Introduction: One Hundred and Eighty-six years ago, a dense forest stretched from the Great Lakes west to the Illinois prairie and south to the Ohio River Valley. Majestic oaks and sycamores, elms and maples, chestnuts, pines and cedars lined the paths and newly hewn roads, moved even young banker Hugh McCulloch to awe. Into this frontier poured first thousands and soon tens of thousands of Germans and Irishmen, drawn by the promise of the most fertile land in the world, where anyone was free to carve out a farmstead and leave a heritage to his children. They found it hard work in a hard climate. Isolated in the wilderness, where the bush might keep you from knowing you even had neighbors, you were very much alone and isolated. No church bells would call you to worship in non-existent churches. You see, while they came, pastors, by and large, did not.
Even when you were blessed with a servant of the word and the Lord’s house, tragedy often struck. In the frontier village of Fort Wayne, St. Paul’s Lutheran Congregation was in mourning. Their young German American pastor had just died. Their elder Adam Wesel wrote the Pennsylvania Ministerium Mission society on June 4th: “If you canvas the northern part of Indiana, you will soon see how important it is that you send us a faithful Shepherd. The harvest is great, but unfortunately there are no workers. If it is not possible to send us a pastor, dear brothers, then send us a circuit rider. We hunger and thirst for the Word of God.”
God heard their prayer. Three days before their pastor died, Friedrich Wyneken set sail for Baltimore on the Brig Apollo. As Adam Wesel’s letter arrived in Pennsylvania, he presented himself before the mission society, prepared to receive a call as a missionary. They sent him to gather the scattered Germany Protestants of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. And he did.
- God has called you to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light
a) As God’s people prayed for a pastor then, so they do now.
b) As God answered their prayer, sending Wyneken, so he answers their prayer and sends you.
c) You bear the same call that Wyneken did
d) You have the same gospel to proclaim, the same baptism to administer; the same absolution to grant; the same Supper to celebrate.
2. Yet you are aliens and exiles in this world
a) While a remnant of Christian America remains, we live a pagan culture.
b) The fear of death drives their lives and actions
c) What little they know about Jesus and the church is a caricature.
d) Peter’s advice is sound: live an honorable life among them.
3. We are founded on the living cornerstone, chosen and precious
a) We are not redeemed by silver and gold, but his precious blood.
b) We are now his own holy nation, a royal priesthood.
c) Though we may seem alone, we are never alone.
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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Back in the 40’s we had a Wyneken family that belonged to our church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, MS, in Inglewood California. The son was a missionary in India, home on leave, and his son David was a classmate at Good Shepherd School. I wonder if this is the same family.