LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1977, Page 99

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98 ESSAY AND BIBLE STUDY

forgiveness which He offers us. It is in Him and His
death on the cross where we receive the strength and the
desire to strive to preserve the “unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

A Concluding Word

At about the same time that Dr. Preus asked me to be
responsible for the Bible study-essay for this conven-
tion, my wife and I were blessed with the gift ofa healthy
baby boy whom we named Peter. Like all infants, he was
pretty helpless. There was not a whole lot which he could
do. He couldn’t turn over, he could not coordinate the
movements of his limbs, he could not even ask for the
sustenance of his mother’s milk. About all he could do
was to let us know when he was hungry, when he was
wet, and when he was hurting.

But you ought to see Peter now, some eight months
later. No doubt some of you up there in the balcony have
already heard him complain during his father’s essay.
Although he still has a long way to go, he has come a
long way. He has more than doubled in size, he can crawl
about the room, and, he has no trouble putting anything
left within his reach in his mouth. There is no doubt
about it—during these past eight months Peter has been
growing.

We all know why Peter is growing. It is not because
his mother and I commanded him to “grow up.” It is not
because we threatened him about what would happen to
him if he didn’t grow. It is not because we lectured him
on the fine qualities of his mother’s milk. Peter is
growing because we feed him regularly and often with a
balanced diet of the proper nourishment.

Spiritual growth in Christ bears certain similarities
to the physical growth of an infant. Bo Giertz in his
novel The Hammer of God has a veteran pastor give the
following advice to a troubled and discouraged young
colleague: “Read the Bible.” When the young man
responds, “I read the Bible every day. .. . I try to read
devotionally and for edification, so that I take to heart
that which I feel is meant for me,” the older pastor
responds:

“Feel, feel! That is just what is wrong. Don’t you
believe the Bible is God’s Word just as truly, no matter
how you may feel? Don’t you see, brother, that this won’t
do? Because you make your feelings your barometer, you
pass by the Gospel and are held fast in the law... . Read
God’s Word now as God’s Word, without skipping
anything. Underline heavily everything about whatour
Savior has done for us. And if you like, write ‘for me’ in
the margin. You need this yourself, and it is your duty to
preach it to your congregation, as well” (Giertz, pp. 296—
297).

The old pastor’s advice presented a fine program for
growth in Christ Jesus: Study the Scriptures—read
God’s Word as God’s Word. Do not skip anything.
Underline heavily everything about what our Savior
has done for us. He might have added: “Do not neglect
the Sacrament of Holy Communion.”

It is no secret to any of you attending this convention
that we in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod need
to grow. Our church’s problems during the past few
years are known around the world, and they are
certainly well known by us. It is because of our
difficulties that the synod in convention in 1975
assigned the CTCR the responsibility for coordinating
“the preparation of a series of Bible class studies” which
would have as their goal “true and lasting peace and
concord” in our church.

Working together with the other boards and com-
missions of the Synod (and I would mention in
particular the Board for Parish Education) the CTCR
has developed the “That We May Grow” program. This
theme was subsequently adopted as the theme of this
convention. And as the theme for the planned parish
program for the next two years.

During our days together here in Dallas we have
attempted to whet your appetite. We have been turning
directly to God’s Word in 1 Peter. We have discussed the
Law and the Gospel and the importance of dis-
tinguishing them properly. And now as we come to the
end of our study of God’s Word during this convention, it
is our hope that you will be returning to your homes in
the spirit of Resolution 3-01 adopted earlier in this
convention; with the goal to encourage your congrega-
tion to participate in the Bible and confessional studies
which form the heart of the “That We May Grow”
program. During this convention each congregation in
Synod has been sent a “That We May Grow” planning
kit. Already earlier every congregation in Synod
received a “That We May Grow” calendar which lists the
eight Bible and four confessional studies which begin
this coming September with a study of 1 Peter and the
Formula of Concord. Seven additional Bible studies on
Ephesians, John’s Gospel, Genesis, Galatians, James,
Jeremiah, and Colossians/Philemon will follow—every
quarter until the summer of 1979. Additional studies on
the Lutheran Confessions are scheduled to appear every
six months on the Large Catechism, the Augsburg
Confession, and on selected themes from the Con-
fessions.

What great blessings of growth will result when we
individually and collectively as a church study the pure
milk of the Word, the powerful Word, the Word which is
the source of growth into salvation through Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior. May God use this program
to bless The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, so that
at its conclusion the celebration of the Book of Concord
in 1980 may also be the occasion for the celebration of
lasting peace and concord in our church.

Unite us, O Lord, give peace, remove division sinful,
And grant us, that strife may cease,

our mind to speak, one thing;
That we may grow in concord. and banish party discord;

Oh, lead us, Thy Word our light, Dispel error’s night
That loud hallelujahs ring (“Unite us, O Lord,” stanza 1).

Amen.
Samuel H. Nafzger