# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_September 1863_S277
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Report of the Sixth Regular Synodical Convention of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church.  277

...with fervent thanks toward him for his rich spiritual blessing, and that we should be firmly convinced of his gracious support in future times, and also that we should be kindled to still greater faithfulness and diligence in the work of the Lord, to still greater zeal, candor, and perseverance in the struggle prescribed for us, and to still greater patience and joyfulness in the afflictions that concern us. And just as these latter will certainly not fail to come in the future either, so too the enemy whom we must fight is not far off; he does not sleep either. No, he is in the midst of our congregations; there he works with his great cunning and guile. Only through a steady, earnest, and confident struggle in the armor of the Lord can we master him and keep the victory. I have already said above that my personal acquaintance with the congregations of our body is neither comprehensive nor thorough. Yet I believe that, partly through conversations especially with my fellow ministers, partly through the visitations I have held, but especially through my own experience during a shorter or longer service to some 35 different congregations over now nearly twelve years, I have come to some knowledge of what the state of our fellowship is, so that I shall hardly go far wrong if I name the following as the chief failings under which our fellowship suffers, and to which I wish to direct the Synod's particular attention. Foremost stands the neglect, indifference, and contempt shown toward the Word of God, publicly and privately, in church and at home, both for the purpose of one's own instruction and for the edification of others. We may thank God that in all our congregations we have a solid core of diligent and, indeed, sincere churchgoers, but it cannot be concealed that everywhere enough such people are to be found who seem to consider it quite proper, after every visit to church, to stay away from it once or twice again; and finally there is also no lack, in some congregations, of those who regard it as more or less superfluous to come to church at other times, except when they wish to go to the Lord's Supper or must stand as sponsors. However much the great distance at which many in our fatherland lived from the church may have contributed to our people falling into such an evil habit, all the more is it needful to bring home to our people the living recognition that it is a great sin and a contempt of the Word of God when one stays away from the services of worship, unless one is truly prevented. But unfortunately it stands no better with the use of the Word of God at home. Even the scantiest family devotion is neglected in many places; the false, Jewish-Reformed understanding of the Third Commandment has certainly also contributed not a little to the opinion, so common, that it is everything one can expect of a Christian if he reads his postil with the text on Sundays, so that it even causes astonishment when one asks whether God's Word is also read in the families on the week-