LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1992, Page 99

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GREETINGS OF THE PRESIDENT: OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH—CANADA 99

Missouri Synod has been the undisputed leader, sharing
its theological strength, its missiological expertise, and its
financial resources. Missouri Synod presidents have al-
ways been actively involved in the ILC, with Dr. Bohlmann
serving most recently as vice-chairman and as secretary.
His enlightened approach to the smaller churches of other
countries has helped make the ILC an effective instrument
for strengthening confessional Lutheranism throughout
the world. I urge the Missouri Synod to continue to see the
ILC as the cornerstone of its approach to international
church relations.

I began with the analogy of family, and on that note I
would also close. And I address a subject which is off-limits
to strangers and impolite even for friends. But we are fam-
ily. We are your child, Missouri. And a mother’s love hears
the plea of her child. ;

As we lie in our little bed upstairs, we hear what is
going on in the kitchen. Loud voices are being raised. Angry

words are spoken. We don’t understand it all. We're not
really part of it. And we're only a child.

But what are we to do, Mother? We cannot just close
our ears. We cannot tell you what to do. We will not second-
guess your decisions. That would be wrong. But is it wrong
for us to worry? Is it wrong for us to care? Is it wrong for

,us to shed a tear? Because we love you—we love all of you.
‘We love you because God has loved you so much—He has
loved all of you with His everlasting love. .
And so we will continue to pray for you. We will pray
‘that God grant you peace, that He keep you faithful to His
Word, God-fearing in your daily walk, compassionate to-
ward those who hurt, and zealous in your mission so that
with great boldness you may tell everyone what He has
done. That’s the way you taught us it should be. And that’s
-the way we pray it will be for you.
“ . We love you all... . God bless you!
E. Lehman, President

6. Presentation by Bishop Pavel Uhorskai
of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

Dear Mr. President Bohlmann, dear brothers and sisters
in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear Mr, President, it is my honor to greet you as Pres-
ident of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, aga
friend of our Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church, and as
my brother in Christ.

With love I greet all of you, members of this convention,
you who bear the burden of responsibility for your church
before our Lord. .

Our Slovak Lutheran Church had to pass through and
suffer in the time of Communism much persecution and
humiliation, much loss and damage. But all these our
losses have only facilitated us to stand in the narrow way
and. to pass through the narrow gate following our Lord
Jesus.’ : \

In suffering, we were more able to accept the riches of
spiritual gifts. There in suffering we knew our mistakes,
our trespasses, and sins. And we found the way of repen-
tance by which we can only come to the Lord. His saving
death and constant presence had made as real the fact
that the blood of Jesus, His Son, washes us from every sin.
Our church came out of the period of persecution and
oppression beautified but also hurt. ;

The consequences of the fact that some of our pastors

and even leaders of the church compromised with the Com-

munist authorities was, until today, the cause in |the
church of much tension, and they require remedy. This is
one of the lessons of the past period, namely, to compromise
with evil is impossible for Christians. It really is a great
grace that after losing worldly values we became rich in
God. We learned to believe, to confess, and to follow the
Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice that together with you we
believe in the same Lord. Together, with you, we belong
to His church, we represent the fellowship of believers. In
this fellowship we experience how good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity. i

_ j__ a
SECAV Bishop General Pavel Uhorskai (Right) and Secretary
Genera! Peter Kroslak (Left)

Cooperation with you in the period of Communism was
impossible. We knew only a little about you. Iremind you
‘ of this fact today, at your convention, that the commission
' from the Lord is a commitment as well, that from‘everyone

who has been given much, much will be demanded. And

from the one who has been entrusted with much, much

more will be asked. All together we are obliged to come
. before the throne of God’s grace with our prayers so that
, Lutheranism in all the world would become Christ’s good
_ fragrance, so that as it was in history even now, we would
‘ give a good witness to the bright light of the Gospel, not
only by words but also by deeds.