The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1921, Page 66

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66

Jesus going to be disappointed in us? I think not.
Loyalty to our Savior, who wants us to help Plaque-
mine, as we positively know, and a sensé of fairness
which tells us that we must do for others as men
once did for us and our forefathers, compels us to
see in the need at Plaquemine a claim and obliga-
tion that we cannot shift on to the shoulders of
others. Do we want to be guilty of darkening the
lives of hundreds of children in Plaquemine by not
putting the light of the love of Jesus before their
faces? You and I know what Jesus has been to us;
there are many in Plaquemine that do’ not know
Him.

Suppose your boy had diphtheria and your doc-
tor’s knowledge of antitoxin would save him; how
thankful you would be! But your neighbor's child
also has diphtheria, and you know it. However,
they know nothing of the serum that saved your

boy. They hold the poor gasping child over fires of ~

charcoal and lime, trying in the old way to help
him to breathe, and you let him suffocate in the
old cruel way, and you let his parents break their
hearts in the old way; would that not be heartless
on your part? What saved your boy would also
save that child. ‘

You and I thank God for the blessed message
of the Gospel and the glorious salvation it has
brought us, but what are our thanks worth without
obedience to our Lord and love to our fellow-men?
God give us open eyes, attentive ears, prayerful
hearts, and open hands! F. J. I

Alabama Notes.

The Alabama Pastoral Conference held its
monthly sessions at Midway (Rev. E. A. Westcott,
pastor), July 15 and 16. All the members of
Conference were present excepting Superintendent
Schmidt, who is ill at his home’in Chicago, and
Rey. Berger. The writer is unable to account for
the absence of Rey. Berger, unless he was lost in
“the tangled wildwood.” Friday night Rev. J. S.

-Montgomery preached the sermon, basing his ad-
dres® on Rom. 1, 16.17, drawing from these verses
the themt: “Why Need We-Not be Ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ? 1. Because of its glorious con-
tents; 2. because of the divine power that is in it.”
After the sermon Rev. Carter read a very good
paper on “Preparation for Communion.” The
paper was divided into two parts: “1. Preparation

_ on the part of the pastor; 2. preparation on the

The Lutheran Pioneer.

part of the people.” During the reading of the first
part of the paper, it was shown that the pastor must
prepare as a Christian. He must study to know the
Word of God, and carry his course in the school of
the prophets. ‘The pastor must be called and con-
secrated to the holy office of the ministry. He must
be a devout Christian and a blameless example to
his flock. The pastor must baptize infants, instruct,
them in the Christian doctrines and confirm them
in the faith of their Savior. He must furthermore
study the needs of his flock, announce the Holy
Communion, and warn against unworthy participa-
tion. He must explore the communicant, and see,

Rev. O. R. L. Lynn.

as far as it is humanly possible, that the comimuni-
cant is truly worthy and well prepared. The pastor
must also secure the elements to be used in. the
Holy Communion or be assured that they are on
hand; consecrate these elements, call the an-
nounced to the altar and distribute the consecrated
elements, the bread and wine. The preparation on
the part of the people consists in a general prepa-
ration. ‘They should be baptized in infancy; hear
and learn God’s Word; avoid false doctrines, and
be confirmed in the true faith. Mere bodily prep-
aration, such as fasting and the like, does not go
far enough. The communicant must believe the
Word of Christ. He must have contrition for his
sins and seek forgiveness with the Lord. ‘The faith
which the communicant has will lead him io search