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LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 91

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

125th ANNIVERSARY SERMON 91

God means for us to KEEP MOVING FORWARD
“with our eyes fixed on Jesus on whom our faith de-
pends from start to finish.” Remember, He did not give
up, not even as He faced the cross for us.

And remember this: as we look back into the history
of our fathers, we don’t just see beauty and glory and
power; we see also turmoil, and weakness, and the
temptation to quit. But because of His mercy God’s
report of our history reads like this: “By faith Abel, by
faith Moses, by faith Abraham, by faith Dr. Walther,
by faith the Missouri Synod, by faith your congrega-
tion, by faith your pastor, by faith all of its members, —
by faith in Jesus Christ we are what we are.

As we walk in the shadow of the saints before us, the
church of tomorrow is saying something like this: “If we
are to follow your footsteps, then please keep moving
FORWARD!”

He depends upon us, this Lord we adore. And He’s
looking down upon us even now, and waiting for us to
act, to rise in faith and to move forward.

I hope the contemplation of it makes us restless and
leaves us no peace until we do it. As in the case of

Angela Morgan, who expressed what she felt in a bit
of verse. I’m going to close with it. In the midst of
a tossing restlessness she cried out:

Thou who art mighty hast forgot —

Or art Thou God or art Thou not?

When wilt Thou come to save this earth
Where death has conquered birth?

And the Lord God answered and said to me:
These things shall be, these things shall be
Nor help shall come from the scarlet skies
Till My people rise.

Till My people rise I cannot speak,

My voice is weak till My people speak.
Till My people rise My arm is numb,

I cannot come till My people come.

When My people rise, when My people rise,
I will answer them from the scarlet skies
And lift them to the level of My eyes

— When My people rise!

Always, as we keep moving forward, there is the
sure promise of His continuing mercy. More than this
we do not need. More than this we dare not ask. Happy
Anniversary, MISSOURI! For His tender mercy’s sake,
hold fast to Him — and move forward for Him. AMEN.

VicE-PRESENT W. Harry KRIEGER