words to live by

Our new president, Rev. Matthew C. Harrison:

There is nothing for any of us in the Missouri
Synod to be smug about. “For what do you have that you
have not been given?” Luther reminded the Germans of his
day that the precious Gospel can be and has, in fact, been
lost by whole nations.
Buy while the market is at your door; gather in the
harvest while there is sunshine and fair weather;
make use of God’s grace and word while it is there!
For you should know that God’s word and grace
is like a passing shower of rain which does
not return where it has once been . . . when
it’s gone it’s gone. . . . And you Germans need not
think that you will have it forever, for ingratitude
and contempt will not make it stay. Therefore, seize
it and hold it fast (Luther’s Works 45:352).
The good news is that the Lord delights in
having mercy upon sinners, just like us. In fact,
“Christ dwells only in sinners” (Luther).