LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 68

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

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CONVENTION SERMON 69

gathered to her room, the pastor came, and as he was
about to lead them in prayer, he asked the Christian
mother: “Is there any special portion of Scripture that
you want me to read?”

She said, “Make it you own selection, Pastor, but
let it be of praise.”

What an exciting way to approach all of life! Let it
be your own selection ... but let it be of praise! Let
it be the plus .. . let it be the yes.

To praise God is, to use an area expression, to “brag
on the Lord.” Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
The psalmist said, “My soul shall make its boast in the
Lord.” (Ps. 34:2)

Let’s praise God for being God! Praise Christ for
His life, death, and resurrection . . . ascension and in-
tercession . .. for His coming again. . . . For His mira-
cles and His mercy and for the home He’s preparing
for us. Praise God for a church like ours! Instead of
the debilitating criticism of our great church body that
we have heard and endured, we need to praise and
thank God for her and get her more fully on the move
again.

God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our Synod.
“For we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
Let’s stir what we’ve got .. . in doctrine, in practice,
in man and money power!

This call to thanksgiving and praise under the theme
“Ever, Only, All for Thee” is what is so thrilling about
our convention. The synodical “Rejoicing in Mercy”
film tells some of the reasons for our praise. Imagine,
if you will, five shiploads of pioneers traveling thousands
of miles from civilized Europe, one of the five ships
lost at sea... . four of them arriving at New Orleans.

The weary immigrants went up the Mississippi to
St. Louis, then to nearby Perry County, where they
purchased the tract of land on the edge of the Ameri-
can frontier and courageously forged a new way of
life for themselves and a new expression of Christianity
for the world.

Over the years our nickname has stuck with us, “The
Missouri Synod.” Not as a matter of geography, but as
the description of a church body known for its devo-
tion to the inspired Scriptures and a commitment to an
evangelical attitude.”

As a Bible-based and evangelically operating church
we have found ways to pull together our continuing
concern for missions, and our ever-increasing sense of
obligation to minister physically to people’s needs. These
social and evangelistic thrusts are two sides of the same
coin. For “God so loved the world .. .” That makes
God’s Gospel social, proclamation and demonstration
directed toward people! . . . in the now and to all
eternity!

Our film history reminds us that today The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod has congregations
throughout the United States and Canada... and 34
other countries in the world.

Through our Concordia Publishing House, one of
the world’s largest church-owned publishers, Synod
makes available Christ-centered resources of every

modern type to our parishes and to other Christian
churches throughout the world.

From the early publication of church papers, to the
present Lutheran Witness and The Reporter, the Synod
has moved forward...

_.. to the International Lutheran Hour...

_.. to worldwide television via “This Is the Life” . . .

_.. and seasonal specials like “Christmas Is” . . . To
quote the farmer, “All our lives we’ve been looking for
a church like this.” .. .

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into
His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and
bless His name.” If the church would praise God more,
the world would doubt Him less!

Our anniversary film history further reminds us of
the great advances made in Christian education ...

“Today our Synod maintains a system of 16 ac-
credited seminaries and colleges in the United States
and Canada ... with 15 more overseas. We support
the second largest program of parochial schools in the
United States . . . plus high schools . . . and Valparaiso
University . . . The Synod’s devotion to Christian edu-
cation at all levels has proven to be one of the great
strengths of our church. And so today as a result, our
Synod is able to carry the Gospel and Christian com-
passion in its fullest sense to people wherever they
may be... in the cities and suburbs . . . and the rural
areas throughout the United States and Canada... In
34 countries of the world and in all the lands where
our radio and television programs are broadcast! In

hospitals, nursing and retirement homes . . . to the
deaf... the blind... and the mentally retarded .. .
to the inner cities... .” All through the 3 million mem-

bers and 6,000 plus congregations of our Synod.

And so today, as we possess the heritage of our past,
given to us by thousands of consecrated men and
women, we can rightfully rejoice in that legacy; but
we do not strut arrogantly and blindly in a smog of
smugness. We are not called to boisterous boasting of
our accomplishments; but rather to vigorous and radiant
praise of and faithful service to our Lord.

That’s why we “enter into His gates with thanksgiv-
ing” and begin this convention with praise . . . “The
Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth
endures to all generations.”

People change, circumstances differ, and philosophies
vary; but the truth of God is unchanging and enduring.

Jeremiah 6:16 invites us to “stand by the ways and
see and ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
and walk in it: and you shall find rest for your souls.”

We “make a joyful sound unto the Lord” because
He has preserved the Gospel among us, the timeless
message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
Since God is like Jesus, nothing is too good to be true!
God’s mercies are as old as eternity and yet as new
as this morning! Our Christian faith is not a blind leap
into the dark ... but rather a trust based on God’s
promises and the marvelous redemptive events that
happened in calendar history.

We serve the Lord with gladness who caused us to