LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1992, Page 96

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96 OTHER PRESENTATIONS

the tower, and then took a picture. When I was presented
with the picture, I was still the president of the seminary,
and I knew that the official rules of the institution forbade
students to ascend that tower. (That’s what the lawyers,
pardon the pun, might call “ascending liability.”) But that
picture hangs on my office wall. Some of the fellows who
climbed the steps to do it I know, others I don’t. One that
I know served in the Persian Gulf War as a chaplain. I

called him the day before they went into combat and heard
him tell me how 20-some people had come to the Lord, and
faith in Him, the day before. I reminded him of the sheet
on Luther Tower, and we had a good laugh. May I tell you
what it said, and may I say it to you as my final sentence:
“Mizpah, may the Lord watch between thee and me while
we are absent one from another.” God bless you!

Ralph A. Bohlmann

3. Greetings of J. A. O. Preus, President Emeritus of the Synod

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

Greetings to you in Jesus’ name.

Circumstances beyond my control have made it impos-
sible for me to attend this convention of our beloved Synod.
This is the first convention I have missed since Cleveland
in 1962, and J deeply regret not being able to be with you.
The greatest privilege of my life was to serve in the min-
istry of the church as a pastor, a professor of theology, and
a church administrator. A patient and gracious God has
been good to me, for which I thank Him, and a patient and
kind Synod has also increased my joy in serving Christ
and His holy Gospel.

I wish to bring only three points to your attention in
these brief remarks, two from the pen of St. Paul and one
from our Savior Himself. ,

In carrying on church service, lay people, pastors, teach-
ers, and administrators in congregations, schools and con-
ventions must always bear in mind that our work is not
always joy and celebration, but much of it is drudgery,
abuse, disappointment, and even despair. Paul, the great-
est of all the apostles, says in his second epistle to the
troublesome, divided, and quarrelsome congregation at
Corinth (2 Cor. 4ff) “We are hard pressed on every side,
yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not forsaken; struck
down, but not destroyed. ... For we who live are always
delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus
may be manifeated in our mortal flesh. ... knowing that
He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with
Jesus, and will present us with you. ... Therefore we do
not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing,
yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our
light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for

us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The .

key verse in the entire chapter is verse 5, “For we preach
not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves
your servants for Jesus’ sake.” The work of the church is
not about us and our pride and our egos. The work of the

church, including this convention of our beloved Synod, is
about Christ. He is our Lord and He is our message. Let
us be about His.work. That is why we are gathered in
convention. And if He is the center of our deliberations and
our decisions, this convention, like all others, will be a
success, a joy, and a cause for celebration.

Also in 2 Corinthians 12, to that same obstinate con-
gregation filled with arrogant and highhanded people,
Paul tells them and us that in the midst of all his diffi-
culties, “Lest I should be exalted above measure by the
abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given
to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted

“above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the

Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He
said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength _
is made perfect in weakness.’” Sometimes we see God’s
grace most clearly in times of hopelessness. In fact, it is
only in such agony that grace becomes real. So rejoice be-
cause we have in Christ a gracious God whose strength is
brought to its fullness in our weakness. “Rejoice in the Lord
always, and again I say, ‘Rejoice!’ ”

And finally in Matthew 28 and Acta 1 our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself speaks His final earthly words to His
church. Just before'His ascension He gives the church His
great commission, promises His abiding presence with the
church, and pours out His Holy Spirit on us to empower
us to be His witnesses and to carry His Gospel of forgive-
ness and eternal life to the ends of the earth. He calls us
to be His witnesses, martyrs, who are willing, if necessary,
to die for Him, and certainly to live for Him, and bear
witness to His love and grace. What an honor! What a
privilege! Our glorious and almighty Lord wants me a poor
lost sinner to bear witness to Him!

Therefore, brothers and sisters, “Be strong in the Lord
and in the power of His might.” (Eph. 6:10), and God will
bless our every endeavor for Him.

Soli Deo Gloria.

J. A. O. Preus