As we look at history and at our own frailty, we must acknowledge that no church body is guaranteed the blessings we have now. They are simply a matter of grace.

In the last few days, the only Lutheran elementary school of our fellowship in Germany celebrated its tenth anniversary. Closed under Hitler but reopened in 2001, the school serves students in grades 1 to 4. Pastor Uwe Klärner, the principal there in Zwickau, teaches the students the truths of God's Word every morning.

Two hundred years ago, who could have imagined that there would be only one Lutheran elementary school in all of Germany that teaches God's Word in its truth and purity?

In the past few months, my father-in-law got a translation of the charter from the little Norwegian Lutheran congregation he grew up at in western Wisconsin. In that beautiful document, the immigrants from the 1800s laid out their desire and prayer that their congregation would always be faithful to God's Word. In those days it was not uncommon for Lutherans to gather together and pledge faithfulness to the truth.

That congregation was faithful when my father-in-law attended it. In confirmation class he studied Luther's Small Catechism. Sadly things quickly changed. His younger sister, ten years later, studied pamphlets with no mention of the doctrines in the catechism. It has only gotten worse. Today that congregation is part of a church body that proudly tolerates false doctrine and immorality.

One hundred years ago, who would have imagined that you could attend a Lutheran church in the United States and hear only political aphorism and charitable encouragement, not the unconditional gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Right now in our fellowship, we believe, teach, and confess with remarkable clarity that our sins are forgiven simply through faith in Jesus Christ, with no strings attached. By grace, through faith. In the hundreds of churches and schools in our fellowship, law and gospel are distinguished and taught correctly. The Word of God is honored and taught. Mission zeal is clear. How do we keep those blessings?

Our Lutheran schools are an important part of the answer. In those schools we are giving the tools to the next generation so that they share the gospel whenever and wherever they can.

Faithful catechetical instruction in our congregations is another important part of the answer. We teach the Lutheran Confessions, especially Luther's Small Catechism, because we believe that they faithfully present what the Bible says.

But as we look at history and at our own frailty, we must acknowledge that no church body is guaranteed the blessings we have now. They are simply a matter of grace. One hundred years ago, teachers in our synod said it clearly: