November 8

Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Galatians 6:9.

With the dawn of the Reformation learning and thought received a new impulse. Everywhere under the new sunlight of the Gospel there revived interest for institutions of popular education. Luther labored with great earnestness and vigor for the reformation of the schools and for a thorough instruction of the young both in religious and in secular knowledge.

From its very beginning our Church has been active in building Christian schools and colleges. In the midst of all the hardships and poverty which the new colonists had to suffer, they organized schools of learning in which religion, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, German, French, English, history, geography, mathematics, natural philosophy, natural history, mental philosophy, music, and drawing were to be taught, and often in very humble buildings these schools were opened. Out of these small beginnings grew, as it were, many seminaries and colleges. In these institutions of learning thousands of students are enrolled, and these are taught by over a hundred teachers. Surely, a phenomenal growth, not equaled in the history of any other denomination in this or any other country of the world. God has prospered us most bounteously. The little acorn has grown to be a mighty oak, which spreads its branches from shore to shore of this our blessed country, up to Canada, down to South America, and over to England, Germany, India, Australia, and China. The glorious blessing of our colleges and seminaries every year is carried all over the world. Far over a hundred candidates for the ministry leave our seminaries every year. Every Sunday many thousands of our dear Lutheran Christians pray in our public services that God would here and everywhere bless the institutions of the true faith in which faithful laborers for His vineyard are prepared. These same Lutheran institutions are the strongest bulwark this country has over against all enemies of our liberties.

Prayer.

Almighty, eternal, and beneficent God, we give unto Thee hearty thanks and praise for Thy most gracious aid and assistance; for without Thee we surely could have done nothing; therefore all praise properly belongs to Thee. And we pray Thee, deign to be

pleased with our work and have it tend to the welfare, in body and soul, of ourselves and our fellow-men; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

O ye, with blessings falling As dust from goldenrod, Oh, heed the earnest calling For temples of your God;

Oh, from your well-filled coffers Lend silver to the Lord And be the hand that proffers The Sacrament and Word.