* YET ANOTHER CALLED HOME (Under this title the following was posted on synod e-mail by the Rev. Wayne Eichstadt, Associate Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mankato, Minnesota. The message is a compelling one for current-day CLC members. The date of the writing was Tuesday, May 15, 2001.)
Roman O. Schreyer (April 17, 1904 - April 2, 2001; funeral date: April 6, 2001) Edwin Ernest Hasse (July 10, 1906 - May 7, 2001; funeral date: May 10, 2001) Albert Walter Affolter (November 7, 1906 - May 14, 2001; funeral date: May 17, 2001)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
During the past six weeks you’ve heard (through this forum) of the deaths of two faithful servants whom the Lord used during the early days of the CLC–Roman Schreyer and Edwin Hasse. Today we add a third. In the early hours of this morning, the Lord called Albert Affolter home to eternal rest.
Aside from being the Immanuel Sunday School Superintendent for 22 years, Al (assisted by his wife, Tallie) served Immanuel High School as volunteer janitor, maintenance man, and treasurer for 27 years. But perhaps most notably, Al & Tallie were among the four families whom the Lord used to “make all things ready” when the need arose for a place to house the fledgling Immanuel Lutheran High School and College in 1959. Already in January 1953 these four families purchased four adjoining lots on Harper and 3rd Street in northwestern Mankato. Not long after the purchase was made, Immanuel’s pastor, G. W. Fischer, heard of a country schoolhouse that was going to be sold at auction twelve miles west of Mankato.
Again the four property owners acted. They asked Pastor Fischer to bid on the school building in their behalf. They became the owners of the building for $700.00. With help of other volunteers the building was moved to the property. An ingenious plan to lower the roof into the building using 24 hayloft hinges saved the $2000.00 it would have cost to have the telegraph cables lowered–it was $2000.00 no one had. Once the building arrived at the property, the four owners and Immanuel volunteers worked tirelessly to do the preparation work which they could not afford to have professionals do.
When the building renovations were complete, it was called “the North Chapel” and used in a variety of ways. People had numerous ideas as to the purpose this building might one day serve. In May 1959 the purpose the Lord had in mind became known. In a May 1959 meeting Immanuel congregation decided to open a high school, college, and seminary. The four owners offered their building for school use, rent free.
The Lord never saw fit to bless Al and his wife with children of their own, and yet He blessed them with generations of children. Many times Al & Tallie commented to their pastors of the joy that filled their hearts to watch the church service via the TV broadcast and to see students whom they had served bringing their children to worship, Sunday School, and the Christian Day School & High School. Al didn’t know the names of the children in the “next generation,” but it didn’t matter, for they were the Lord’s and for a fellow brother in Christ that was enough. Al rejoiced to know that the Lord had used him in “at least a small way” to accomplish His will.
The service of triumph for Al Affolter will be held at Immanuel on Thursday (May 17) at 11:00 a.m.
Three of the Lord’s instruments from our early synodical history have now been called home in a short span of time. Surely this gives each of us pause to consider how we are but dust, and our time on earth only fleeting. However, it also impresses on us (at least on this member of a far younger generation), how the heritage of God’s Word is passed from one generation to the next; and just how important it is that we all stand as vigilant watchmen for the truth, lest our history be like that of Israel who did not know the Lord after the faithful generations were “gathered to their fathers” (Judges 2:7-10).
May the Lord always grant us a “first love” of the gospel and a ready eagerness to serve in His kingdom in whatever capacity He has for us and in all the opportunities He gives us.
* “QUARTALSCHRIFT” ARTICLE
The article “That Men Live to the World” comes to us courtesy of assistant editor Paul Koch, who explains: “In my recreational reading of old issues of the Quartalschrift I regularly come across Prof. Werner Franzmann’s translations of sermons by Hoenecke in a book(let?) entitled “Wenn ich nur dich habe.” They are long sermons, so I usually just skip them; however, this one caught my attention, and I read the whole thing.”
Permission has been received to reprint this excerpt from a Hoenecke sermon on Luke 9:57-62 for the last Sunday of Trinity (no calendar date) as printed in the Quartalschrift (now the Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly), 1943 (Vol. 40), pp. 283-285.
Under the theme “Three obstacles to following Jesus” were three sermon parts: 1) that we live to ourselves; 2) that we live first for our loved ones; 3) that we live to the world. Prof. Koch felt that the third part would be enough for one article.