The sun was setting in all its splendor of crimson and gold, as only an Eastern sun can set, throwing over everything a veil ofrose. The fields stretched green and fair as far as eye could see, and the breeze stirring the tops of the palms was heavy with the scent of honeysuckle. A sense of peace and well-being pervaded every- thing, and I sent up a prayer of thanks and praise to God for His infinite love and boundless mercies to us. . Suddenly the harmony and beauty were rudely broken. Loud shouts, voices raised in anger and foul oaths, rent the air. When I went to see what was the matter, quick tears came to my eyes at the pity of it. This is what had happened. A Brahman had fashioned an idol, that of their elephant god Ganesh, out of the mud of the roadside. He had left it under a tree to dry and some distance away had started to eat his bread. Another Brahman passing, seeing this idol, went down in worship be- fore it. The maker of the god, seeing this, was exceedingly angry. He sprang up and rudely pushed the worshiper away, saying in a loud, angry _ tone, “How dare you worship at my idol, you lazy _ dog? Why do you not make your own? Do you _ think that I spent labor and time in order that you might worship?” Angry words followed, the first man’s friends standing for him, and the poor wor- shiper appealing to the fast gathering crowd that he only wanted to worship and ask for deliverance for his baby son. Blows were struck, and very soon there would have been a terrible fight but for timely police intervention. When afterwards curiosity led me to the spot again to see the cause of this terrible fight, there it lay, a piece of dead mud, clumsy, ugly, and re- © pulsive.— The Pilgrims’ Progress. Items of Missionary Interest. By the Eprtor. Lenten Services. — Our five congregations in New Orleans again observed Holy Week by holding special services. Last year services were held during Holy Week in a large local hall. This year, however, the Lenten services during Holy Week were held in the various churches. Prof. Paul Lehman of our Alabama Luther College in Selma was invited to help the local pastors. A correspondent writes: “There were no overflow crowds, but I-think all in all we reached more people than last year with the noonday services. The weather was fine so far, but to-day, Good Friday, it is pouring.” This was written just before the excessive rainfall, exceeding 14.01 inches, deluged the city. We have not heard whether this deluge did any damage to our mission property. C.F. D. Superintendent Schmidt. — We are happy to report that God in His goodness and wisdom has restored Superintendent Geo. A. Schmidt of our Alabama field to perfect health. He arrived in the Black Belt April 7. During his enforced absence his work was kindly and satisfactorily done by Rey. E. A. Westcott. C.F. D. . Plenary Meeting of the Mission Board. — The Board for Colored Missions has two plenary meet- ings annually, one after Easter, another after Labor Day. These plenary meetings are attended not only by the members living in St. Louis, but also by those living in other cities. A plenary meeting was held in St. Louis April 27. This meeting was attended by the superintendents of Colored Missions: Rey. G. A. Schmidt, of Selma, Ala.; his assistant, Rev. E. Westcott (Superintendent Kramer was unable to be present) ; and Rey. Frank D. Alston of Charlotte, N.C. Business of great importance was before the meeting. Cc. F. D.