# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1853 01 18_S75
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

75
street through the town, in which everything at that hour still kept a solemn stillness, making their pilgrimage to the little church.

Having arrived there, the hymn of praise, Now thank we all our God, etc., was begun, accompanied by bright trombones. During the 3rd verse the door was opened — and the procession followed me into the church-room. It was festively adorned. Outside before the door stood 2 slender cedars. The walls, pulpit and altar were hung with garlands of leaves and with wreaths twined of all manner of beautiful flowers. The pulpit, built after the German fashion, and the altar, upon which a crucifix stands between flowers and candles, both present a pleasing sight. The altar wall offered to him who entered the words to read: "Glory be to God on high." — While now everyone was taking his place in the pews — yet the number of the festal guests was so great that many had to remain standing outside and listen through the opened windows and the open door — I laid the Bible and the Agenda down on the altar after a silent prayer to the LORD, and arranged upon it the communion vessels handed to me by the elders at the steps of the altar. When I had then spoken the dedicatory prayer, I delivered at the altar a dedication address on Gen. 28, 17. "How dreadful is this place," etc., and connected with it, with special application of the passage to the office of the keys, the confessional address. After the pronouncing of the absolution upon those who confessed publicly — the two pastors mentioned had previously received private absolution from me in private confession — the service began, as is customary here, but this time with the omission of the Kyrie — on this see "Lutheraner, Vol. 8., No. 20." — As the chief hymn the church-dedication hymn was sung: "Dreifaltig heilig großer Gott." Before the Creed the singing and music choir of the congregation at Baltimore performed with gratifying skill a piece of music, the Te Deum by Mozart. After the Creed followed the sermon, as instructive as it was edifying, of the Rev. Pastor Keyl on the Sunday Gospel, and indeed he set forth from it the picture of the Pharisee and the publican as a mirror for all who go into the house of the LORD: 1. their going up into the temple to pray, 2. their outward life and the condition of their heart, 3. God's judgment upon them and their return. — After the sermon followed the celebration of the holy Lord's Supper. The consecration was performed by me, in that after the Preface I sang the Lord's Prayer and the words of Institution. The congregation answered the Preface with the "Holy;" the Lord's Prayer with the "conclusion of the same;" the words of Institution with "Christe, thou Lamb of God." My two dear brethren in office received with me first the body and the precious blood of our LORD; thereupon the members of the congregation. After the thanksgiving collect and the benediction, as also the Amen of the congregation, had been sung, the forenoon service ended with the hymn No. 12. and with silent prayer.

In the afternoon the congregation assembled again in great number. After a hymn, with the same accompaniment of trombones as in the forenoon, the Rev. Pastor Sommer delivered a substantial and edifying catechism sermon on the third chief part. After it followed a verse; after the close of this the hymn No. 328 was begun. For a marriage was to follow, namely that of the Rev. Pastor Sommer with his bride, who had come from Germany shortly before. The Rev. Pastor Keyl, who at my request had undertaken the marriage rite, set forth in the marriage address to the betrothed, from John 2, 1—11, the picture of a Christian married and household estate blessed by Christ, and indeed in this manner: 1. Christians ask Christ to come to them and he comes to them; 2. they order their doings according to his Word and he lets them prosper; 3, they bewail to him their need and he helps them. After the marriage had been performed the baptismal hymn No. 189 was sung, whereupon holy Baptism was administered by me to a little child. A thanksgiving collect, the benediction and a threefold Amen sung thereupon by the congregation, and afterward a closing verse with silent prayer, concluded the celebration of the festival of joy.

Thus our church-room was solemnly dedicated. I call it a church-room because it is the lower story of a double house. This latter was built by a member of the congregation, and in it, out of love and gratitude toward our Lutheran Church, he has granted the lower story for the purpose mentioned, as also one half of the upper part for the dwelling of the congregation's preacher for a couple of years on reasonable terms. The actual church is to be built on the lot situated beside the house described, bought by the congregation. May dear God soon help thereto, and may he in general with His grace further His work here among adults as among the children. The latter are being taught during the week, in a number now not small — and God grant that it may really increase not insignificantly, as it appears it will — in a school-room erected behind the latter by the builder of the house mentioned.

The LORD be with you and yours. Yours, with high esteem,
W. Nordmann.
Washington, 1852.

Indianapolis, December 7, 1852.
Reverend President!

With heartfelt joy I hereby communicate to you the following ecclesiastical intelligence:

The German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation in Warren Township, Marion Co., Ind., which only in the summer just past came together as an ecclesiastically ordered congregation upon the ground of the confession of our Church, has now also set up the holy Office of the ministry among them, in that they have duly called to be their spiritual shepherd and pastor Pastor E. A. Schürmann, who until last September served the former German Evang. Luth. congregation in Hancock Co., Ind. He was then, according to your commission, on the Thursday after the 24th Sunday after Trinity, that is on November 25, solemnly inducted into his office by me, with the assistance of Pastor Fr. Schumann, according to the order and usage of our Church, with obligation upon all the Confessional Writings of our dear Church.

On the same day the church newly built by the congregation was also dedicated. Pastor Schumann delivered the dedicatory sermon, on Gen. 28, 17., thereupon followed the installation and finally the celebration of the holy Lord's Supper, as the conclusion and crown of the whole. Although the weather was exceedingly unfriendly and one could pass the roads only with difficulty, yet the congregation had assembled very numerously, and a considerable number of our fellow-believers from the surrounding country had also come, to take part in the congregation's festival of joy.

May the gracious and merciful God, who has helped so visibly hitherto, prove Himself henceforth also to this young congregation as its good and faithful Shepherd, and grant to His under-shepherd, our dear brother Schürmann, that he may diligently discharge his holy office in the love of Christ and bring forth much fruit unto life eternal. Amen.

In sincere love and esteem
Yours,
Carl Fricke.

Dedication of the Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church in Philadelphia.

On the 3rd Sunday in Advent, December 12, we dedicated our St. John's Church. In the morning the Rev. Pastor Brohm of New York preached from Acts 2, 37 – 47: "what is the true adornment of a Christian church; namely: 1. the pure doctrine of the Word of God; 2. the godly walk of the members of the congregation." In the afternoon I myself delivered the catechism sermon from 2 Tim. 3, 15 – 17 and attached to it the catechization of the children. In the evening the Rev. Pastor Keyl of Baltimore preached on Matthew 11, 2–10.: "The testimony of our Lord Christ concerning himself and His testimony concerning John the Baptist." The services, to which very many hearers had come, will surely have prepared the way for the Lord in many a heart. Thanks be to God for all! — God has now given us a friendly little church, after we had held divine service and school for many a year in various places, last of all even in an underground room; He has also adorned it right lovingly, so that everyone looks upon it with