Gjerpen Church, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

June 20-28, 1866

In the name of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost! In Jesus Christ, dearly beloved brethren in the faith and in the Office of the Ministry!

May the Father of mercy, the eternal, bountiful God accompany us with the grace of his precious Holy Spirit so that we conduct our affairs in the unity of the Spirit on the ground of truth. May he bless them for the sake of Christ, to the edifying of his church and the glory of his name! Amen.

We of course are not able sufficiently to praise our God who permits us to gather again from far and near during our difficult work, struggles and trials in these wretched times¹⁰ so that in the love of Christian brethren, through mutual instruction and admonition we can strengthen each other in the knowledge of the truly saving faith in the true God, encourage each other to faithful fulfillment of the work of our calling to a fearless battle against the enemies and to blameless patience during affliction and suffering, and to counsel with one another according to the Word of God as to what can serve to the edifying of our beloved Lutheran Zion which has been entrusted to us through the blood of Jesus for the peace and salvation of redeemed souls. Yes, the Lord be praised eternally also for his grace and mercy!

When I am now to present my annual report to our esteemed synod as one of the requirements of my office, I would like to accompany it with some words to you, dear brethren in Christ. I truly sense keenly my lack of ability, that I, the least among you, should be raised up as a teacher for such a gathering where so many people understand much better than I the things I have to say. However, you will not be offended but will receive the suggestions, the intimations and the remarks which I am able to make, as friends. They are, however, able to serve to awaken your attention to these points and to lead you to a more precise discussion of them.

We are told in Nehemiah how the servant of the Lord, moved by love to God and his people of whose misery he had heard, forsook the might and splendor of the court of King Artaxerxes and traveled to Jerusalem. He went there alone during the night and looked at the walls. Then he said to the Jews and the priests and the rulers, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work “(2:17-18). But when the enemies, Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arabian heard him, they mocked and despised him. Then Nehemiah answered them and said, “The God in heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: But you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.” (2:19-20.) So they built, but Tobiah the Ammonite came and said, “Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.” (4:3.) Then Nehemiah cried, “Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: And cover not their iniquity.” (4:4.5.) So they built again and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work (4:6.) But when the enemies heard of it they “conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.” (4:8.)

But Nehemiah and those who worked prayed to God and kept watch against them day and night. Then Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.” (4:10.) But the adversaries said, “They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.” (4:11.)

Then Nehemiah said to the rulers and to the people, “Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (4:14.) And it came to pass that God brought the counsel of the adversaries to nought and they all returned again to the wall, every one to his work. And those who worked on the wall and those who carried burdens did their work with one hand and with the other they held weapons. So they did work and they changed not their clothes, but each had his weapon and water (4:15-23). And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews because the poor were oppressed. When Nehemiah heard their cry he became very angry and he disputed with the rulers and said, “It is not a good thing that you do: ought you not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?” (5:9.) And the people did according to the words of Nehemiah and returned what they had taken. But the adversaries tempted them with lies and false prophets and tried to make them afraid, but Nehemiah said, “Should a man such as I flee?” (6:11.) “So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days” (6:15). “And it came to pass that when the enemies heard of it, and all the heathen that were all about, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was done by our God” (6:16).

So far the account in Nehemiah!

I sat and thought about our Lutheran Church, how it was in the days now passed, in the golden era of the Reformation and in the centuries which followed. I thought of how it is now. Then I remembered this description by Nehemiah of the situation in Jerusalem and among its people, and it seemed to me to be a true picture of our Lutheran Zion. But it also contains so many words which were rich in instruction and comfort for me and especially suited to lead and strengthen the despondent heart to faithfulness and dauntlessness in the work of building our beloved Zion. That is why, brethren, I have directed your attention to it.

How beautifully situated, as a city on a hill, our Lutheran Zion was in the days of the Reformation, resplendent with its excellent confession, with the faith, testimony, struggle, and death for the truth, of its citizens. Securely, though always watchful, they dwelt there in the city which the Lord had built, protected by the walls which were as solid as rock - the pure, incomparable, glorious Confessions grounded solely in the Word of God revealed in the Scriptures. No enemy was able to scale those walls or tear them down because the men who stood behind them entertained no doubt of the truth and firmness of their confession. They looked upon them not as a human creation which they could confess for a while and later give up. No. They confessed because they believed, and in the power of faith they fought, died, and triumphed for their confession. And the core of this confession, that Jesus Christ, God and Man, by his suffering and death has atoned for all the world’s sin, overcome death, crushed Satan, burst hell asunder and by his resurrection has become the righteousness of everyone in the sight of God; how precious it was for their faith. It was their comfort, their power, their all. It was the iron gate through which the devil’s fiery darts could not pierce. The power of hell could not break through them.

And friends! Do I need to say what has happened to the glory of this our Zion in the two centuries since?

“Jerusalem lies waste, its walls are torn down and its gates are burned with fire.” Yes, it has happened to our Zion! Luther had foretold it. God’s chastisement came upon the people because of their sins, because of their despising of his Word. Many people openly forsook Zion, turned to Sinai and swore allegiance to the banner of Calvin. And of those who remained, a portion hardened into a dead orthodoxy. The confession was on the lips all right but faith was not in the heart. Therefore the walls were torn down for them and there was no iron gate against the power of hell. Another portion sickened into a false pietism’s false spirituality. They still had a good confession, but another spirit expressed it. They wanted to make themselves pious and blessed, not believing that in Christ they were that. Therefore their confession was not their wall and iron gate either, but they made a garment for themselves of human virtue with which, however, they could not hide their sin. A haughty, flippant rationalism continued the work of desolation. They laid the Confessions on the shelf as an ancient curiosity, mastered the Word of God according to the will-of-the-wisp of their reason, interpreted it as an ancient legend or myth, made Christ to be at best a highly enlightened man, an excellent moralist, and made man himself god. An impudent, presumptuous unbelief completed the work. The Word of God was considered a delusion, an object of ridicule. Immortality, heaven, hell were sickly fantasies to them. Freedom, equality and fraternity were their trinity, and man, whom they wanted to exalt, they debased and made lower than the beasts. So our Lutheran Zion and its walls lay in ruins. Certainly, here and there still stood an Israelite in whom there was no guile, who also mourned the hurt of Joseph. Surely the voice of a John swelled from one place or another, but as a voice in the wilderness. However, it was the voice of the Lord who cried: Be converted! Such was the situation in Germany and it wasn’t much better in Norway. But didn’t the people then have on hand, at least among the people, orthodox books of doctrine and the most familiar hymns? Yes, in part, and for this the Lord of the Church be praised! because through them the people were preserved perhaps more than in any other country from sinking into the coarsest unbelief. The masses, however, were Christians out of habit. They were nominal Lutherans, because most often earnest souls were given to a sickly enthusiasm and emotion, or a subtle work-righteousness. And no wonder, because the pastors as a rule were dry moralists, gross or subtle rationalists. The doctrine of the trinity for the individual was still: God, immorality and works. The Confessions of the Lutheran Church were an unknown book to them as were all the writings of the fathers. A pastor who confessed Christ clearly, in simple, Christian faith, as the Son of God, as the Savior of the world, and that man becomes righteous and blessed by faith in him alone, was an oddity in those days as he was generally an object of ridicule and mocking. Yes, Zion laid desolate also in the land of our fathers!

However, there surely were those who mourned the hurt of Zion and lamented over the wound of Joseph, and the Lord heard their sighs. He was merciful toward his Zion and the cry of his faithful servant: “Be converted,” was not preached in vain. The Lord did turn the hearts of the children to the fathers. He raised up more than one Ezra and Nehemiah, and they and the people began again to build the walls and the gates of Jerusalem. It was no longer so common a disgrace for a Christian to believe in Christ. Yes, people again began to tolerate that someone believed and preached the Gospel of Christ as Luther had done, as the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. And the work progressed here and there, even if slowly. The walls rose higher and higher into the air. Lutheran writings found greater distribution among the people. Our excellent Confessions and other excellent books of doctrine were rescued from oblivion, dusted off and read. A purer confession took over and people took more and more to letting Scripture be explained by Scripture. People distinguished the Law and the Gospel from each other and the latter was heard ,even if still as an exception, yet purer, more fully and more powerfully from the pulpit and classroom.

But perhaps the work is completed now, the walls and the gates finished? Alas, unfortunately, there is still much to be done.

Look at Germany! What controversy there is over the true meaning of the Confessions. Look at the land of our fathers. Alas, how much there is of the old leaven! The most varied opinions, views and trends are set forth. With all their respect for the Word of God, yet it is still, however, for many people a strange thing which is not easy to comprehend. No one can really say for sure what its meaning is - even the simplest truths - no one can say for certain and everyone lets everyone have their own opinions and everyone is considered to be good Lutherans. On the other hand many people will not tolerate it when someone, certain of his faith, wants to hold to the Word which is written and to reject everything which is not written. This one has his favorite view, another another, and in order to hold his own in peace he looks the other way at the opinions of the other. Various kinds of Roman as well Reformed errors are written and published and most often still taken to be good Lutheran wares, but a real, thorough study of our Lutheran fathers’ basic writings is still not common. And among the people there is still not only a great ignorance and unclarity even in the important matters of the faith, little real evangelical knowledge, and Christianity as a habit is still very prevalent. And where more earnestness actually is to be found, it does not have so much the restful, joyous sincere Lutheran character but rather the sickly Reformed tint, partly a sickly Methodism, partly an outward legalism.

And along with much that is good most of us have received something of this heritage also so that there were both the walls and the gates of the Lutheran Zion to build among us.

But how have we also now built? We have not boasted of ourselves nor do we have anything of which to boast; but glory be to God, it can, however, be said that we have begun. It was a great blessing of God that we met here in this country older brothers and fathers, old warriors who understood how to build the walls aright. ¹¹ They were not Freemasons nor did they build with hay or straw, but as servants of God with solid, first-rate stones. We learned the art of building correctly from them and the Lord has allowed our work to move forward. We sought to be faithful to the old Lutheran theology and rightly to deepen our understanding of it, and to penetrate into the doctrine and confession of the fathers, the solid beds of ore and gold of these truths. Through discussion of the doctrines in various ways we sought to lead the congregations to the knowledge of the glory of our Lutheran Confessions, to awaken in them faith in the unfailing truth which saves, which God offers to all sinners in the Gospel, to rejoice in the Word of truth and pure doctrine, to a zeal for its unblemished preservation, and God be praised, the work has progressed among us! While a clearer knowledge of doctrine through public discussion, through controversy over absolution, the ministry, the Third Commandment, a constitution, and church discipline have advanced among us, we have at the same time, in the past year, completed the erection of our college¹² for the strengthening of our youth in the truth and for the training of servants of the Lord. There were enemies who looked scornfully upon our work. They said mockingly that foxes could tear down such walls. The foxes also came with their union devoid-of-truth, with their indifferentism and love without faith, with their “Yes” which was also “No,” and the wolves were their accomplices, but they were beaten back! However, God in heaven let us accomplish it and the work moved forward. But still there is much lacking before the walls are finished! Oh, what meager, unclear, often erroneous knowledge many people still have! What effort we must constantly put forth to cleanse it of old reformed Methodistic and pietistic leaven! What contempt and neglect of the blessed Word of God! What anxious desiring of the things of the world and the subsequent unwillingness to offer the good gifts of God for the spread and establishment of his kingdom - for schools, for the training of teachers, for missions both home and foreign, etc. On the other hand, how selfish many people are! What fear of man is often so great that many times people allow their brother to continue in sin rather than chastise and warn him so that he can be converted and be saved! What lack of understanding in bringing up children, what indifference toward leaving the children the best heritage, for procuring for them the costliest treasure for time and eternity: a true knowledge of God and the peace that goes with it! Yes, where shall I begin and where shall I end if I would count up the shortcomings and the sins?

We have the pure confession. The Word of God is preached correctly from our pulpits according to it. Our synod will not tolerate any departure from it, or that individual‘s opinions should carry as much weight as the Word of God. It wants the Word of God to be the Word of God and the only word which carries weight. It has shown that this is its earnest desire. God be praised for this! Herein also lies our hope for a brighter future. However, what good does it do an individual to have the best confession on paper and the purest sermon about the cross from the pulpit? What help is that when the devil shoots his fiery darts at him, if his confession is not the confession of his heart and his faith is not that Jesus is his righteousness? No, when false prophets cunningly want to seduce you, when sin, death, and the devil attack you, then only do you have a solid wall for protection if your heart has acknowledged that our precious confession is the truth unto salvation which is worth living and dying for. When the powers of hell attack you, then you find no gate which holds out such attacks except that in spite of your sin, in spite of your conscience, law, death and the devil, you hold firmly to the Word of God and believe that Jesus has atoned for the sin of all the world and therefore also for yours. Believe that Jesus is your righteousness before God, and you are righteous in him. Brethren! The walls of our Lutheran Zion lie waste in many places. It behooves us to work and not become weary. It behooves us that at the synod meetings as well as in congregational meetings, from the pulpit and in the homes we urge doctrine - pure doctrine, by teaching, instruction and admonition, with the help of God, seek to awaken a proper knowledge, a true faith and an active love. And it is especially important that we urge the chief article of our faith that God justifies the unrighteous, that God, reconciled to all the world by the blood of Jesus, in the Gospel offers to everyone who hears it the forgiveness of sins out of undeserved grace and without setting up the slightest condition which we are supposed to fulfill, so that he who hears need only believe in his heart and be fully assured of it that it is the earnest desire and truth of God which he is hearing, so that he has forgiveness of sins and is saved, etc. It is important to present this costliest pearl among the articles of faith in all its purity, that sinners are justified by the grace of God through faith alone without the deeds of the law. If people will only let themselves be led to the proper knowledge in these matters, only let themselves be convinced in their heart to believe this truth, then, with the help of God, by faithful meditation upon the Word of God they will also acknowledge the other divine truths, in every case not despising or contending against the other truths which are still not acknowledged or grasped. Then willingness to sacrifice for the progress of the kingdom of God will not be lacking, or proper zeal and discretion to work for a brother’s salvation through brotherly discipline and admonition, still less, lack in caring for their own children’s welfare in time and eternity.

Yes, the more this article is attacked and ridiculed by the open and secret enemies of our church in our day, also by those who sail under a false Lutheran flag, the more important it is that we, as it were, rally ourselves around the most glorious banner of our faith and defend it to the shedding of blood.

We see how the impudent deniers of the Christian faith, unbelieving philosophers such as a Renan, Strauss, Schenkel¹³ and others obviously are presently directing their chief assault against the Second Article by denying that Jesus Christ is God and Man, the Savior of the world. But it is actually in unconscious alliance with them that some of our enemies attack the same article, when instead of acknowledging that a complete atonement for the sin of all the world has occurred through the blood of Jesus and that therefore an unconditioned, complete forgiveness of sins is offered to and bestowed upon all the world in the Gospel, they insist that apart from the blood and death of Jesus God has also placed another condition for his grace, namely, man’s contrition, repentance, faith, good feelings and emotions, struggling and striving, etc., as something by which God is required and caused to bestow upon them what Jesus has earned, namely, the forgiveness of sins. But who does not see that by such teaching the complete atonement of Jesus is violated, that Jesus then is not our only Savior, nor everyone’s Savior, but at best only half a Savior, because man gives himself the glory for the other half, or more correctly: since the Lord cannot share his glory with anyone, man makes himself his own Savior and deprives the Lord of his glory. Why not say in so many words: “We are not justified solely or not at all by faith, but also or solely by the deeds of the Law.”

But let them form an alliance to come and strive against Jerusalem and to lead it astray. We will not cease from building because of it, but we will pray to our God as Nehemiah did, and while we are building we will keep watch against them day and night. (Ne. 4:6.)

Nor are they the only enemies with whom we have to contend.

There are the so-called Humanists; decent, enlightened people of good principles who are always talking about how the true welfare of mankind lies on their hearts. The enlightenment, progress and well-being of the people is their motto. By no means do they want to think of themselves as enemies of the Lord and of his Church. They claim to have the same objective as we, only they are somewhat different with regard to the interpretation of what that goal is in which this happiness consists and by what means it can be achieved. They think that in the church the old prejudices and a good deal of superstition are still making themselves felt in both regards. In their opinion man’s happiness must consist in something more tangible and substantial than a belief in something which cannot be seen or a hope about a joy and blessedness which no one can feel here. Their chief effort is aimed at freeing people from an antiquated age of lack of self-knowledge and religious prejudices rising from gullibility and simplicity in conviction and ways of doing things, and on the other hand, to lead them to an awareness of man’s natural nobility and innate, inalienable rights, to make them participate in the modern exalted ideas of equality, freedom and progress, and thus develop in them the so excellent spiritual gifts and powers which they possess by nature, so that they can become enlightened members of an enlightened century. Who does not see that these enemies of the church, who basically deny the natural corruption of man, redemption, the Word of God, etc., are not found only among them who talk so big outside the church - philosophers, writers, politicians, etc., but also constitute a substantial portion of many Christian sects and church bodies?

There are also within and outside the boundaries of our Lutheran Zion a host of tenderhearted people, all of whom are kind and friendly, who because of sheer tenderheartedness can never say anything against anyone even when the honor of God and his precious truth call for it. They always use words such as love, peace, conciliation and unity, accusing those who rise up to the defense of the truth of a lack of love, pride and quarrelsomeness, and seeking to silence them by talking a great deal about Christ’s conciliatory spirit, forbearance and love. Sometimes they are well-intentioned but injudicious Christians who do not bear in mind that Christ has said: “I am not come to send peace, but a sword.”

Most often these people are lukewarm Christians whose Christianity is only in their mouths, who regard the fellowship of men as more important than the honor of God, who do not want to believe that the truth is something for which to contend, is worth all our sacrifice, even of life if it came to that. But they seem to imagine that Christ’s reconciling power consists in this, that the truth must have equality with lies, light with darkness. We shall not believe that these enemies are less dangerous than those mentioned a minute ago, but since their numbers very likely are greater, I fear that they cause us the greater harm and hinder us more in our work than both we and they many times believe, just because they often show themselves in other matters as sincere Christians who ought to warn of offense. We should of course be careful about giving offense, but that many take it we can never avoid. However, it is also written: “Woe unto him from whom,” etc.

We should be reminded here of the Word of the Lord: “He who is not with me is against me; he who does not gather, scatters.” Certainly, we should be conciliatory toward everyone, willing to forgive every kind of personal injury or disgrace, but let us never, from fear or love of man, in fleshly wisdom be beguiled into surrendering the least of Christ’s honor, a tittle of the truth of the Lord revealed in the Word!

Now when we look at all these enemies which we have, at their large numbers, their power and wealth, their wisdom, their cunning and falsehood, and on the other hand, at our own little group which lacks everything which the world considers important and which itself is so small and weak, yes, then fear and anxiety can easily enough grip us so that we say despondently with Judah: “The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.” And, oh, how often must we really not confess to our embarrassment that it has happened to us! However, brethren! “Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives.” Yes, is it not a shame that we shall fear the power of wretched man, even if it was of the devil, we who have a King who has rendered him powerless, who has the powers of death, who takes back their spirits, and, behold, they perish? O, let us, however, be reminded of the psalmist’s words in the Second Psalm: “He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. I, I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion … Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” No, brethren! We are very wealthy children of God, a very mighty host of the King. We have a very sure promise of victory that God will bring their counsel to naught, so that we should not be afraid in the face of our paltry enemies, and dispirited, give up the work. We will take up the building with renewed courage and strength and do as Nehemiah and his men: “They did their work with one hand, and held weapons with the other.”

In the future let the enemies, yes, let our Lord find us united in this posture! Let us, in our congregations and in our homes, continue with instructing the young and the old, the adults and the children with this blessed doctrine! Let us with all earnestness encourage everyone to be zealous in every good work. And surely the wider God extends the borders of our tent in this land and adds to us great numbers of countrymen and brethren in the faith who surely are in need of so much more of the Bread of Life because very few of them perhaps have thought much about it - “Because man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” - so much the more let us apply ourselves to being able to create from the masses a host of young evangelists with a message of peace to the wretched who are corrupted by sin, but are redeemed souls by the blood of Jesus! Let us gladly offer our young men to the Lord’s service and consider it to be a great honor and grace that with our prayers and earthly means we can help with the training and preparation for the Ministry of the Word and to the growth of the kingdom of God. It would not only be a scandal before our enemies, but we would commit a cruel sin and an irreparable offense against our own and our children’s souls if the classrooms in our newly-constructed college should become empty for lack of strong support on the part of the congregations. And on the other hand let us resist the enemies by girding our “loins with truth and putting on the breastplate of righteousness” and grasping the shield of faith with which we ward off all the other fiery darts! Let us strike about us on all sides with weapons that are not carnal but spiritual, with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and not be afraid if there are thousands standing on our right and thousands on our left. It concerns the Most High, the glory of our God. It concerns the eternal salvation of our souls! Therefore, no compromise, no equality or peace with them except on the basis of truth, rather sacrificing life than yielding a foot’s-breadth to them or giving up a tittle of the truth!

And I especially challenge you, my colleagues in the Ministry, along with myself, to all diligence and patience in the work, to zeal and fearlessness in the fight. Let us work while it is day, the night is coming when no one can work. Surely, we read of Nehemiah and all his servants and all his men, that none of them took off their garments so long as the work and the battle were going on, but each had his weapon and his water with him. Oh, let us then be watchful that we are not sluggish and lukewarm to the work, or from fear and anxiety become weak and retreat from the battle because of the love of ease or the world! For them it meant only the earthly Jerusalem but it means the heavenly for us.

We heard that while Nehemiah was building, he not only had a battle with enemies on the outside but also grief from those on the inside because “there was a great cry of the people and of the wives against their brethren the Jews.” Alas, unfortunately, we also have such a grief and burden in our work and in our battle. How many of our youth live according to the manner of this world in vanity and evil lusts, how many of the adults in drunkenness and luxury or in covetousness and concern for a livelihood. And especially in this last sin a cancerous sore is in us which reveals itself in many kinds of unfairness in business and conduct, in practicing usury, in sinful speculations and transactions, which since they sprang out of unbelief, hinder and extinguish brotherly love. However, just as Nehemiah was not silent, but his wrath was sorely kindled and he said to them: “It is not a good thing that you do: ought you not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?” so in holy zeal, without respect for persons, should we also admonish them by the Law, very frankly show them the abominableness and the damnableness of their sin, reprove them for the shame of it, that they who were redeemed by the blood of Christ, will by their evil life cause the precious name of Jesus to be mocked among the heathen, and in that way sincerely admonish them not to continue in their sins but to repent and cease from them. And the Lord shall also bless such words and not let them return void. Then even if the enemies test us cunningly with lies and slander to make us afraid, we also answer: “Should a man such as I flee?” In spite of all secret and open opposition from the side of the enemy, and all sorrow and grief from our own, we will, however, in confidence in the Lord, with patience and hope in the grace of God, continue building the walls of our beloved Lutheran Zion until our dear Lord concludes our daily work and lets us enter into his rest. Then we shall see that our hope is not put to shame either, but the day will come when the walls and the gates of our Zion shall be completed and we shall rejoice. But “our enemies shall be cast down in their own eyes: for they shall perceive that this work was done by God.”

Lord, during these discussions and deliberations let us also build faithfully upon the walls of our Lutheran Zion!

Yes, Lord, let it come to pass, and prosper the work of your servants for the sake of Jesus Christ! Amen!

10 The time is now post-Civil War, the war having ended in 1865.

11 President Preus is referring to the Missouri Synod.

12 Luther College, Decorah, Iowa

13 Ernest Renan (1823-1892), French philosopher; David Friedrich Strauss, 81874; Daniel Schenkel, 81885.