The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1922, Page 101

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

101

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waits for ten minutes, looks around, but nobody
comes. James is human; his angry vein is swell-
ing; his soul is filled with bitter reproaches. “They
could at least have let me know,” he thinks. “Here
I’ve come this whole distance through snow and
cold for nothing. I’m not coming back so soon
again.”

But this lasts just a moment. James’s better
side is showing itself now. “Perhaps,” he says to
himself, “something has happened. Probably they
could not let me know in time. Satan has been
prompting me to think evil of my brethren. I’m
coming back! And if the door is locked ten times,
I’m coming back! And what’s more, I’m going to
see Deacon Monroe to investigate the trouble.” He
goes to Deacon Monroe’s place, but Brother Monroe
is not at home. James next tries the Smiths, faith-
ful members like himself. Smiths are at home and
give him a hearty welcome.

It is all due to unfortunate circumstances that
James was not informed that there would be no
Christmas service. The pastor living in the neigh-
boring town suddenly took ill on Christmas Eve.
He had caught a cold and had a high fever. It was
too late to drop each member a card, so the pastor’s
wife telephoned Deacon Monroe to call upon as
many members as possible before church time the
next morning.

Just as Mr. Smith is relating all this to his
friend James, Deacon Monroe knocks at the door
in great excitement. “Has anybody told Brother
Washburn?” he shouts. “No,” answers James with
a loud voice, following his apparent anger up with
a ripple of laughter. “What, you here, James?”
cries Monroe. “Are you angry, James? I am so
sorry! I forgot to telephone to you of our pastor’s
sudden illness. I could have done so early this
morning, but I just forgot.” “It’s all right, it’s all
right,” says James in a comforting tone, “mistakes
will happen.”

“We are going to have our Christmias service
anyway,” is the suggestion of Mr. Smith. Without
waiting he continues, “May Bell, get the large red
hymn-book, and limber up your fingers! Come, you
all, we’re going to sing Christmas hymns.” They
did sing, and James sang the loudest.

After they had finished, Mrs. Smith has a word
with James. She says, “Brother James Washburn,
you’re going to have some of my turkey dinner
to-day, and you’re going to stay all day and for
supper too.”

James thinks; he’s ashamed to say it aloud.

He only thinks, “And I was angry, and I listened
to Satan.”

Dear reader, perhaps the grievance you have
against people in the church is all due to unfor-
tunate circumstances, perhaps you don’t under-
stand. At any rate, don’t let Satan keep you from
worshiping.

James departed joyfully. After all, he had had
a big Christmas. P. G.

Who Is Next?

Here is certainly good news, news that ought to
interest all our readers. At a recent meeting of the
Chicago Heights Special Pastoral Conference it was
unanimously decided that the various ladies’ aid
societies and possibly other societies represented in
the conference district hold themselves responsible
for the salary of Miss Rosa J. Young, our pioneer
missionary worker in the Alabama Field. Rev.
Richard Piehler, who reports this good news, writes
that the resolution was passed with great enthu-
siasm, and he expresses the hope that many other
conferences may follow this example.

From our own experience we are able to state
that, when a society or congregation puts itself under
obligations to provide the salary of a designated
worker, the interest in missions is thereby greatly
increased. ‘The congregation or society then feels -
that this particular worker is its own missionary and
naturally has a far more personal interest in his
work than it would have otherwise.

Several years ago three societies in the editor’s
congregation made themselves responsible for the
salaries of three native workers in India. When we
made the promise, some thought that we were tak-
ing too great a load upon ourselves by the obliga-
tion, but time has proved that the missionary in-
terest in these three societies has so greatly increased
that they are not only able to meet their obligations
so far as these three native missionary workers are
concerned, but they have actually been able to do as
much for other missionary enterprises as they are
contributing to the support of these native workers.

We feel quite certain that the societies that have
taken over the support of Miss Young are going to
meet with the same experience.

God grant us the pleasure of being able to report
that other circles among us have followed in the
footsteps of the congregations belonging to the
Chicago Heights Conference! F.J.L.