LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 70

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PA EM OM TEE ESET ATES ALLE IE I AEM OY

ES RETR AIRE IEE AE NET APSE IU TER SC

CONVENTION SERMON 71

answering a worldwide hunger for forgiveness and peace
and a churchwide yearning for renewal and recon-
ciliation!

We would do well to pray with all earnestness that
the excruciating tensions that we have experienced can
now give way to a Spirit-led reconcilation and a God-
pleasing time of accomplishment.

In that Spirit, we shall once again be able to maxi-
mize our church’s exciting strengths for the people
within and without our Synod. This holy impatience
to be at God’s work in new and exciting ways is the
Lord’s gift to an embattled church.

With this kind of Spirit-led synodical stance, we
will be able more properly and effectively to relate to
one another, to Lutherans in other synods, and to Chris-
tians around the world, to say nothing of the millions
whom we yet may reach for Jesus Christ. What a fan-
tastic prospect!

This renewal that we all pray for is not an event,
but rather a process by which the church becomes and
does what Christ intends the church to be and do.
Luther said: “It is not yet done and accomplished, but it
is going on. It is not all glistening and shining, but it
is all being swept.”

Whatever our past has been, by God’s mercy we
have a spotless future .. . If the church would praise
God more, the world would doubt Him less!

There was this poor share-cropping family who, in
the depression, didn’t have enough money at Christmas-
time for each one to get a present.

So they all decided they would chip in together .. .
father and mother . . . and little son Willie, on one
present that they could all use . . . something they had
never enjoyed before.

They looked in the big mail-order catalog and de-
cided they would buy the family a mirror. With con-
siderable excitement, they pooled their money and
sent it off to the company. The day before Christmas,
the present arrived and they proudly hung the mirror.

When it was up, Dad was the first to use it... and
he looked in and he smiled. Mother looked next...
and she giggled. And then little Willie looked in and
he cried. Willie cried because he was seeing himself
for the first time as he really was. Willie had been
kicked by a mule as a young child and his face was
badly scarred and disfigured. When he saw himself as
he really appeared, he wept.

And he looked up at his mother and said: “Did you
know all this time that I looked like this?”

And she put her arms around him and said: “Yes,

Willie, we knew. We saw you as you are, but we loved
you just the same, all this time, because you're ours.”

The mirror of God’s Law shows us as we are. We
look up to God and say: “Did you know all this time
that we looked like that?”

And He says: “Yes, I knew and I loved you just the
same; I loved you because you were Mine. Mine be-
cause I made you. Mine because I redeemed you. I
have called you by name.”

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...” Because
of that grace, because we are His: “All things work for
good as we love Him.” So the best is yet to come!

Our Lord came the first time to a crucifixion; He is
coming the next time to a coronation! The first time
to a tree; the second time to a throne!

His disciples saw Him going up with a real body,
His followers will see Him come down with a real

body ... He is coming again to give glorious eternal
life to His believing people . . . life without end, with-
out sin, sickness, sorrow, pain, or death.

Seeing that this is how it will all climax ... may

God spare us from giving first-rate effort to second-
rate causes. What the world needs now is truth, saving
truth, and we’ve got the Book of truth and the Christ
of truth . . . let’s tell the truth to the world!

And what the world needs now is love, sweet love

. and we’ve got it! Let’s share it, better than ever
before!

Delegates and friends, I beseech you by the mercies
of God that we make of this convention a turning point
in our church’s life . . . a time of which we can all be
proud. You can be a vital part in what could be our
church’s finest hour.

Let’s see to it by the love of God that our church
stands on Scripture .. . walks with Christ ... and runs
for the final victory. Because we are going to win the
ultimate prize in the risen Christ. God cannot promise
us more, and we dare not settle for less.

The theme of our convention is the last line of the
final verse of this great hymn No. 400. The words are:
“Ever, Only, All for Thee.” Our mighty God stands
ready to lead us to our greatest era of accomplishment
as we rally around His cross and empty tomb and united
sing in triumph:

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store;

Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

God bless you. Amen!

Vice-PRESIDENT Gui1p0 MERKENS