LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1977, Page 104

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BLACK CENTENNIAL SERMON 105

And shall I fear to own His cause
Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies

On flowery beds of ease

While others fought to win the prize
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace
To help me on to God?

We thank God that there are countless legions of
God’s faithful who have said and are in their quiet way
saying, “Sure, I must fight if I would reign; Increase my
courage, Lord! [ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.”

The Rev. Lawrence Boseck once talked about how,
when the Black residents of his racially changing
parish attended his church, he would visit them at
night for fear of what his white members might say.
But the Lord so richly blessed his efforts that he could
no longer visit them at night.

Max Schulz, an elder in the congregation of Pastor
Boseck, proudly related this story on his deathbed. He
was accosted by one of the white leaders in the church
and asked, ““Didn’t I see you showing some of the Negro
visitors around the church?” He answered, “You bet I
did, and I registered two of their children for Sunday
school. What were you doing?’ That person never
questioned him about such activity again.

When God gives us a job, Satan would not be doing
his work if he did not make it difficult, and Satan is
going to do his work.

I feel that one of God’s continuing challenges to The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod today is to shed the
ethnic character of its image from an apparent German
church for the German people to project the image of
being God’s church for ail races and nationalities, all
colors and conditions of God’s people. At the next
centennial I hope that it will not be strange to find such
names as Dickinson or Marshall or Freeman or Brown
(spelled B-r-o-w-n, not B-r-a-u-n) among the names in
the Lutheran Annual. I feel that a wide door for

effective ministry is opened unto our church in its
ministry to the nonwhite people of our nation and of the
world; but labor under no delusions, there will be many
adversaries to reaping the harvest.

I believe that God, who is the same yesterday, today,
and forever, is not a partial God. He does not
discriminate. He would not provide the spiritual
strength and insight to an apostle Paul or the synodical
fathers and deny it unto us, who are striving to do His
will today. The challenge is the same. The opposition or
difficulties are relatively the same. Our source of help is
also the same. The will of God triumphed in and
through His people in the days of our text. The will of
God can and will triumph today.

If the church can once again get its priorities
adjusted to work in harmony with the good and
gracious will of God, who would have all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; if the
church will see that the primary mission of the church
is missions; if this church can recognize the great door
of opportunity for unlimited mission expansion when it
can, with the help of Almighty God, shake the
whiteness and Germanness of its image and become
one holy catholic church for all of God’s redeemed
people, recognizing that to accomplish this there will be
much resistance and opposition from those without and
from those within; if this church can muster the faith,
courage, and commitment to say with resolve the words
of the apostle Paul, paraphrased, “I am going to stay in
this ministry until there is a great Pentecostal out-
pouring, for there is a wide door for effective ministry
open unto me, and there are many adversaries”; then
and only then can we assure ourselves that we are
doing the good and gracious will of God.

After all, God’s continuing challenge will continue
to challenge His church until the kingdoms of this
world are become the kingdom of our God and of His
Christ, where Christ shall reign forever and ever. To
this most precious task may God direct and redirect us,
guard, guide, and protect us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Richard C. Dickinson, D.D.

Memorial Address
Hebrews 4:9

desu Juva
Unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has
abolished death and brought life and immortality to
light, be all glory and honor now and forevermore.
Amen.

In the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 9, God
addresses us tonight with these simple, beautiful words:
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”

Esteemed and Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In one respect our service this evening is tempered
with sadness.
Some of our fellow saints in Christ linked to us in the

Savior’s service—pastors, teachers, and of the laity—
have been summoned from this life by the angel of death
since the convention of General Synod two years ago.
No one but God can estimate the blessings with
which they enriched the lives of many by pointing them
to words and promises of God such as these:
“Lo, Iam with you alway unto the end of the world.”
“Be still and know that I am God.”
“Cast all yourcare upon Me, and Ishall care for you.”
“All things work together for good to them that love
God.”
“Be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven.”
“T have loved you with an everlasting love, and with
loving kindness have I drawn you.”