The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 93

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

93

Sunday, October 31, with beautiful and impressive
ceremonies. A large congregation, consisting chiefly
of schoolchildren, assembled to take part in the
service, to thank and praise God for the many
blessings bestowed. Under the leadership of Teacher
Eberhard, the schoolchildren rendered two fitting

selections: ‘Now thank we all our God,” and,
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of

creation.” It is needless to state that this singing
on the part of our children added very much to the
beauty and impressiveness of the service. Our
colored scholars in general sing up to the Lutheran
but on this occasion they fairly outdid
No Christian with a heart for our

standard,
themselves.

Our bell-dedication having taken place on the
31st of October, we were obliged to postpone our
teformation day services to the following Sunday.
Although no special program was arranged for this
service, we were permitted to celebrate the joyous
festival in a most interesting and uplifting manner.
In both services, afternoon and evening, the mis-
sionary lectured on “The Life and Chief Work of
Dr. Martin Luther,” the man chosen by God to
cleanse the Church from the many gross errors, cor-
ruption, and malpractices that had crept into it,
and again hold up the Word of God, especially the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the misled people as the
sole authority in matters spiritual and the only way

Pupils of Our Colored Lutheran School at Napoleonville, La.
Rev. Ed. Schmidt to the left, Teacher F. W. Eberhard to the right of the picture.

mission work could listen to such singing without
rejoicing and inwardly most heartily joining them
in their songs of thanks and praise to their Lord
and Savior. Surely, there was rejoicing and sing-
ing above also.

Basing his arguments on the words of Numb.
10, 1—10, the missionary endeavored to instruct
his congregation as to “The Meaning of Church-
Bells.’ Most devout attention was manifested
throughout the discourse.

The mission herewith wishes to heartily thank
its distant benefactors for their kindness in .pre-
senting a bell to us, and trusts that God will reward
each and every one a hundredfold.

May the bell be instrumental in regularly call-
ing many to worship, and thus help build the king-
dom of God in our midst.

to life. He closed with an earnest appeal to his
hearers to appreciate this most important fact, to
thank God for haying sent Luther and for the privi-
lege we enjoy in still having the Gospel preached
and taught among us in its purity and simplicity.

Our church and school building, which was quite
severely damaged by a storm some time ago, is
again in good condition, and our work is once more
taking its usual course. May the Lord bless us
and our labors according to His pleasure!

Ep. S.

Christmas Festival in East Africa.

A Iutheran missionary laboring among the
Wakambas in East Africa writes in regard to the-
Christmas festival :