The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1932, Page 141

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

141

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Conference also met at Possum Bend. Besides the
workers a representative from each congregation
was expected to attend it. At the conference, papers
like the following were read and discussed: “The
Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel”;
“The Lutheran Church —as Wide as the Bible and
as Narrow as the Bible”; “How can I Best Serve
My Church?”; “The Person of Christ”; “Our
Mission Board.” At the Sunday-school convention
papers like these were read: “The Benefits of Adult
Attendance at Sunday-school”; “What It Means
to Teach a Sunday-school Lesson.”

“Who Were the Pharisees?” — So a teacher in
one of our colored schools asked his class. Answer
of a little boy: “A sect noted for their stinginess.
One of them one day brought a penny to the Lord
Jesus, who took the penny in His hand, turned it
around, looked at it, and said “Whose subscription
is this?”

Three Resolutions! — A colored missionary so-
ciety had three resolutions: First, all members must
give something; secondly, each member must give
as he is able; thirdly, all must give cheerfully.
When the time for the offering came, the wealthiest
member marched up and deposited a small coin.
“Take it back, brudder,” said the preacher, “it is
accordin’ to the fust resolution, but not accordin’
to the second.” ‘The donor retired disgusted, but
presently returned with a much more valuable
coin, which he flung angrily on the table. “Take
dat back, brudder,” commanded the preacher ; “it
am accordin’ to de fust and di secon’ resolutions,
but not accordin’ to de third.” After an interval
for reflection the man came back again with shining
face and a genuine African smile and laid down his
gift. ‘All right, brudder, dat am accordin’ to all
three resolutions.” — May all our gifts be “accordin’
to all three resolutions” ! ;

These Depressing Days. — These very trying
‘times make those among us who have the kingdom
of God really at heart feel only more and more the
importance of making the very best, the very
strongest, the very longest, and the most sustained
efforts in the Lord’s service. We cannot but feel
that we must not relax, that we cannot afford to
do nothing or even just to “trust in the Lord.”
We surely must trust in the Lord first and always,
‘but we must also keep steadily, faithfully, at work.
Missions will not run themselves, nor will the Lord
run them without us. We must do our part. There
is no place in the Bible where the Lord tells us to
east our work on Him. He will carry our sins,

our sorrows, and make our burdens light; He has
promised that He will not let us faint when we
wait upon Him, and He will renew our strength;
but He surely says: “Zhou art my battle-ax and
weapons of war; for with thee will I break in pieces
the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms,”
Jer. 51, 20.

Minnesota Home Missions. — The Minnesota
District of the Missouri Synod opened six new Home
Mission stations in the month of June! Two more
stations are under serious consideration. — This
District recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.
It has at all times been a District most laudably
active in Home Mission work. May the mission-
spirit never grow less in its midst!

Missionaries Captured. — Dispatches say that
ten Americans, members of three missionary fami-
lies, one of the Lutheran Augustana Synod, another
of the Norwegian Lutheran Church, and the third
of the Lutheran Brethren, were recently captured
by Chinese bandits. But after a short period of
captivity they were released.

Village Life in South India.

Imagine yourself approaching a South Indian
village by a raised path between the flooded rice-
fields, a sort of clay wall a few feet high, separat-
ing one field from another. The rains are over, and
all nature is green and gay. You hear singing and
the merry laughter of men and boys as they begin
the day’s work. The clay wall retains the water in
the little fields, and the peasant cultivator, more
than ankle-deep, is busily plowing through it with
his primitive wooden plow and two patient bullocks,
who splash the water and stir up the mud as they
pace steadily along. Or perchance the plowing is
over, and the ryot (small cultivator), still walking
through the water, is sowing his rice seed.

In the soft light of early morning the village
looks pleasant enough with its stately rows of tall
palmyra palms standing like sentinels against the
azure sky. Blue aloes are growing from the golden
sand near the river, and there are thick masses of
cactus and prickly pear, the hiding-place of the
deadly cobra and other poisonous snakes. Around
the village are mango-trees or great banyans, from
whose spreading branches tendrils grow down till
they reach the ground, work their way into the soil,
and in time become new roots around the parent
stem. A well-grown banyan-tree is a grove in itself.