“Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices; who from our mother’s arms hath blessed us on our way…” (1)

“O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day.” (2)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (3)

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (4)

“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” (5)

In like manner today we sing and laud the grace, the love and the mercy of our Lord, which he has poured out upon us in these last one hundred years. At the beginning, there were only six hundred souls. Here they built a house of God in which they could preach and hear the Word of God in its purity. Here they built a school in which they could teach their children and nourish the lambs of the Lord in the green pastures of God’s Word and lead them to fresh water. First, they subjected themselves to the Lord, and then, according to God’s will, to us. How richly the Lord blessed their deeds and the work of their hands. The Word of God was their joy. Day and night it provided a lamp for their feet and a light for their path. The Word is the one thing that was needful.

It is more beautiful than gold, yes than much fine gold; it is sweeter than honey, even than the honeycomb. It is an undeserved grace from our Lord, when a congregation can look back on one hundred years. For that reason we should be humbled by God’s strong hand. You know and recognize how often all of you have left and forgotten the great works of the Lord, how often you have become weary.

You can say with Jacob: Lord, “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant.” (6)

You can say with David: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.” (7)

“To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (8)

There is still another matter which we should remember today and will want to consider. Where are your fathers and mothers who so often brought God so many offerings so that the name of God could remain in this congregation. They are no longer in the land of the living. They have already entered into the glory and joy of the Lord and behold God’s elect and the countenance of the Lord. Much has changed in human circumstances. One no longer comes to worship with sleds and wagons. We live in a world of which our fathers knew nothing. All languages will become silent and all knowledge will pass away. Only one thing will remain, that which is necessary. And what is needful today will remain important for eternity: the Word of God. This Word that you have heard and learned we hear again today.

What will the future bring for us?

Don’t we have the right to turn to God and ask and plead? “Abide with us for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” (9)

And doesn’t this Word from God still ring true? “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (10)

“…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (11)

Abide, O dearest Jesus,
Among us with Thy grace
That Satan may not harm us
Nor we to sin gave place.

Abide, O dear Redeemer,
Among us with Thy Word
And thus now and hereafter
True peace and joy afford.

Abide with heavenly brightness
Among us, precious Light;
Thy truth direct and keep us
From error’s gloomy night.


Abide with richest blessings
Among us, bounteous Lord;
Let us in grace and wisdom
Grow daily through thy Word.

Abide with Thy protection
Among us, Lord, our Strength,
Lest world and Satan fell us
And overcome at length.

Abide, oh faithful Savior,
Among us with Thy love;
Grant steadfastness and help us
To reach our home above. Amen. (12)

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation; But deliever us from evil;
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. (13)

“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (14)

English Translation by David Zersen, Austin, Texas
2014

Notes:
(1) First verse of “Now Thank We All Our God.” Both hymn citations in the sermon are taken from The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, the English hymnal that would have been available at the times the sermon was delivered in 1954 and 1979.

(2) Psalm 96: 1-2 All citations are from the King James Version of The Holy Bible, the English translation that would have been known to Pastor Schmidt.

(3) Psalm 103: 1-2

(4) Psalm 118:24

(5) Psalm 126:3

(6) Genesis 33:10

(7) Psalm 115:1

(8) Revelation 1:6

(9) Luke 24:29

(10) John 8:31-32

(11) Revelation 2:10

(12) Stanzas 1-6 of “Abide, O Dearest Jesus, in The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941

(13) The Lord’s Prayer, The Lutheran Hymnal

(14) 1 Corinthians 1:3



The Rev. Theodore Schmidt
Wendish Sermon
Delivered at both the 100th and 125th
Anniversary of St. Paul, Serbin


[„]Njech Bohu dźakuje so wutroba wšěch
ludźi, kiž wulke wěcy sam tu čini
a tež wšudźe; kiž wot młodosće nam
tu zdźerži žiwjenje a wšitku dobrotu
nam stajnje wudźěli … Spěwajće temu
Knjezej nowy kěrluš; spěwajće temu
Knjezej wšitkón swět. Spěwajće temu
Knjezej, a chwalće jeho mjeno; připowě-
dajće [dźeń] jako dźeń jeho zbože … Chwal te-
ho Knjeza, moja duša; a štož we mni
je, jeho swjate mjeno. Chwal teho Knjeza[,]
moja duša, a njezapomń jeho dobrotow …
To je tón dźeń, kotryž tón Knjez činił
je; tehodla zradujmy a wjeselmy so we
nim … Tón Knjez je wulku wěc na nas
činił; teho my so zwjeselmy. “
Tak spěwamy, chwalimy dźensa tu
hnadu, tu lubosć a tu smilnosć naše-
ho Knjeza, kotryž wón na nas we tych

poslednich sto lět[ach] wulał je. A [Na] započatku
bě [jich] mało, wokoło šěsć stow dušow. Woni
su natwarili jow jen dom teho Knjeza,
we kotrymž [su] woni Bože słowo we čistos-
ći słyšeć a prědować móhli. Woni su
natwarili jow jenu šulu, w kotrymž [kotrejž]
[su] jich dźěći wučić móhli, a jehnjata Knje-
za na zelenej łuce to Bože słowo [teho Božeho słowa] pasć
a wjedźeć [wjesć] k čerstwej wodźi. Podachu so
najprjedy temu Knjezej a potom nam přez
Božu wolu. Kak krasnje je Bóh jich skutki
žohnował, a dźěło jich rukow! A Bože słowo
bě jich wjesełosć. Bě wodnjo a [w] nocy jich
noham swěca, a swětło na jich puću.
To słowo je to jeničke, štož nuzne běše.
Běše krasniše dyžli złoto, haj dyžli
wjele rjaneho złota; běše słódše dyžli
měd, dyžli mjedowy płast. To je jena
njezasłužena hnada našeho Knjeza, hdyž jena

wosada móže hladać na jene sto lět.
Tehodla budźe jich ponižić so pod
Božu mócnu ruku. Woni wědźa a póznaja[,]
kak husto woni wšitke te wulke skutki
teho Knjeza su wopušćili a zapomnjeli[,]
kak wjele moli su sprócni wodwali.
Móža z Jakubom prajić: „Ja njejsym
dostojny wšitkeje twojeje smilnosće
a swěrnosće, kotruž mi, twojemu
wotročkej, sy wopokazał.“ Móža tež
z Dawidom prajić: „Nic nam, nic nam, ale
twojemu mjenu daj chwalbu, twojeje hnady
a prawdy dla … Temu samemu budź česć
a móc wot wěčnosće hač do wěčnosće. “

Je hišće jena druha wěc, kotryž [na kotruž]
dźensa my chcemy so dopomnić a wo-
pomnić. Hdźe su jich nanojo a maćer-
je, kiž přez sto lět tak wjele moli

swojom Bohu tak wjele woporow su přinjesli,
zo by to Bože mjeno we tej wosadźi wostać
móhło. Njejsu jow pak dlěje na kraju tych
žiwych. Su hižom nutř šli [do] toho Knjeza
krasnosće a wjesełosće, a wohladaja
wšitki[ch] wuzwolenych Božich a woblečo teho
Knjeza. Wjele je so přeměniło na člow-
[jeskim] žiwjenju. Njepřińdźa wjac kemši
jako prjedy, z[e] sankami a z wozami. My smy [žiwi]
we swěći, wot kotrehož naši wótcojo
njejsu ničo wědźeli. Wšitke rěče bu-
dźa přestać, a póznaće so zhubić bu-
dźe. Ale jeno te jeničke budźe wostać[,]
štož nuzne je. Ale jeno, štož nuzne je,
je dźensa[,] kiž wěčnje wostać budźe kak
we sto [tak wjele stow] lět: a [to] Bože słowo. Tele słowo,
dokelž [kotrež] woni su słyšeli a nawuknyli,
słyšimy hižom dźensa.
Što budźe tó[n] přichod nam přinjesć?

Nimamy prawa[,] wobroćić so k Bohu,
našeho [našemu] Knjezej, prosyć a wutrobnje
žadać: „Wostań pola nas, dokelž so
k wječoru přibližuje, a dźeń je so
nachilił.“ Nam płaći a [to] Bože słowo:
„Budźeće-li wy wostać při mojej
rěči, da sće moji prawi wučomnicy,
a wy budźeće tu prawdu póznać, a ta
prawda budźe was wuswobodźić … Budź
swěrny hač do smjerće, da chcu tebi
krónu teho žiwjenja dać. “

Ach! wostań při nas z hnadu,
Hlaj, swěta wječor je,
Zo njepřińdźemy k padu
Přez čerta lestnosće.

Ach! twoje słowo swjate
Njech bydli pola nas,
Zo budźe zbože date
Nam přez nje kóždy čas.

Ach! wostań při nas, krasnosć
A swětłosć žiwjenja;
Dha mamy w ćmowym jasnosć
A błud nas njezjeba.

Ach! twoje žohnowanje
Staj k našej chudobi;
Njech kóžde lube ranje
Nas z nowoh wobdari.

Ach! budź ty nam, o Chryšće,
Naš škit, Knjez ryćerski,
Hdyž so nam w swěće styšće,
Čert šumi žałostnje.

A hdyž so přibližuje
Ta dołha smjertna nóc,
Nas wšitko wopušćuje,
Dha budź ty naša móc.

Hamjeń.

Wótče naš, kiž sy we njebjesach,
swjećene budź twoje mjeno.
Přińdź k nam twoje kralestwo.
Twoja wola so stań,
kaž na njebju, tak tež na zemi.
Naš wšědny chlěb daj nam dźensa.
A wodaj nam naše winy, jako
my wodawamy našim winikam.
A njewjedź nas do spytowa-
nja, ale wumóž nas wot teho złeho. Pře-
tož twoje je to kralestwo a ta móc a
ta česć hač do wěčnosće. Hamjeń.

Hnada budź z wami, a pokoj wot Boha,
našeho Knjeza, a wot teho Knjeza Je-
zom Chrysta!