LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1967, Page 54

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54 CONVENTION SERMON

Only a few moments ago, when President Graesser
absolved us by saying, “I forgive you all your sins in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost,” the risen Christ stood in our midst to support
him, for He said, “Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them.” And even now as I speak to you,
God is calling you and me to the liberty of the Gospel,
to be free — free from sin and its power, free from the
flesh and the lusts thereof, free from the Law and from
its condemnation, free from death and from all that
separates us from God and life. And when in a few
moments from now we shall kneel at the Table of our
Lord, Christ will be among us, and by means of bread
and wine will place upon our lips His very body and
blood. Then we shall be reminded of His words: “This
is My body, which is given for you. ... this is the blood
of the New Testament, which is shed for you for the
remission of sins.”

From this blessed table let us rise to take up our
task at this convention. With His pardon and peace
upon us, let us who have renounced the works of the
flesh and have been called unto liberty serve one an-
other in His love. Let everything we say and do serve

Him. Let all our thoughts and words, expressed even
in the smallest “scuttlebutt sessions,’ be couched in
love. Let every word we speak in the committees and
on the floor of this convention manifest the fruits of
the Spirit. And may all our resolutions, freed from
every taint of legalism, be formulated in the love of
God and in the liberty of His Gospel.

But let us go to work with Christ, without whom
we can do nothing, for as Luther sings it, so do we:

With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;

But for us fights the Valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.

Ask ye, Who is this?

Jesus Christ it is,

Of Sabaoth Lord,

And there’s none other God;

He holds the field forever.

Therefore, with Christ at our side and God helping
us, may we who by the Spirit of God are called to
liberty so serve one another in love at this convention
that by God’s good grace showers of blessings may yet
break upon our church, upon our nation, and upon the
world. So be it, dear Lord, so be it! Amen.

TuroporE F, Nicke., Second Vice-President

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