Dear friends in Christ,
We continue our survey of Church History from the book of Professor E.A.W. Krauss from our St. Louis seminary of a century ago.
This month we continue our look at Pastor Heinrich Melchior Muehlenberg with an example of what life and ministry were like in the 1760s colonies. It is an account he wrote for a missions newspaper back in Germany. You will also note his lack of “political correctness.”
43. THE PATRIARCH OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA
—Heinrich Melchior Muehlenberg
4. A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE
In February 1765 a widow, together with her grown daughter, came to me from Pastor Kurtzen’s congregation. This visit greatly moved me because it was an exceptional incident. The widow reported that she was born in the well-known imperial city of Reutlingen in the Duchy of Wuerttemberg, and her husband, now deceased, was born about three hours from Tuebingen. Before the local war broke out, she came with a bunch of children to this land and looked for a little place to live in Pennsylvania, about a hundred miles from Philadelphia. Her father was already up in years and too weak for hard work but took efforts to instruct his children in God’s Word because in the deserted regions of land there are few or no schools. In the summer of 1755 the French and enemy Indians attacked the English General, Braddock, with his army in the wilderness. The English fought according to the European style of war and the Indians according to the American. Then the hostile barbarians invaded the borders of Pennsylvania and miserably murdered the German families which lived scattered about, defenseless, and were mostly poor. They dragged their children through the terrible wilderness to their heathen dwellings or huts and caves into captivity. On 16 October 1755 this fate also befell the above reported Christian family, in addition to several other fellow believers. The mother, who was still living as a widow, and a son were some miles away at the mill to grind some grain; the father, as well as his oldest son and two younger daughters were at home. The savages suddenly attacked the house and in their cruel manner murdered the father and son but left the two girls alive—Barbara, 12 years old, and Regina, about 10 years old. They then bound and dragged them sideways into the wilderness. Some Indians were left to watch the children; and within a few days the other Indians brought even more captured children. After the mother and son came home from the mill and found everything burned down and laid waste, they fled to Pastor Kurtzen’s congregation. Then, when the savages had gathered quite a group of children, some brought them to their home. In fact, they did not use roads and paths but untrodden, desolate areas so that they could not be followed. The older children had to carry the younger ones, who were bound on their backs. Then they had to make the difficult journey barefoot over tree trunks, stones, thorns and hedges, through swamps and morasses. The feet of some children were worn down to the tendons and bones so that they thought they would die of pain and agony, but they still had to go on without being shown any mercy. While going through the bushes and hedges their clothes were torn and tattered and finally fell completely off their bodies. When they finally reached the region where the savage nations lived, they were then divided up—one was given here to one family, another was given to another family some miles away. This is the custom among these nations: when parents lose children in war, their loss is replaced by the captured or prisoners. When they had gone perhaps about 400 English miles, the youngest, the ten-year old daughter, Regina, was separated from her sister Barbara, who was given away. Regina still had over 100 English miles yet to go with a two year old child she was forced to carry, bound on her back. Finally Regina reached the end of her journey and, together with that child she carried, she was given as a slave for the rest of her life to an old, evil Indian woman. She had only one son who would support her. But often he did not come home for over a week and neglected his mother. Thus the old woman demanded that Regina get food for her or she would be killed. The poor little child also held to Regina and sought comfort from her. Clothing was out of the question and food was very scarce. When the savage son was not at home, Regina was to do everything otherwise she was scolded and hit by the old she-wolf. Thus she had to gather wood in the winter and bring it for warmth. When the ground could be worked, she looked and dug for all kinds of wild roots, wild potatoes, wild garlic, soft bark of trees and shrubs, etc. in order to keep the family alive. But if the ground was frozen, she looked for all kinds of vermin to catch, like wild rats, field mice, and other creeping animals that she could get in order just to still the bitter hunger. She had to persevere in this miserable life and captivity for nine years together with the other little girl and did not know whether she would ever again return.
Of course the first terrible misfortune of losing her father, mother, brothers and sister numbed her. With the cruelty of the journey that followed, with the deprivation of every necessity and comfort at the hands of the barbarians and by being among constant images of terror and the shadow of death, she could certainly think little or not at all and could only retain little more than her sanity. But when this miserable life became second nature to her, she again gained the faculties of her inner being. First and foremost the prayers, verses from God’s Word, and edifying hymns that she had learned from her dear parents came back to her. These divine truths had developed in her soul like a seed that began to germinate, sending down its root into the ground and growing above the ground when the earth is warmed by the sun. The word of God she had learned became fruitful, gradually changing her in life and spirit and giving peace, rest and comfort to her heart in the misery. The miserable life was a good remedy and rein to tame the sinful flesh and its rising desires, and the word of the Gospel implanted in tender youth could all the better develop into a power for the inward person. She said that in the time of her captivity she had prayed countless times on her knees under the trees and had the child next to her praying with her; and in the final years she almost always experienced a small assurance and glimmer of hope that she would again come to Christian people and be rescued from her captivity. Among others, the following two hymns were a constant comfort and still remained so: 1. I love Jesus forever and 2. In my loneliness I am alone but yet not completely alone…
Finally, particularly in past year [1764], the wise and brave Colonel Bouquet and his military force forced the hostile savage nations into retreat. They were forced to make peace and release the captured Christians. And behold, together with others, Regina and her foster child were also released! (Some of the prisoners would have preferred to stay behind with the Indians. They had humane masters, lacked nothing and had idle days; they became use to the way of life and had gotten into fleshly love with them.) It was very striking when they were rescued. When they were still in the wilderness a great crowd of the prisoners were brought to Colonel Bouquet and most of them were naked. The Colonel and his people showed a sympathetic human love as they cut off the tails from their coats and camisoles, and even from their blankets, just in order to clothe the most necessary parts of the poor creatures because it was winter. The kind Colonel Bouquet first brought the crowd that had been imprisoned out of the heathen region then brought them to the English fortification on the Ohio, called Fort Pitt…. From Fort Pitt the crowd of the rescued was finally brought to the province of Pennsylvania, called Carlisle and every newspaper reported that whoever lost friends, relatives, spouses or children in wars should come to identify them.
Thus the above mentioned poor widow then also traveled with her only remaining son and asked the commissioners about her daughter, Regina. She described her appearance when she was between nine and ten years old. But they could not find anyone similar among the crowds because Regina was now over 18 years old and grown-up; she was also strong, Indian-like and even spoke the savage language. The commissioners asked the mother if she knew of any of her daughter’s characteristics. The mother answered in German that her daughter had so often sung the hymns: I love Jesus forever and In my loneliness I am alone but yet not completely alone. Hardly had the mother said this than Regina jumped up from the rest and prayed the three articles of the Christian faith, the Lord’s Prayer and also the mentioned hymns. Finally mother and daughter hugged each other and shed many tears of joy and the mother hurried home with her daughter who had been found again. The younger girl whom Regina had cared for until then, shared in everything, even praying like Regina, but no one recognized her as their child. Thus it was assumed that her parents were killed. But she also did not want to leave her foster mother but clung firmly to Regina so that she could not remain behind. This happened in Carlisle on 31 December 1764.
And in February 1765 the widow came with her daughter to me and said that after coming home the daughter had continually asked her for a book in which the Lord Jesus spoke in such a kind way to people and that people could speak with Him (meaning the Holy Bible and a hymnal). And that is why they had come the 60 to 70 miles. Because a small box of Bibles had been sent along with the new preachers, Voigt and Krug, I gave her one of them with pleasure as well as money for a hymnal. [In her longing, the girl had probably thought of the seventh stanza of the hymn In my loneliness I am alone but yet not completely, which goes: “I speak with God in His Word and through His Word He speaks with me. If I am in a quiet place, He soon finds Himself with me. If I need counsel in my cross, it is He who has comforted me.”] As soon as she joyfully received the Holy Bible, I said she should break it open and read to me what she first comes across. She opened it up and came to the first chapter of the book of Tobit and read the second verse to me clearly, beautifully, and movingly: “When he was made captive in the days of Salmanasar king of the Assyrians, even in his captivity forsook not the way of truth” [Douay Confraternity]. It was significant to me that she, who had not seen a German Bible for nine years and had read no letters, still did not forget how to read; but could read as skillfully as when she was ripped away from her parents at ten years of age. With difficulty she could still somewhat understand the German language but could not express herself in it because the Indian language became, as it were, another native language to her in the matters concerning everyday life.
This shows again how necessary, useful and salutary such educational institutions are which paint before the eyes and cultivate in the heart of the tender young minds pure Christian doctrine and the illuminating walk of Christ Jesus. If blessed Luther would still be this side of eternity and hear that the life of a soul of a child from Reutlingen, a free city, which stood in 1530 so faithfully with the Augsburg Confession, would be preserved by God’s pure word in the most extreme wilderness, he would heartily thank God for it and praise Him and once again sing confidently and courageously:
“The Word they still shall let remain,
Nor any thanks have for it…” (TLH #262 st.4)
So far Professor Krauss
Our LWML group has been busy this month. We finalized our calendar for the year. You’re your eyes open for our events. We also elected Nancy as our new president. Thanks to Carol for many faithful years of service. We also voted to buy a new table for the fellowship room. God bless you this month.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)
All the prophets well saw in Spirit that Christ would be the greatest sinner, the likes of which was never on the earth because when He is a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world He is no longer a Person who is innocent and without sin. He is not God’s Son in glory but rather He, who bears and who has around His neck the sins of all people—like St. Paul who was a blasphemer, persecutor, sinner; like St. Peter who denied Christ, as well as David, who was an adulterer and murderer and caused the Name of the Lord to be blasphemed among the Gentiles—is a sinner and forsaken a short time. In short, He is the Person who carries in His body upon and upon whom was placed every sin of every person in the whole world who ever was, is and would be. It is not that He had committed such sin Himself but rather that He took upon His body the ones we have committed so that He might pay the price for them with His own blood. [Luther in Wegweiser, 08 November]
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. Psalm 6:2-3 (ESV)
Have mercy, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, for my bones are troubled…I know what I speak. Others may look on, whether they, too, know what they speak. It is certain, that no one reaches for God’s mercy who does not hunger and thirst most fervently for it, like the Psalm [42.1] says: As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. No satisfied and sated soul can hope to be filled by God because only the hungry does He fill with good things. How much less will He give eternal life to the satiated who comparing it with this life despise it. He will give it only to those who most fervently and with inexpressible sighing seek after it, ask for it and knock for it. But because in this life—especially in a peaceful life—we do not do this, God lays upon us death and all kinds of trials, the pressures of which should move us to seek mercy and life. [Luther] [Wegweiser, 29 March]
REMEMBER YOUR OFFERINGS EVEN IF YOU CANNOT BE IN CHURCH ON A SUNDAY. THE WORK OF YOUR CHURCH CONTINUES.
REBUKING THE DEVIL
The Lord forbids you, O devil, He that came into the world and made His dwelling among men, that He might cast down your tyranny, and deliver men. He that upon the tree triumphed over the opposing powers, when the sun was darkened, and earth was shaken, and the tombs were opened, and the bodies of the saints arose; He that by death destroyed death, and overcame him that held the might of death, that is even you, O devil.
I forbid you by god, who shows forth the tree of life, and ranges the cherubim, and flaming sword that turns about to guard this. Be forbidden! For I forbid you by Him who walks upon the waves of the sea as upon dry land, who forbids the storm winds, whose glance dries up the depths, and whose threatenings melt the mountains. For it is He Himself that now forbids you through us. [Book of Needs of the Holy Orthodox Church, quoted in The Lord Will Answer: A Daily Prayer Catechism, CPH 2004, pg. 121]
EXTRA SERVICES IN LENT TO PONDER OUR LORD’S SAVING WORK:
01 March [Ash Wednesday]
2 Chronicles 29.3-11
Why Ash Wednesday And Lent?
08 March
St. Matthew 26. 20-25
Is It I, Lord?
15 March
St. Matthew 26.30; St. John 18. 1-2
Strengthened For The Struggle
22 March
St. Matthew 26.51-2; St. John 18. 10-11
St. Peter’s Sword And Jesus’ Cup
29 March
St. Matthew 27. 15-19
The Very Stones Would Cry Out
05 April Public Examination of Catechumens
13 April—Maundy Thursday
St. Matthew 26.28-29
The Blessed Sacrament: A Feast Of Remembrance And A Feast Of Hope
14 April—Good Friday
St. Matthew 27.62-66
Jesus is Buried
AS AN ADDED BONUS, IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO MAKE THE WEDNESDAY EVENING SERVICE AT FAITH, YOU CAN ATTEND THE SERVICE AT ZION, OWEGO ON TUESDAY EVENING AT 7.
CHURCH YEAR NOTES: ASH WEDNESDAY is 01 March.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, the season when Christians meditate on the great price Jesus paid to save us from our sins. This season also reminds us to take up our cross daily to follow Jesus—even suffering, if need be, for His name.
On 12 February we began the short, three Sunday season of Pre-Lent. With the 40 day season of Lent, we Christians, as disciples of our Lord Jesus, are called again to renewed struggle against everything that leads us away from love of God and love of our neighbor. Repentance, fasting, prayer, and works of love—the disciplines of Lent—have helped Christians through the centuries in waging this “spiritual warfare.” The disciplines of Lent prepared the catechumens of the early church for their baptism on Easter, and prepare us today for a full and transforming celebration of Christ’s glorious resurrection.
Beginning in the tenth century, ashes were imposed on this day upon penitent sinners in preparation for their restoration to full communion with the Church. Since the eleventh century, ashes have been imposed upon all the faithful who desire them, as a reminder that the wages of sin is death, for “dust you are and to dust you will return” [Gn. 3.19]. We begin Lent marked with ashes on our foreheads, and end it with the reminder that these marks of mortality are obliterated in the washing of baptism: “We were buried with Christ through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may lead a new life” [Rm 6.4].
Our Ash Wednesday service will be at 7 PM and include the imposition of ashes.
WITH ALL THE HUBBUB OF CHRISTMAS PAST, WE CAN FOCUS ON WHAT CHRISTMAS IS REALLY ALL ABOUT. AND WHAT BETTER TIME THAN THIS MONTH WHEN ON THE 25TH THE CHURCH CELEBRATES THE INCARNATION, GOD BECOMING MAN, WITH THE ANNUNCIATION—THE DAY THE ANGEL ANNOUNCED TO ST. MARY THAT SHE WOULD BE THE MOTHER OF GOD AND SHE AGREED—25 MARCH, NINE MONTHS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. [St. John 1:29]
What does Christmas mean? Why do we celebrate this festival? Is it for businesses to make the necessary profits? In our day one can hardly fight off the impression that Christmas is above all to make others happy by more or less expensive gifts. Because of their guilty conscience people spend a lot of money at Christmas. But why do we really celebrate Christmas? Why was Jesus born a man? St. John the Baptizer answers this question. At Christmas, the Lamb of God, the One who offered the sacrifice for the sin of the world. The little Child in the manger, whose praise and glory the angels sang in the fields of Bethlehem, is the willing sacrifice. He came into the world to bear the sins of the world. This is God’s sacrifice for His creation. A sacrifice would be slaughtered in place of the one who committed a sin. An innocent animal died for a guilty person. And so the innocent Son of God came to die for the guilty world.
That’s why Jesus was born—that He might take upon Himself and bear the sins of the whole world, and thus also yours. He bore them from Bethlehem to the cross on Golgotha. Only because Jesus bore your sins and atoned for them can you celebrate a “merry Christmas.” Only because of this can the angels sing: “Peace on earth and on earth, peace goodwill toward men.” The Child in the manger is your representative. In your place He took your guilt upon Himself and carried it in order to carry it away, so that you may be free. “Merry Christmas.”
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for coming to bear my sins in my place and to suffer the punishment for them. Amen.
[Pr. Karsten Drechsler, in God Is For Us, 27 December 2013]
Luther notes: Because God the Creator of all creatures became man…and because God and man is one person, it follows that what the man Christ did for us God did, and what God did the man did. Therefore, we are redeemed through God’s suffering and dying, through God’s death and blood. For even though God neither suffers nor dies in His nature, nevertheless since God became man, it is rightly called God’s death and blood when the man who is one person with God dies. [AE, LVII, 298]
March 2017 LCMS Stewardship Newsletter Article
Lent is a season of repentant joy. There is joy in repentance because in repentance, God, through His Word, turns us away from our sins — our failures of thought, word, and deed — to believe in the forgiveness and new life He has accomplished for us in the death and resurrection of His Son. For our God is our Father, and fathers discipline their children. He loves us enough to point out when and where we have erred, so that we are not weighed down by false belief, despair, and other great shame or vice.
Thus we do well to listen to God’s Word, His own teaching, about giving. St. Paul exhorts: “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor” (Gal 6:6). This means that the local congregation is primary. In other words, everything else that we might give to during the year — laudable and worthy charities — are to be on top of what we give to our local congregation. For the local congregation is the place that serves us with the gifts of Christ’s death and resurrection. The local congregation is where our spiritual needs are met when Christ’s atonement is preached, when the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, when we were baptized into the name of the Triune God, and when we partake of the body and blood of the risen and living Lamb of God.
But how much are we to give to this local congregation? His instructions are these: to give regularly (1 Cor 6:1–2), proportionally (1 Cor 16:1–2; 2 Cor 8:12), and generously (2 Cor 8:20) of our first fruits (Gen 4:4; Prov 3:9; Lev 27:30) with a spirit of eagerness (2 Cor 9:2), earnestness (2 Cor 8:7), cheerfulness (2 Cor 9:7), and love (2 Cor 8:23).
Thus, giving to the church is not to be an afterthought, given after everything else is spent. In this way, it is deliberate. We give it regularly, whenever we have income. We set it aside beforehand, before anything else is spent. From those first fruits, we set aside a proportionate and generous amount. Ten percent was the standard for the Israelites. Tithing was a command for them. St. Paul never mentions a tithe. Since a tithe was the bare minimum for the people of Israel in the Old Testament, perhaps St. Paul had more in mind. That aside, however, ten percent is an easy way to figure out an amount. You simply move your weekly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, or yearly income one decimal point to the left. And that’s it. That’s what you put in the offering plate to support your local congregation so that you may continue to be a hearer of God’s word by sharing all good things with those who teach it to you.
And how are we to give it? We give it with eagerness and earnestness. We give it cheerfully and with love, not out of compulsion. For through the preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments, God has made us His children, forgiven us all our sins, given us grace upon grace, promised us life everlasting with Him in His kingdom, and filled us with His own Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This makes giving a joy. For it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).
In repentant joy, then, do we hear God’s Word on giving, and we let that Word dwell in us richly. We let that word wash over our ears and seep into our hearts, to turn us away from our own selfish desires and turned toward Him in faith and love. We love the Lord and His Word. And we desire to do it. And when we have failed, that Word reproves and corrects, forgives and consoles. It calls us back to Him who is our God, our Savior, our Father.
Corning Community Food Pantry
The holidays are over. They were a special time of giving or reaching out to those who needed a hand, a word, or some food. The Corning Community Food Pantry (CCFP) and board members wish to express their appreciation to all those in the community and surrounding area schools, churches, businesses, agencies, organizations, medical groupings, corporations, families and individuals who have helped to sustain our pantry operation and helped us to fulfill our commitment to those who routinely deal with food insecurity. Without your help and your joining us in this endeavor, we would not be able to make a difference in the lives of so many people. Food insecurity is real but so too, is the ability of all of us to help those who are affected by it.
The annual statistics of the Corning Community Food Pantry continue to remain high. In 2016 the dedicated volunteers served 7,475 households for a total of 25,677 individuals; 8,513 children, 15,098 adults and 2,066 senior citizens. The Pantry distributed in excess of 271,574 pounds of food.
This year community volunteers helped CCFP distribute 434 Thanksgiving baskets. 1628 individuals were able to enjoy a holiday meal. The volunteers qualified the folks, wrote grants, prepared the menu, ordered the food, picked up the donations and the ordered food, packed the bags and then on the distribution day, gave out the bags of plenty to those who were depending on us. These folks, adults, children and elderly were able to enjoy healthy and nutritious foods to feed their hunger but the event helped to feed their spirit. It was quite moving for all!
Day in and day out the CCFP volunteers open the Pantry and work hard to meet the requirements of our mission statement to feed and educate. In addition to our daily operation, there are numerous projects such as the clothing closet, lending library, recipes, cooking demonstrations, Dayspring, ASMS, Head Start, the active education committee, healthy food shelf, and the homeless project. Our volunteers are always looking for a new project that might have a positive impact in the lives of our folks.
Please continue to collect new or gently used plastic bags for our Pantry.
Also please try to add an Item to your grocery cart each time you shop and then donate the food items to a local pantry. Food or monetary donations are extremely important to their operations and make a difference in the number of people that can be served.
To all those who support a pantry, we say thank you. As Mother Theresa once said, “If you cannot feed hundreds, then serve one family at a time.
Come visit us or come volunteer!
Provisions, Protection and Providence
During life, people who care and are conscientious provide for their lives and for their children. During life, people instinctually protect those whom they love and the values they hold true. During life, all people live under the providence of a God who creates and sustains life. For people of faith, this providence extends into eternity under the saving grace of Jesus, God’s only Son.
God’s Word speaks about this inheritance that we have been given. God informs us in 1 Peter 1:4-5 that we are given “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power is being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
If we are to live in the provision, protection and providence of our faith, it is consistent with these values that we also prepare for the time when our earthly lives will transition to a new life in the presence of Christ.
Christian stewards will be intentional about making sure that their estate plans give the provisions that are appropriate to loved ones so that they will be blessed. Stewards will certainly want to protect not only the property they manage but also the people and charitable beneficiaries who will receive it. Our motivation for this planning is recognition of the providence of God for the benefit of His children during life and beyond.
If you would like to review your own plan to make generous provision in a way that protects blessings and honors God’s providence, let us know. We would be pleased to help you develop you own lifetime plan for giving to bless the people you love and the ministries you care about. For more information, contact Robert Wirth, LCMS Foundation Gift Planner @ robert.wirth@lfnd.org or 716-863-4427.
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