The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1896, Page 18

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18

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Ascension Blessings.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as-
cended on high to promote His kingdom,
that through the Word and the Sacraments
His Church might be established and pre-
served. St. Luke in his Gospel points to this
fact in these words: ‘‘While He blessed them,
He was parted from them, and was carried. up
into heayen.’’ This blessing was not a mere
expression of good will, a parting wish, such
as we employ when bidding each other fare-
well. He wished His disciples success and
joy in the holy office which He had en-
trusted unto them, by preaching the
Gospel unto all creatures throughout
the world. To such preaching Christ
ordains His apostles, when He lifts up
His hands He blesses them. He thus
not only wishes them success, hut helps
them and grants them prosperity, and
bestows His blessing in the administra-
tion of their office.

This benediction of our Lord Jesus
Christ still continues, and is eflicacious
wherever the holy Gospel is preached
in its purity, so that this preaching is
not in vain. This blessing bestowed
upon the disciples by the Lord, at the
very time of His ascension on high, is
full of consolation for us. He thereby

that we now have through our Lord all things
that we need for time and for eternity. Let
us therefore imitate the example of the apos-
tles, as it is recorded by St. Luke, who ‘‘wor-
shiped the Lord” and were filled ‘‘with great
joy ;’’ let us give hearty thanks unto our heav-
enly Father for His manifestation of mercy,
and pray that He may keep us in true faith,
so that in the end we may depart in peace
from this world, following our ascended Lord
into eternal life and happiness. O Christ,
grant us this in mercy! Amen.

Dr. Martin Luther.

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invites us to keep in mind His going to
the Father, and to rest assured under
all tribulation that the blessing of His
ascension is with us, and that He will
employ its glorious effects for our ben-
efit. If His purpose were otherwise, if
He were angry with us and would not
use us in His kingdom, He would cer-
tainly not have departed on high with
these tokens of love toward us.° The
fact of His raising His hands in blessing
over His disciples, thereby promising
them all prosperity and suceess in their
holy office, to which He had called them,
is an assurance unto us that the Lord is
our faithful, true Friend, whose blessing
is ever upon us as long as the Gospel is
preached.

These considerations teach us what a happy
and comfortable day the festival of Christ’s
Ascension is unto us, and what manifold
blessings flow from it. Henceforth the Son
of God, who assumed our flesh and blood and
evercame sin, death, and the devil, sits at
the right hand of the Father and protects us
against the many assaults of these our foes.
They are indeed relentless enemies, constantly
on the alert to injure us; and yet they are in
captivity, led captive by our ascended Lord.
Christ furthermore sends us His Holy Spirit
to guide us into all truth, to protect us from
error, to console us in sorrow, to teach us
how to pray, and to confer upon us various
"gifts and graces. Christ ‘‘ascended up far
above all heaven, that He might fill all things,”’

‘says St. Paul, and thus expresses the truth

Letter from Uncle Bob.

To mx Op FRIENDS AND my YounG FRIENDS:

Last Sunday was a day of genuine joy and
happiness in Mount Zion. It was Confir-
mation Day.

Uncle Bob was invited to attend; and, of
course, he was in evidence. ‘This was the first
confirmation in Mount Zion held outside of
the precincts of a church edifice, because there
was none. Our new school, however, an-
swered very well under the circumstances.
Saturday was a busy day. Stoves were taken
out and stored away till next winter. ‘The
folding doors were thrown wide open, in order
to make one large hall out of the two rooms.
There was a general overhauling, so as to make
the school look as nearly churchly as possible.

|

|

Sunday morning promised a bright day,
| and just so it turned out. The Sunday School
| was crowded; and everything looked auspi-
cious and augured a pleasant evening. By
7 p.m. Uncle Bob and his young nephews
} Were on the way to witness the Confirmation
in Mount Zion. Down the wide avenue
we all sauntered with the cool south breeze
|in our faces till we reached Mount Zion. All
was bright and cheery when we entered.
True, it was a solemn occasion, one full of
| serious import for all, but doubly so for those
| who were to announce their allegiance to the
Saviour and His cause. There they sat,
those six faithful children, and behind
them one of mature age, ready to con-
fess the Lord before friend and foe!
Uncle Bob scanned their features, and
the bright eyes and beaming counte-
nances, added to a modest behsvior,
was surely indicative of the happiness
within their hearts.

Uncle Bob was glad to see 225 per-
sons present on this solemn occasion.
At 7.30 p. m., the large chapel organ
poured forth its grand music for some
minutes, announcing the beginning of
services. Then the pastor stepped forth
and announced the services as begun in
the name of God the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost. Next followed the hymn
‘‘Lord Jesus Christ, be present now.”
The many children put vigor and force
into the singing, so that it was very in-
spiring to hear the grand old hymn
floating through the large hall. After
the hymn, the pastor addressed and
catechised his catechumen class. Their
answers convinced all present that they
were well prepared for Confirmation.
Certainly, this fund of Bible knowledge
will stand them in good stead in the
years tocome. Following the catechi-
sation, came that prayerful hymn ‘‘Let
me be Thine forever.”’ ‘The pastor next
delivered a very able sermon to the as-
sembled congregation. After the ser-
mon the congregation sang ‘Baptized
into Thy name most holy.’”? Then
followed the baptism of two catechumens by
the missionary.

The pastor then performed the act of Con-
firmation as in use in Lutheran congregations,
which is certainly very impressive. In Mount
Zion it was particularly so, owing to the many
strangers present, who had never witnessed
it before. The valedictory address was 4
touching one. God grant that the words
which fell from the lips of the missionary
‘may fall on good ground in those young
hearts, and also in the hearts of us all. Bene-
diction and Doxology closed the peautiful
services, which Uncle Bob had expected to
take place in the new church. But it was
not to be! .

Uncle Bob expects to address hi :
children and young people, very 8008 984!m

s friends,