LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 113

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“Qne hour was set aside every morning, beginning
) the Monday session, for a devotion featuring an
y on the meaning of Martin Luther for our day.
ese essays are reprinted elsewhere in the Proceedings.
pr the brief essay, time was given for discussion and
uestions. Since the Sunday morning sermon was
| of the series, it is included in the section on
otional essays.

‘The afternoon sessions were opened with a devotion
yducted by youth representatives, again on a Luther
Heme, stressing the Small Catechism.

‘The closing devotions each morning and each after-

In Isaiah 49:15 God says: “Can a woman forget her
cking child, that she should not have compassion on
son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not

riends:

There are memories that burn and there are memo-
es that bless. Some things should be remembered,
me are best forgotten.

Memories
I

: In speaking of God in human terms so that we can
‘athom the unfathomable, Scripture tells us that God
as a memory, that He is capable of remembering and
iso capable of forgetting.

We are grateful that He is capable of forgetting. He
ys, “I will remember their sins no more!” What a
ssed word that is from Him. It is a blessed forget-
ulness for, “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O
rd, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with
ee that thou mayest be feared!” This is the forget-
‘fulness of forgiveness, earned at so great a price for us
n Calvary, where God made Him who knew nosin to be
in for us so that God in turn could look upon us as
ough we had never sinned. Sweet forgetfulness!

' But God also does remember. How good it is to know
hat, too. Through Isaiah God asks, “Can a mother
orget her child?” She may indeed, says God, but “I will
ever forget you.” No matter how dark, we know that He
is therein the darkness. He knows us by name, He keeps
is eye on us, He upholds us lest we stumble and fall.

II

But we have a memory too. Memory is a gift of God. It
is capable of good and of evil. The memories that burn
‘ause of our own sin ought best be forgotten; for if God

115

DEVOTIONS

Daily Devotions

noon and evening were conducted by members of the
Council of Administrators in the following sequence:
Paul Devantier, Walter Rosin, Edward Westcott, Eugene
Linse, Erwin Kolb, Victor Constien, Richard Bimler,
Richard Engdahl, John Schuelke, Robert Sauer, Herbert
Mueller, Norman Sell.

Both the opening devotion of the convention and the
closing devotion were conducted by President Ralph
Bohimann.

On Sunday morning, prior to the service, Mrs. Jean
Garton gave a presentation on family life.

Thursday Evening Devotion

(Printed by resolution of the convention)

remembers our sin no more, is it not an expression of
distrust toward Him if we continue to grieve over our
sin? Memories that burn because of the sins of others
against us are best forgotten, too; such memories we can
safely leave in the hands of Him who judges righteously.

But there are many memories that bless. The memory
of work and of accomplishment, the memory of marital
love and of family affection, the memory of fellowship
with Christians in a church convention or at a church
picnic, the memory of friendships, the memory of joys
found in the arts and in the sciences.

Yes, even the memory of a whole lifetime or of a
whole career in association with faithful and loving
children of God. That, too, is a memory that blesses.

III

If you will allow just a few personal comments in this
connection, I rather imagine that this devotion has been
assigned to me in these closing hours of a convention in
view of the fact that this will be my 12th and final time
on the rostrum. It has been a delightful and enriching
experience. People have told me at times that I resemble
Bob Hope. I doubt that, but I do wish to borrow at least
one thing from him today, and say to you in the words of
his theme song, “Thanks for the memories!” They will
be cherished.

Above all, as all of us look back on our relatively long
or relatively short lives, there is the memory of un-
counted blessings and kindnesses which have come to
us in such an undeserved way from the hand of our
gracious God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So again
we return to the fact that God has a memory, too. When
we come to the end of our own little day, one need
surfaces, and one only. That need was-expressed so well
many years ago, and the words still echo to us from
Calvary, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into
Thy kingdom.”

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