The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1912, Page 70

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70

The Lutheran Pioneer.

At the morning service, Rev. John Alston, of
Mount Pleasant, N. C., preached the dedicatory ser-
mon, taking his text from Eph. 2, 19—22. He
spoke on, “The Christian Church a Wonderful
Building.” In this service, Rev. Alston addressed
a large number of people. Besides the two sister
congregations of Charlotte, there were present Tu-
theran members of the congregations of Concord,
Mount Pleasant, and Dry’s Schoolhouse, and many
friends and strangers from Greenville. After the
service, luncheon was served to those who live at
some distance.

The neighborhood was carried away as the con-
gregation opened with the dear old hymns, “A
Mighty Fortress Is Our God” and “My Church, My
Church, My Dear Old Church.”

Notwithstanding the fact that there was no bell
to summon the people, at 3 p. a. the chapel was filled
to its capacity. For want of more seats, many chil-
dren were seated on the rostrum, and still the aisles
were crowded with people standing. ‘The audience,
with great interest and deep solemnity, listened to
Rev. McDavid, who spoke on “Ihe Glory of the
Lutheran Church,” from Ps. 87. After this service
many of the people who lived far away Jeft for their
respective homes. At both of these services the
St. Paul’s Choir, of Charlotte, directed by Mrs. Me-
David, rendered anthems of praise. ‘The rendition
of these anthems indicated diligent work on the
part of the directress and the members.

At the night service, although there was not so
large a‘crowd as either in the morning or afternoon
services, the chapel was well filled with people. Can-
~ didate O. Lynn preached a powerful and elegant
sermon from Luke 15, 1. 2, his subject being,
“Christ Receives Sinners.”

* The dedicatory event is now something of the
past, but the deep impression these services made
upon the strangers who had never before heard a
Lutheran service, is still spoken of. Quite many
commending remarks were made of the sermons
and the good singing they had heard. The pastors
heard one remark which was made, namely, “I did
not know that the Lutherans could sing so well;
why, they sing terribly,” meaning they sang ex-
cellently. :

We are glad to say that Lutheranism in our
vicinity is beginning to find influence among our
people. Day by day they are realizing that the
Lutheran Church teaches and preaches nothing but
God’s Word. And not only among grown people is
it true, but it is doubly true among the young ones.

Next door to our missionary resides a Baptist family
whose children often follow the missionary or his
wife to our Sunday-school. The children learned to
like our service, and often begged their parents to
become Lutherans. The parents being staunch Bap-
tists, objected to this; but the children earnestly
declared that they would join no other church than
the Lutheran Church. On dedication day the chil-
dren wanted to follow the missionary as usually;
but the parents forbade them, and told the little
ones to accompany them to their church. In the
afternoon, after the service, when the pastor’s wife
returned home, she found one of the children heart-
broken, erying on the front steps of his home. “What
is the matter, Johnny?” the pastor’s wife asked.
“[ am crying because mamma would not let me go
to my church” (the Lutheran church). “I went to
that other church, but that’s my church,” sobbingly
answered the boy, meaning our Lutheran chapel.
‘The pastor’s wife cheered him, and told him he could
come next Sunday. ‘The earnestness of this boy
to come to our chureh induced the whole family to
attend our service the following Sunday.

While the pastor was returning home from work
on the little chapel one evening, all exhausted,
wending his way home up and down the hills, he
caught sight of a woman and a little girl walking
as though they were pursued by some one. IHardly
had the missionary entered his home and walked
to the rear when a rap at the door was heard. As
he opened, the woman stood there and said, Rev-
erend, I came to ask you to baptize my little girl.”
The pastor tried to induce the mother to postpone
the baptism until the coming Sunday in church.
The mother answered, “Reverend, I want her bap-
tized now, regardless of what you charge me. I
think it is time for me to present this child to God.”
Upon examination the pastor discovered that the
child had for quite a while worried its mother to
be baptized in the Lutheran faith. ‘Tlie pastor
baptized the child. After the administration of
baptism, both mother and child, like persons re-
lieved from a heavy burden, exclaimed, “Thank
God!” As the woman was about to leave, she
offered to pay the pastor; but he declined the offer,
saying, “I cannot sell what God offers man without
money and without price.” ‘The woman scemed to
have received peace of conscience. She promised
that she would bring the rest of her children to
baptism.

God bless our new chapel and its congregation
to the salvation of many souls! Cc. P. T.