# Der Lutheraner_Frankfurt am Main_Mai 1949_S53
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Number 5                                    May 1949                                    Page 53

the lute-playing. And a bright ray of light falls
on the scripture passage Romans 1:17. — And
here again we see and understand how the
painter prays the verse together with Luther: "He said
to me: Hold fast to me / it shall now
succeed for you. / I give myself wholly for
you . . ." For to the thief hanging on the shameful wood
the crucified Savior turns with
mercy and comfort: "And where I remain,
there shall you be, / the enemy shall not
part us." —

Christ alone — Christ our righteousness
and our peace! This heart of the Lutheran
faith the artist paints before our eyes
in ever new pictures. Quite
distinctive is, in connection with Luther's hymn "In the midst
of life we are . . .", the image of the Savior,
beneath whose wide cloak these poor people
with faces distorted by fear take
shelter, clinging to the Savior as if for dear life:
"Where then shall we flee / where
may we remain? / To you, Lord Christ,
alone!" Here they are sheltered in safe
keeping.

What a living children's sermon are Schäfer's
fine pictures for the "Golden Jewel" of the
Small Catechism, published by the Ev.-Luth.
School Association! And the elderly, too, gladly
listen to this vivid instruction in Christian doctrine.

Yet the sum of all gospel preaching
the artist offers us in his picture Bible.
For seven years he worked on this great
work, commissioned by the Stuttgart
Bible Institute. Preceding it was his beautiful
"Dresden Ornamented Testament." Its smaller
pictures, and especially the smallest
ones surrounding the initials, which convey so much,
the full Bible presents enlarged for deeper
effect. How powerful and delicate at once
the artist's hand appears here in the almost
colorful-seeming woodcuts! 350 pictures
there are in all, including the Old Testament.
— In this great people's book Luther's
German Bible has once more been "rendered German"
for the eye. German land, German
house, German dress and German faces,
among them well-known ones such as Luther's
and J. S. Bach's, greet us so familiarly.

Almost every book is introduced by a full-page picture.
Here the painter becomes the most profound
preacher. These introductory pictures may
confidently be set alongside Luther's famous
"prefaces" to the biblical writings.
Even in the Old Testament already
ray upon ray of the joyful message of
salvation in Jesus Christ shines forth from Schäfer's
drawings. On the title picture
of Isaiah the Virgin arranges the swaddling clothes
at the manger. And there sits alone,
his thorn-wreathed head resting in his hand,
the disgraced Servant of God. But from the
war-ravaged earth below, human hands
stretch upward longingly toward the Promised One.
— What a fullness of
faith's strength and comfort of heart rests
in this picture Bible cannot be described.

But over the master of the drawing pen we must
not forget the painter. Rudolf
Schäfer is the greatest church painter of our
day. He lives inwardly, precisely also in the third
article of faith, concerning the Church. Frequently we
find among his woodcuts the open
church door, through which father and mother with
their children stride, and inside the house of God
the devoutly singing congregation, for
whom he has also tastefully decorated a number of
hymnbooks. But he was driven to make the
"place where God's glory dwells" itself
the site of his work. What
his fellow artist Wilhelm Steinhausen once
wrote of him: ". . . I too have rejoiced
over how this painter's manner approaches
the mysteries of faith and
the gospel so reverently —", this holds especially
true of Schäfer's church painting. Whoever
was privileged to observe the artist at this work
once, knows that he always
undertakes it in deep humility as divine service.
And what he has thus created in
grand designs
and quiet or glowingly luminous colors
on church walls and altars are
sermons to which one listens only in devout
reverence.

[Image: A bishop blesses a kneeling child with a crown]

The number of churches here and there in German
lands that the artist has painted is
great. Let only Soltau, Witten, Ravensburg,
Unna and Wangen be named. Several
of these pictorial works serve the memory of
those who fell in the war. There the thought of sacrifice
is especially emphasized, as for example in that
picture of stirring solemnity, showing how Jesus on
Maundy Thursday gives himself in the Holy Supper.
On others it is the second and third
petition of the Lord's Prayer, with the luminous
Bethlehem stable in the dark
Christmas night
and the cold Jesus on the bier
before the gates of Jerusalem. How gladly
one would like to show more fully what
richness of thought and imagery, of forms and
colors speaks from these church paintings.

Again and again the tone of Advent
resounds in them too, the hoping, yearning waiting
for Luther's "beloved Last Day": the
watchmen's trumpets on the battlements, the five

virgins with their burning lamps,
the bride of Revelation gazing in prayer
toward the morning star, and above all and
over all the heavenly Jerusalem. Unforgettable
remains for one the little Allgäu
mountain town with its church, which perhaps holds the
greatest of Schäfer's art. Below at
the foot of the mighty picture that surrounds
the entire chancel arch before the altar space, lies
the town of Wangen itself before us with its
gables and walls and the distant Alpine heights.
On the high town tower stands the
watchman and stares up into the darkening blue
night. — What a view! There
rises the eternal City of God with its walls
and battlements and the gold-shining
windows. The gate of eternity has sprung open.
There the Lamb is enthroned, surrounded
by all the elders and the whole host
of the saints and blessed with their harps.
To the side, however, rise from below the angels
of thanksgiving, petition, and adoration,
and over yonder come the messengers of God
with the holy means of grace, bringing
Communion, baptism and the Word down
to the congregation. —

How much thanks is due to the man whose
extensive work for the Protestant Christian
people could here be indicated only with a few
sentences! Rudolf Schäfer
seeks nothing for himself. He wants only God's honor.
His motto is:

"May I be your little star, to sparkle
here and there!"

God has made him into a burning light.
May his blessed radiance make yet many
Christians' eyes and hearts bright — also
our friendly readers!

Grube

Just published:

JESUS' TABLE GUEST

A booklet on Holy Communion for young people, by Pastor
L. Greve. 84 pages, paperbound DM 1.50

Plain, noble language combines here with heartfelt
vividness. Many who used this booklet with profit
when it first appeared have in recent years desired
to possess it again themselves or to give it as a gift
to young people. But it had long been out of print. Now
it is available again! Take hold of it now and receive this
gift of a church that is serious about the words
"This is my body! This is my blood!" The booklet
is also a good gift for confirmation. It
does not divert the gaze but turns it
to what is innermost in the life of young Christian
people, and can become a companion for their entire
existence.                                    K.-e

CHRIST
AND THE DISTRESS OF OUR TIME

by Dr. theol. Ernst Lerle, 64 pp., 8°, paperbound DM 2.—
The starting point of the work is the prejudices which
educated people often bring against the Church.
The presentation shows the connection between
conviction, faith, church and confession.
Through this many prejudices are refuted. Following
the discussions on the differently constituted faith
comes a hopefully concluding position
on the main questions of the Christianity of yesterday.
The most important concern of Christianity today
is love of neighbor. In the lack of faith, hope,
and love lies the real distress of our time.

Coming soon:

Why a Lutheran Free Church Today?

by Pastor Hans Kirsten.
16 pages, 8°, DM —.50

Favorable bulk prices

We recommend for Pentecost:
Postcards with flowers and Bible verses
Each set DM 1.20

Lutheraner-Verlag G.m.b.H.
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