The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1883, Page 22

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

_ committed to memory the catechism, text and

The Lutheran Pioneer.

However young and weak and unexperienced,
they are welcomed to fight the good fight, and
they need be. The deceitfulness of their own
hearts, the snares of the world, the cunnings of
Satan will not cease to attack and afflict, and
crosses of some sort are awaiting them. In the
world many shall have sorrow, hours of dark-
ness, suffering, and bitterness. Were they to
rely on their own strength they would easily
be overcome. But He who has trod the way
before them has promised to be with them and
to keep them from falling and bring them safely
through. Three infants have been incorporated
into the church by holy baptism. It has pleased
God to take from us one of our most active
members, Mr. Alfred Anderson. He was ailing
for some time, but attended his church all the
same, until he was too feeble to walk. In his
sickness and suffering he was patient and full
of hope of future glory. He departed this life
rejoicing that he had found a Saviour for his
soul, and he committed it unto His keeping.
His remains were taken care of by the Bene-
volent Society of which he was a member, but
the funeral services were held in the chapel,
where a large congregation was assembled. He
leaves a widow, who is also a member of St.
Paul's church.

A regular meeting of the congregation is
held on the first Monday of every month. The
meeting is opened by singing a hymn, reading
a chapter from Holy Scriptures, and prayer.
After the minor business matters have been
transacted the rest of the time is devoted to
the explanation of some doctrine. In the last
meeting Mr. C. C. Monten and Mr. Louis
Thomas were elected officers of the congrega-
tion, Mr. Berg secretary and treasurer. Every
member contributes from 15 cents upward for
the benefit of our poor and sick.

Shortly before Easter, Mr. Berg held his
annual school examination, 85 children were
present. The progress which the school has
made in the course of the year was gratifying.
It was evident that both teacher and children
have kept each other busy. The Sunday school
is adding some to its number almost every
Sunday. Besides Mr. Berg two assistant teach-
ers, church member, are engaged in the work.

Last Friday was a day of joy for the school;
it was the picnic day. Old and young were
seen marching out to the grounds with baskets
on their arms heavy with meat and drink. The
day was so fair and bright as it could possibly
he wished for. Swings were put up for the
girls, bats and balls handed to the boys, and
there was swinging and playing and merry
laughter from early in the morning till’ sunset
when every one went home more tired than
they would like to tell.

May God continue to bless us and prosper
our work.

New Orleans, La., May 14, 1883.

Missionary.
———2 +e eo oe
explanation, passages from the Bible, parts of | Cunisr is not valued at all unless he is valued
Bible history and some of our beautiful hymns. |above all.—Augustine.
: \

Letter from New Orleans.

Dear Proyeer:—Our St. Paul mission on
Claiborne has hitherto prospered steadily; a
decline, however, is noy, visible, especially in
regard to church attendance. There was a
time when our chapel was crowded with atten-
tive and devout hearers every Sunday evening.
When the appointed time for service arrived,
old and young alike hurried to the place of
worship, some moved by mere curiosity per-
haps, some by the example of others, and a few
by the holy aspiration of having their souls
saved. Whatever their object may have been
for coming up to the house of God, of all the
colored churches in our vicinity, our chapel
was the best attended. That time is no more.
But while we are heartily sorry to note the
decline, there is as yet no cause for dishearted-
ness and discouragement. For wherever the
Gospel is preached in its truth and purity there
a few souls are always found that will listen to
it, accept it, believe it. ‘‘It shall not return
unto me void, says the Lord, it shall accom-
plish that for which I have sent it.””_ While in
obedience to the command of the Lord we are
letting down the net of his word we know not
whether few or many will be caught, what we
know is, that our toiling and laboring shall not
be in vain. But there must be some reason
or other for this decline; and so there is. The
new mission field on Franklin Str. not only
deserves more attention, its steady progress
claims it; and because it takes up more time
and requires more labor, the St. Paul mission
falls a little behind. The missionary can not
longer visit every member and well-wisher of
the church every week as he was want of doing.
St. Paul is at a great disadvantage as to the
time for public worship. It will be remembered
that this was changed in favor of Mt. Zion.
Add to this the frequent highwater that ob-
structs the way to the church for weeks at the
time, causing all sorts of sickness. The small
‘pox has been and is still more prevalent here
than in any other part of the city. ‘Thus it
will be seen, that the people have some excuse
for not attending the church as regularly as
before. But it can not be overlooked that
many of our former church-goers, who once
seemed to be so devoted to our mission and pur-
posed to become members of the church, have
turned in quite another direction. A dulness
and deadness seemed to have overpowered their
hearts; those once so active are now sluggish
and cold.

But while some we lost others we won.
Twelve members, mostly young people, have
lately been added to the church. On the first
Sunday after Easter the class formed in Sep-
tember Jast was duly confirmed; they were
bright scholars, attentive, diligent, and zealous
in learning the way of salvation. With two
and three hours weekly instruction they had

carried with him.

In a Lutheran Country.

A French traveller, who spent nearly five

years in Scandinavia, some time ago published
a work, in two volumes, in which he makes
known his experiences and observations among
the Lutheran people of that country. He con-
siders these people the most honest people of
Europe.
fact.
travelled in little boats propelled by a couple
oarsmen, and was surprised to find them leay-
ing the boat on the river’s bank with their few
necessaries, and with his satchel containing his
money and other valuables, in it, to go to a
farm house some distance back to spend the
night.
doors wide open; watches etc. hanging on the
walls, and all the inmates away at work in the
fields.

He everywhere found proofs of this
In many sections of the country, he

Houses on the highways stood with the

“Tt is not the custom of the country
to secure anything under lock and key; in-

deed, no servant would be willing to stay in a
house where they were mistrusted. If a family
is gone upon a journey, they lock the doors
and hang the keys on a nail outside the door,
so that in case of an emergency the neighbors

may enter.’’ No wonder the French traveller
soon was ashamed of the revolvers which he
He says, ‘‘I began to feel
ashamed: of having them with me, and carefully
kept them out of sight.’’ And then he says,
“For safety, I had left some valuables in Lon-
don, including a gold watch-chain; but here I
was travelling, I may say without fear of con-
tradictioh, in the safest country in the world.’’

He also notices the absence of all profanity.
Of the sea-captain who commanded the vessel
on which he sailed, he says: ‘‘I never heard him
utter an oath. Before partaking of his meals
he used to bow his head and silently ask a bles-
sing—a custom I found almost-universal among
Scandinavians. On-board the ship no profane
language is permitted.’’ Of the Norwegian
fishermen he says: ‘‘One of the beautiful char-
acteristics of these men, who have never left their
native land, is their reverence for God. They
are seldom heard to utter an oath. During the
years I have been in the country I never heard
any of them swear, no matter how angry he may
have been, or how great the provocation. They
reprove the offender without cursing him.’’

He finds the secret of their honesty and mo-
rality in their system of education. ‘‘To bring
up their children in the fear of the Lord,’’ he
says, ‘‘is one of the chief aims of the parents,
and their young are religiously instructed.’
This is not only done in schools where the
children learn, day by day, Bible stories and
Bible truths from the catechism, but also in
their houses. He at one time was on his way
to visit at a farm house. ‘‘Before reaching the
house,’ he says, ‘‘I heard the young mother
singing psalms by the cradle of her babe. She
said as I entered: ‘This is my first-born, and I
want him from his birth to hear me sing praises
to God; I want him to fear and love the Lord
when he grows up, for God is good to us all.’”’