# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_September 1863_S278
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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

-days. It follows of itself that where the heads of households neglect the occasion for their own instruction and edification, it must stand badly with the instruction of the children, to say nothing of the servants. Even if our school system were in a better condition than it is, that would still not make good the harm caused by parents thus neglecting the Christian instruction of their children. That with regard to zeal and labor for the mission among the heathen our fellowship stands in a worrisome state will be evident from what precedes; that is indeed a matter of such great importance that I must earnestly lay it upon the Synod's heart to work toward its being made better in this respect as well.

This neglect and contempt of the Word of God is all the more dangerous in that one thereby deprives oneself of the one powerful means of curbing and hindering all other sins, which through this neglect obtain free rein. How sadly it stands in our body also with regard to the neglect of the Holy Supper, a glance at the parish reports in our Maanedstidende will convince anyone.

In connection with this sin I must name the neglect of brotherly admonition and reproof; it is in truth frightful how this duty of love is neglected among us, and this is another chief reason why things stand so badly among us in so many respects. All manner of untrue and unloving talk, which is indeed sin against the Eighth Commandment and in turn produces hatred, strife, and quarreling, has taken the place of this Christian duty, and indeed sometimes happens with the thought that one thereby proves oneself a truly zealous Christian who punishes sins in earnest. There can be no thought of any orderly church discipline among us as long as things stand so badly with brotherly reproof; for this is, according to Christ's word, the first degree of church discipline. If one skips over this, church discipline becomes a policing discipline, indeed often something worse than that, namely sheer arbitrariness and sin. On the ground of the importance of this matter I wish therefore to lay it upon the Synod's heart that, if possible, it take up the doctrine of church discipline among the subjects to be discussed, even if it should not be finished with it; this is a matter that may well be discussed at two or three synodical conventions. One will now understand and take it to heart all the better, since at the earlier conventions we went through the doctrines of absolution and of the spiritual priesthood.

The third chief sin manifesting itself in our congregations is worldly-mindedness — care for temporal things, covetousness, greed. Unbelief and mistrust of God's grace in Christ, and therefore also of his fatherly care, are the ground of it. May the Lord indeed help us to a firm trust in his grace and to joy in his Gospel and in the good things promised therein, so that in the heart there will be no