The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1914, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

19

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the Savior, the only Savior, and that His righteous-
ness alone can avail, will make us earnest mission-
aries, ever ready to spread the Gospel story. We
shall then not neglect any opportunity given us to
spread the glad tidings of man’s reconciliation to
God through Christ, and nothing will be able to in-
duce us to alter or weaken the precious message.
Our watchword will be: Nothing in my hands I
bring, simply to Christ’s cross I cling! Our slogan
will be: Christ, Christ alone, is our perfect Sub-
stitute; He has borne our sins, and He has suffered
in our stead. ‘This precious, comforting truth we
may not, dare not, will not surrender despite all
opposition and derision. With Paul we glory in the
“foolishness” of the Gospel: “I am not ashamed of
the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth,” Rom. 1, 16.

— >.

New Strength through Prayer.

The common water spider, not unfrequently
found in deep ditches and ponds in some parts of
England, is a very interesting animal in more than
one respect. One of its peculiar habits is to rise
to the surface of the water now and then to get a
fresh supply of air; for though it lives in water,
it breathes just like other spiders do. Every time
it comes to the surface it takes down with it a tiny
globule of air with which it surrounds itself. When
this supply of air is used up, it comes to the surface
for a fresh supply. Thus it is enabled to live under
the water.

We Christians are living in the world as in a
strange element; we are in the world, but not of the
world. On all sides we are surrounded by an at-
mosphere of worldliness that threatens to smother
us. Let us rise up beyond the worldliness about us
on the wings of prayer, and get new strength from
hour to hour as we need it.

The little water spider has its task set by its
Maker down under the water, where it constructs its
webs among the stems and leaves of aquatic plants.
So God has also given us our tasks in this world.
Some of us must work in stores, others in factories.
But wherever we may work, we shall probably be
thrown together with evil fellow-workmen. Then
let us remember how the water spider maintains its
life under the water by rising again and again for
a fresh supply of air. Wherever we may be in the
midst of our daily task, let us lift up our hearts to
God in prayer and rest assured that He will always
give us help.

On the Wing.

“Little good old Concord” is the endearing term
which the colored people of that growing city apply
to their home town, and it describes the “City on
the Hills” as it has been for a generation and still
is. We are interested in Concord because of the
mission work we have been doing there since 1891.
Within “hollering distance” of the Court House and
half a block from the new imposing Post Office is
the Lutheran Grace Church and School, once new
and attractive, but now uninviting in consequence
of years of wear and tear. A thorough overhauling
of the buildings and improvements of the grounds
are now in progress. Rev. W. G. Schwehn, the
present pastor, is busy, and is keeping the people
busy. ‘They are loyal Lutherans and cheerfully re-
spond to any appeal the pastor may make. When
pastor and people work together, heart to heart and
shoulder to shoulder, any task undertaken for the
upbuilding of the Church of God becomes compara-
tively easy.

The writer had the pleasure of preaching twice
in Grace Church to large audiences. Even Mark
Boger and Daniel Peay, old friends of ours and
frequent visitors at the Lutheran church, were pres-
ent. The trouble with these friends, as with many
others that love the Lutheran Church because of its
Biblical doctrines and practice and its decent and
orderly services, is, that they are sitting on the fence
and can never decide on which side to “drop.”

You, Mr. Editor, and I and other old-timers
have not often, if ever, been guests of honor at a
public reception while we were on the “firing line.”
We had the pleasure, however, of helping make
others feel at home among us when they came as
associate laborers. But here at Concord the writer
was the central attraction at a big reception. _ It
was an agreeable surprise. The ladies of the church
with the young pastor had taken full possession
of the first floor of the schoolhouse. Long tables
covered with white linen and decorated with flowers
and pot-plants were arranged. Covers were laid —
for 125 guests, and they were all there, and some
more, too. We mention this reception, in order
that others, when an occasion presents itself, may
imitate the Concord people, and gladden the hearts
of pastors and teachers with similar tokens of love
and appreciation.

At Mount Pleasant we spent several days in vis-
iting the churches and school of Rev. John Alston.
The pastor and his wife were students at Immanuel