# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 01 30_S96 # AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 96 situated upon a hill, in a beautiful region, about 13 miles from the dwelling of the undersigned. Small and simple it stands there, it is provided with a fine pulpit, altar and pretty pews; on the feast day, to which the LORD gave very favorable weather, it was, besides the more precious spiritual adornment, decked with green trees, garlands and wreaths, and on the back wall were to be read, wreathed about, the words: "God's Word and Luther's doctrine, pass now and nevermore!"— As last year at the dedication of our larger frame church in Hartford Co., also about 12 miles from my dwelling, so also this time Mr. Pastor Keyl, the churchly music and singing choir, with some friends besides from our sister congregation at Baltimore, gladdened us with their visit and kind cooperation at the dedication. Before the church door there resounded with the sound of trombones far over the hills, into the long green meadows, the hymn: Now thank we all our God!— After the congregation had entered and the sacred vessels had been delivered, the undersigned offered the dedicatory prayer, as he also performed the altar service. Mr. Pastor Keyl preached the sermon on Luke 19, 1-10. The theme was: The gracious presence of the LORD JESUS in His Word and Sacrament: 1. The longing for it, 2. The granting of it, 3. The fruit thereof. May God give an abundant blessing to the important and beautiful testimony of His servant! The said choir sang before the sermon the hymn: "How holy is the place, here is nothing else but God's house," and after the sermon, in four parts with solos: Lift up your heads, ye gates, etc., No. 31 of our hymnal. The whole solemnity was thereby not a little exalted and we inwardly gladdened and refreshed, wherefore we also cannot refrain from thanking Mr. Pastor Keyl and the singing choir hereby once more publicly and heartily. This congregation was founded about 5 years ago by Mr. Pastor Hoyer and during this time held its services in very various and distant places; especially in the last time some had to go hours' distance to church, and are now exceedingly glad that our dear LORD God has given them a nearer, sure and suitable place and a house of God of their own. — In the congregation in the midst of which the undersigned dwells, about 20 miles from Baltimore, no church house has yet been able to be built. In communicating this to you, dear brethren and fellow-believers, we greet you all! Pray for us and with us, dear brethren! And the grace of our LORD JESUS Christ be with us all! Amen. M. W. Sommer, Pastor. Twenty-fifth Anniversary of Ministry. Surely it will be pleasing to most of the dear readers of the Lutheraner to hear that the Reverend President of the Eastern District Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States, Mr. Pastor E. W. G. Keyl, at Baltimore, on the 14th Sunday after Trinity, the 17th of September 1854, was permitted to celebrate his 25-year ministerial jubilee. The Mr. Jubilarian indeed would permit no public announcement of it, yet it will not be taken amiss of the writer of this that he has briefly announced it. For it surely becomes us to praise God's works and wonders in the congregation of God and before all the world! And is it not now a wonder of God when He preserves a child of man 25 long years in His grace and in His holy work! Yea, if He graciously permits that much fruit be produced by such spiritual labor, as is the case here and as loud testimonies from Germany and America attest. Ah, how many a sermon has been delivered by this servant of JESUS Christ during these 25 years, how many a blow given to the devil and his kingdom, how many a soul called to Christ and comforted! Should we not, dear readers, have cause enough to bring the works of the second commandment: praising and thanking, to God?! To say a word now about the solemnity, the church council at Baltimore had invited the five nearest pastors thereto, of whom only Pastors Nordmann and Sommer could come. These two with the church council went in the early morning of the said day to the Jubilarian, who suspected nothing, and surprised him with greeting, thanks and congratulation. Some gifts of honor had already come in. Early the Mr. Pastor Keyl then preached a very important sermon upon the Sunday gospel and added where and how long at each place he had administered the holy Ministry, and concluded in an affecting manner with prayer and thanks to God; then the Holy Supper was celebrated. In the afternoon Pastor Nordmann preached, and in the evening Pastor Sommer. The church was festively adorned with flowers. During all three services splendid pieces of music and song were rendered by the choir, by the music and singing choir of the congregation, in a dignified manner. Also the large church was filled to overflowing all three times. Since the congregation, too, had been surprised by the festival, the joy was the greater and will remain unforgettable to many. Later there was presented to the Jubilarian by the church council a beautiful large crucifix (white body upon black wood), of the value of about 16 dollars, which now stands in the church upon the altar together with two candles! To God alone the glory! Dedication of the Cemetery at Baltimore. Since the congregation at Baltimore saw itself compelled to lay out a new cemetery, the joy of the congregation was the greater, as at last a beautiful, level, well-fenced, large site had been found for it. Only in the middle of the churchyard stands a large oak, (Gen. 35, 8, Allon-bachuth) there a large heart is formed by sand paths, which is to be the burial place for preachers' and teachers' families. The whole churchyard is artfully divided by sand walks, and a large part has been set aside for family graves. — On the 2nd Sunday in Advent, the 10th of December 1854, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon this cemetery was solemnly dedicated as follows: Almost the whole congregation had assembled on the beautiful day at the place, and the procession moved in a very long line into the grounds, which went twice slowly around the oak, during which time the hymn No. 111, "JESUS, my confidence," was sung. First the girls, then the boys of the school, then 2 pastors, — among them a neighboring pastor, who had that morning preached 7 miles from Baltimore, — then the church council and the cemetery committee, and finally the men and women of the congregation and the guests. All placed themselves about the preacher, Mr. Pastor Keyl, who stood on an elevation under the oak. After the congregational singing, the hymn newly rehearsed for the purpose: Blessed are the dead who die in the LORD, etc., was sung by the choir in a deeply moving and dignified manner, in four parts with solos. Thereupon followed the very beautiful and instructive dedicatory sermon; in it was edifyingly put together with great diligence the most important matter that occurs in the Old and New Testament and the history of the Church concerning burials; then there was sketched for us in the sermon the bodily picture of a God's acre according to 1 Cor. 15: how here the bodies are committed in the field of God as grains of the earth and to corruption, but only to rise again after a short sleep in eternal youthful vigor; how we should therefore daily renew our baptismal covenant and go to meet our grave, so that none of those who lie here might rise to eternal misery! There remained probably few eyes without tears, for here the place itself preached, its meaning, yea every blade of grass, with a loud voice. There followed now the Lord's Prayer, singing of hymn 281, verses 7 and 8, "Let me at my end, etc.",— collect and benediction, whereupon the multitude, richly blessed, turned their steps homeward. Receipts and Thanks. (Belated.) Thankfully I herewith certify that I have received $3.00 from Mr. Johanning near Waterloo, Ills. J. A. Hügli. With hearty thanks toward God and the kind giver I herewith certify that I have received from an unnamed person in the congregation of Mr. Pastor Seidel $5.00 for my support. May the gracious God reward the kind giver for it in time and eternity. Concordia College, the 24th of January 1855. F. Ahner. From the Young Men's Society at Paizd., Perry Co., Mo., I herewith certify that I have received $5.00; likewise from the Young Men's Society of the congregation of Mr. Pastor Seidel $6.00, for which I wish the kind givers and especially my dear friends of youth God's rich recompense in things bodily and spiritual. Concordia College, the 24th of January 1855. G. Gruber. Received with hearty thanks for the board of the students and pupils in Concordia College: 1. from the congregation of Mr. Pastor Heckel $10.05 for the pupil Bewie; 2. from the congregation at Neubielefeld: 202 pounds of beef and pork, 2½ bushels of potatoes; 3. from Mr. [name blank] in the congregation near Sulphurspring, Mo., two shoats. Concordia College, the 24th of Jan. 1855. L. Wüllner, College Steward. Received by the undersigned further: For the widow Eisfeld: From Mr. Pastor Johannes $ .50 For widow Heid: From Mr. Pastor Sommer $ .50 " Mr. Pastor Daib $ .25 " his congregation 2.74 " his school children .49 $3.48 " Mr. Pastor Stubnatzy $ .50 " Mr. Pastor Küchle $ .50 " the congregation of Mr. Pastor Kunze $4.50 " Mrs. Nagel $ .50 " Mr. Heinrich Kalbfleisch $1.00 " Mr. Tirmenstein, Sr. $1.00 St. Louis, the 30th of January 1855. Otto Ernst. With hearty thanks I herewith certify that I have received from the congregation of Mr. Pastor Sallmann $1.75, from Messrs. Heinrich and Wilhelm Sporleder, members of the congregation at Dutchmanspoint $1.25, from Mr. Ludwig Griebel in Fort Wayne $1.00, and for the Kirchengeschichte from J. S. S. $1.00. May the gracious God reward the kind givers with rich blessing here in time and there eternally. Fort Wayne, the 22nd of Dec. 1854. Joh. Kon. Lud. Moll. The list of receipts follows in the next number. Printing errors in the last number: P. 86, col. 2, line 17 from bottom, read instead of: der Lehre—des Lehre. " 3, " 27 " " " " er—es. " 88, " 2, " 9 " " " " G. Fuerbringer — O. Fuerbringer.