The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1889, Page 6

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

Colored Lutheran Trinity Church in
New Orleans.

In our picture we see the beautiful Trinity
Church, which our Mission Board bought some
time ago for our Colored Mission in Carrollton.
It stands in the midst of a large colored popu-
lation, that lives in dense ignorance and is led
astray by Romish priests, fanatical sects, and
secret societies. Of this station our missionary
recently wrote: ‘‘Carrollton, though numeric-
ally somewhat behind the older stations both
as to membership and church attendance, is
alive and active. The members of our church
in Carrollton are few, but they are earnest
christian workers, faithfully proclaiming the
deeds of Him, who has called
them. And what can nota few
earnest active Christians ac-
complish through Him who is
mighty in the weak? The field
is a hard one, and so have
other fields been, yet the word
preached in season and out of
season must eventually over-
come and obtain the victory.
Mr. Joeckel opened his school
with some 90 scholars, 12 of
whom are receiving catechet-
ical instruction from the pas-
tor.””

2 oe

(For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer.’’)

News from our Mission in
Meherrin, Va.

Wednesday, Jan. 9, was an
important day, a day of rejoic-
ing for the mission in Meherrin,
Va. On that day a class of 18
confessed Christ, and vowed
faithfulness to Him, in faith,
word and deed, until death,
and were received into com-
munion of the Ey. Luth. Church, 4 by bap-
tism, and 9 by confirmation.

On Tuesday evening previous they were ex-
amined by the missionary, Mr. Schooff, and all
of them gave evidence of: faithful instruction,
on the part of the missionary, and of sufficient
knowledge of God’s word and the doctrines of
our Church, on their part, to enter into and to
take upon themselves the holy covenant of bap-
tism with clear conviction and understanding.

The service on Wednesday consisted of a
baptism and confirmation sermon on the text
1 Pet. 3, 21, followed by the acts of baptism
and confirmation. Then a short intermission.
After that confessional service was held and
the holy communion administered to all the
members of the mission (except one who was
absent) now consisting of twenty-one, in which
Mr. Schooff also took part. It was a day of
spiritual rejoicing to all and also to the under-
signed, who, by God’s good favor, led the

_ service.- C. J. O£HrIscHLAEGER,
; Richmond, Va.

Cheerful Non-Givers.

Mr. A., a vestryman of —— parish, listened
to a missionary statement of the work of a new
mission in a destitute neighborhood. ‘‘It is a
good work,’’ said he, ‘a very good work. I'll
give a dollar to help it on.’’? The next day
Mr. A. went on a pleasure trip to a distant
city; stopped at a first-class hotel, and rode
around to see various parts of interest. The
trip cost him one hundred dollars.

Miss B. took out of her purse fifty cents to
help buy some coal for a poor widow's family in
a back street, but left in the other compartment
of the purse a ten dollar bill that was to be
used for buying some trimming for a new dress.

Colored Lutheran Trinity Church in New Orleans,

Mrs. C. was very much interested in paying
off the church debt. She finally concluded
that she could afford to give ten dollars; but
finding that the ring she was about purchasing
was more expensive than she first thought,
changed her gift to the church to five dollars.
The other five dollars went to help pay for
the ring.

Dr. D. told the committee who called upon
him that he really could not give more than
fifty cents each week towards the pastor's salary.

‘He thought twenty-five dollars year a very

generous allowance for him; but he sent honfe
the same day a few ornaments, for which his
wife was puzzled for house room. ‘The orna-
ments cost twenty-five dollars.

‘The roof of the parsonage leaked badly, and
the clergyman reported that the health of his
family was suffering from the dampness thus
occasioned throughout the house; but the
people were so slow in repairing it, that the

‘winter was one of great discomfort to the

clergyman’s family. During the winter the

pastor was ‘invited to five parties given by his
parishioners, the expense of which would haye
put the dilapidated parsonage in complete re-
pair.

Thankfulness.

If God refused us fur a time the use of His
creatures; if He once withheld the sun from
shining, at another time imprison the air, or
again dried up the waters, or quenched the fire,
then we would indeed eagerly give all our
money, and everything we possessed, to haye
once more the use of these creatures. But be-
cause He lavishes His gifts and riches on us so
freely and so abundantly, we claim them asa
right. Thus the unspeakably
great abundance of His count
less benefits hinders and dark-
ens our faith.

If God were to say to the
pope, the emperor, kings, prin-
ces, bishops, doctors, rich mer-
chants, burghers, and farmers,
“Thou shalt die this very day,
unless thou give me a hundred
thousand {florins,’’ every one
would say, ‘‘Yes, with all my
heart, if I may only live.’

But now we are such thank-
less creatures, that we scarce
sing Him a Deo gratias (thanks
to God) for the many and
great benefits which we daily
receive abundantly from His
pure goodness and mercy.

Nevertheless, the gracious
Father is not estranged by this,
but is ever doing us good. If
He stinted his gifts, instead of
lavishing and showering them
on us,-we should thank Him
more. For instance: if we
were all born with one leg or
foot, and only in our seventh year received the
second leg, at fourteen one hand, at twenty 8
second, we might recognize more the worth
of the gifts for a time withheld, and be more
thankful.

We are so shamefully perverse that we are
unthankful for our present gifts and goods,
and only think of little deficiencies. Let every
one go home and count the gifts which he has;
he will find far more gifts than deficiencies;
and Jet him thank God for them.—Luther.

——_—=» —-- 0 <> 0 +

Curysostom, the renowned Bishop of Con-
stantinople, was persecuted in various ways by
the Empress Eudoxia, because he opposed her
unrighteous plots, At one time, when the
servants of the emperor were endeavoring to
intimidate him by threats, he gave them an
answer so full of faith and joy that they left
him with confusion, and appearing before the
empress, said, ‘‘O Empress, you seek in vain to
terrify this man, for there is nothing that he
80 much fears as sin.’

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