Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1916-05-26
Synooemooet
6orifaiicl'c lra she /.

49,
and ! gratefully acknowledge my in
debtcdness to u church. The value
OF the labor performed, the suffering
endured, the sacrifice made by the
clergy and the theological instruc-
tors we can no. overostimate. Now
when we laymen call your attention
TO your failings, we do SO in a friend
~ spirit, and we beg OF you TO give
due consideration OF the same. We,
the Hauge, the United church and the
Synode people have the same "barne-
lerdom". the same hymnbooks, the
sacraments. and the same understand
ing OF sin and grace; we come from
the same mother church, have the
same ancestry, and have so much in
common, why in Gods name should
we not form the proposed union and
live and work together as brothers
according TO the precepts of christia
nifty?
Theologians, not laymen, are di-
rectly responsible for the present
controversy, a controversy based
upon mere technicalities, as a result
the spirit that prevails in the synod
now is deplorable, to say the least.
Some of our people are struck with
sadness, some with provocation.
There are reasons for one as we'll
as for the other. Tearing up old
sores. harboring mistrust and suspi-
cion, hurting accusations of dishone-
sly against each other, belitteling and
disrespecting Our officers and dis
regarding the resolutions and actions
OF the synod have Inundated the
dignity of the "NOrske SynOde"; has
crippled the influence Of the church,
has caused friction in our schools and
colleges, has invaded the domain of
our congregations and disSpelled
peace and brotherhood and left en-
nifty and strife; yea, it has invaded
the very sanctity OF the home with its
disturbing influences. Well might
we be reminded of the words of Paul:
"By love serve one another -,
but if you bite and devour one an
other, take heed that ye be not
consumed by n of another.
II there ever was a time in the
history of the Norwegian Lutheran
church of America when great in
trest Of the laymen were at stake,
and when they themselves could con-
troll the situation, it is now.
We have heard the prayers for
union for years. The critical time Is
finally at hand; the lines are drawn,
the battle is on, upon n banner we
see the foreboding words delay or
secession, upon the other banner we
see embalazoned the letters OF life
union and BROTHERHOOD.
Brother delegates under what BAN
ner will YOU rally? Where will the
interest OF your family and your CON
gregation be? Where will Pontoppi-
dan, the record and the action OF the
synod, tell you to go?
The time has come when the lay
men should assert their right, use the
power the church has placed in them
and entrusted to them. We sit here
with responsibility as well as those
learned in theology. We are sent
here TO vote the wishes of the con
gregations we represent. AT one OF
our annual meetings | heard a dele
gate state: we are for union, but our
pastor has served us so long, and he
" $50 80 a. en- he dYH
so in order to please him. While it
is entirely proper, and we should ad-
wise and consult with our pastors,
vet we must bear in mind, that we
are not sent here TO vote according
TO their dictatiOns. we are to re
present the wishes Of our congrega-
tons, regardless of where Our pastors
stand.
After years OF discussion and con
sideration it is an insult to the in
~telligence OF our people to say that
we are not prepared for final action,
We have been patient, but the time
is at hand when patience ceases to
be a virtue. Delay mean more agi-
tation. more mischief, it means de-
feat and retrogression. Let every
friend OF the union be aroused TO the
highest sense OF duty, and postpone
ment will not prevail. With malice
toward none, with charity for all, let
us here and now face this issue
fairly and squarely and go on record
as opposed to useless controversy;
let us acQuit ourselves like men, men
who stand for peace and union.