Aaron Jensen

The following three pieces are the final three chapters from Carl Manthey-Zorn's memoirs of his time as a missionary in India entitled, "This and That from the Life of a Missionary to East India." For more information on Zorn, please see his biography, also published in this issue.

Walther preached this sermon at a mission festival held in Sheboygan, WI in June, 1864. In it he shows us the significance of the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer.

This sermon was written for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, 1855. It is published here with a disclaimer. Walther interprets Jesus’ getting to a boat and sailing as signifying the Church of Christ travelling to a new place. We cannot approve of such allegorical hermeneutics. When Matthew said that Jesus got into a boat, he meant that Jesus got into a boat. Walther draws things from these passages which they do not contain. Nevertheless they are the pious thoughts of a faithful and gifted theologian and because they offer valuable insight into the history of the continually migrating Church they are a beneficial read. Of special interest may be some of his comments towards the end of the sermon, warning would happen even to his beloved St. Louis if they would not preserve the Gospel faithfully.

Johann Jacob Rambach (1693-1735) was a professor of theology at both Halle and Giessen. Although he was to some degree caught up in both the pietist and rationalist movements, he did leave the Lutheran church many wonderful hymns, including "Baptized into Your Name Most Holy" (CW294) and "My Maker, Be with Me" (CW598). This joyful Christmas hymn is sung to the melody "Wie Wohl Ist Mir, O Freund Der Seelen."

In this sermon, preached by Walther on Christmas Day, 1872, he encourages his hearers to persist in their childlike faith.

Caught amid a polemical flurry of Christology, Johannes Brenz had to set the record straight as to what he taught and believed concerning the communicated omnipresence of Christ. This work, originally written in 1561, set forth Brenz’s understanding of the issue and included as an appendix a selection of quotes from Martin Luther which show that the original reformer taught the same thing.

Salomon Franck (1659-1725) was a lawyer who was most famous for his poetry. Many of his poems were set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. Among his many works are “I Leave All Things to God’s Direction” (CW414) and “O God, Forsake Me Not” (CW424). This hymn, which meditates on the joy that from eternity God has by grace and in Christ elected his own for heaven, is set to the melody “Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott” (CW444).

In this disputation, Andreae points out that arguing about words for the sake of words is a waste of time that only brings about confusion and discord, yet the words are vitally important insofar as they preserve and defend God's revealed truth, and in that case are worth fighting for. Andreae shows that only through a correct understanding of the image of God and of original sin is our salvation and God's honor properly upheld.

In this Reformation sermon, first preached in 1856, Walther celebrates the great freedoms which the Gospel brings.

Walther delivered this sermon in 1861. In it he reminds the heirs of the Reformation exactly what they have inherited and encourages them to cling to it.