In this series we are reprinting Spokesman articles by early leaders in the CLC. Pastor James Albrecht is the curator of the series. Rev. L. Dale Redlin (1932-2025) was one of the first graduates of Immanuel Lutheran Seminary in Mankato, Minnesota. He served as pastor at various CLC congregations in Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota and Texas, and later at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mankato. He also served on several synodical boards. This article is from the Lutheran Spokesman of December 1970. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.
The autumn harvest season has run its course. The fruits of the field have been gathered into the garner. The farmer lifts his eyes and heart in thanksgiving unto a gracious God. Another year of field preparation, seeding, praying, patient waiting, and harvesting has come and gone. And regardless of whether the harvest was plentiful or lean, plans are in the making for another year. Anyone who has lived in a farming community does not have to be introduced to the seemingly indestructible attitude of hope for tomorrow.
The holy writer, James, compares this attitude of the farmer with the patient hope of the people of God as they patiently wait for their returning Lord.
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 5:7-8)
We, again, have arrived at that season in the church year when the two advents of our Lord merge. The first coming of our Lord is kept alive through continual review of the fulfilled promises of God. Each year with joyous hearts we place special emphasis upon the miraculous wonder of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us. By faith we are akin to Abraham of whom the Savior could say, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:56) And so we are able to sing with awe-filled hearts,
"What the fathers most desired What the prophets' heart inspired. What they longed for many a year. Stands fulfilled in glory here." (TLH 91)
The tomorrow which was made alive by hope for the believers of old has become our today of fulfilled promise.
But yet, tomorrow is made alive by hope. It is made alive by a confident expectation of the fulfillment of God’s gracious promise to us, “Surely I come quickly.” (Revelation 22:20a)
We are at a most enviable time in the history of the world. Through God’s inspired Word we see the first era of the world come to its completion in the birth of Christ. We see that during that era the Husbandman of heaven and earth preserved the seed which should finally produce the Righteous Branch out of the roots of Jesse. We witness as the “hopes and fears of all the years” were met in Bethlehem on that holy night when the “angels from the realms of glory” rejoiced and the shepherds went to “see this thing which is come to pass.” Their tomorrow of hope became a today of reality.
The second era of the world began as the Seed of the woman was planted into the midst of this sinful and spiritually adulterous world. But because this Seed had life in itself, it could bring forth fruit even in such an environment.
But the end is not yet. James was inspired to write, “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (5:8) This he wrote some nineteen hundred years ago. And quite properly so. For throughout the entire New Testament era of the world, the believers have one matter which captivates their hope for tomorrow. James was patiently waiting—we patiently wait, in confident expectation, for the Husbandman of heaven and earth to put in the sickle. We are continually looking up, lifting up our heads from amidst this vale of tears for we know that our “redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)
Tomorrow is made alive by hope. It was so for God’s people of old. It is so for us today. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20b)
1932-2025