Missionary Sermons compiled and edited by Rev L H Schuh 1921

Missionary Sermons
Published by Lutheran Book Concern, 1921.

Missionary Sermons
Compiled and edited by Rev. L. H. Schuh, D.D.
Lutheran Book Concern, Columbus, Ohio, 1921


Prepared by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.
One copy of Missionary Sermons is available for purchase at Qualty Music and Books.

Editor and compiler of this work is the Reverend Lewis Herman Schuh (1858-1936).  He attended Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. 

The sermon authors: Prof. Edward Pfeiffer, Rev. W. E. Tressel, Rev. J.H. Schneider, Rev. G.J. Troutman, Rev. J. Sheatsley, Rev. S. Schillinger, Rev. J.W. Schillinger, Rev. C.F.W. Allwardt, Rev. Emmanuel Poppen, Rev. Wm. Schoeler, Prof. W. O. Wee, Rev. N. Rassmussen, Rev. P. Kluepfel, Rev. R.A. Born, Rev. L.H. Burry, Rev. A.F. Rohr, Rev. J.H. Kuhlman, Rev. H. Wittrock, Rev. Eugene Poppen, Rev. J.A. Dell, Rev. A.L. Nicklas, Rev. Fred O. Schuh, Rev. H. Mackensen, Rev. N.J. Lohre, Rev. J.P. Pflueger, Rev. Arthur H. Kuhlman, Rev. Ralph Long, Rev. B.F. Hax, Rev. Harry P. Long, Rev. C.W. Pflueger, Rev. Wm. H. Feldmann, Rev. H.J. Schur, Rev. Alexander R. Kuldell, Rev. Paul I. Morentz, Rev. John Resnick, Rev. Paul Wilson.

Source information for Rev. L. H. Schuh:

Source One

Source Two

Source Three

 

Online Research Tip

Researching clergy often involves an indirect process. It has been my experience that many pastors, desiring for God to receive the glory, leave as little information as possible to aid those in the future who might be interested in their achievements.  What this also means is that it is difficult to reference what potentially will be written about not their work, but God's work done through them.  I have found that even discover their full name can take more time than any thinks necessary.

The most successful first step I have found is to use what is available of their name in different combinations, with and without the title Rev or Reverend, along with their church affiliation.  Of course, discovering their church affiliation may be a trial and error process in itself. There is a lot to be discovered by reading old denominational publications now available online, and by putting all of the snippets of information together into one whole unit, then at least a summary story is possible. 

Another option that has worked well for me when I cannot find information about the person I am researching is to find mentions of the man or woman in related material, as in online source information about immediate relations, i.e. parents, siblings, and spouse.  This will include the trial and error of looking at sites where there is the possibility of information and then being able to document clearly that the the person named is absolutely the one for whom I am searching.

There is some danger in research of this type because of all the sites of unknown origin that will be entered.  Here is where good security is of the utmost importance.  Our Norton system, for example shows which sites are okay and which are not.  Norton also verifies safety in a pop-up box before I download.

MISSIONARY SERMONS
The 61 sermon topics in Missionary Sermons range from the spiritual to the practical, and although definitely in a 1921 perspective, demonstrate the goal of missionary efforts by the current Lutheran clergy of the time was to bring all people in every place to faith in Jesus Christ.

The most striking example is perhaps the sermon titled, Our Obligations Toward the Negroes by Rev. H. J. Schuh (Lewis Schuh's son).  From a 21st century viewpoint some of the statements will imply at least a percentage of bigotry in regard to attitude, yet the purpose of the message was to demonstrate the complete entitlement of all people to the message of salvation. That being said and without denying the facts in the written word, however, the time of writing was not not the 21st century but the beginning of the 20th century.  For most Americans racism was a way of life.  The sermon previous to this one, The First Negro Christian, using Acts 8:26-38, makes the point that Philip who evangelizes the Ethiopian Eunuch is sent there to witness to a Black Man.  This certainly makes a relevant point in 1921, though it has never occurred to me that this was the purpose of the story.  (I have always thought of the man simply as the Ethiopian Eunuch.)

One of the problems that a reader today might encounter is language that by current standards is archaic, though it is my opinion that this book does not contain a significant amount of such.  For example, we don't generally use the term heathen anymore but have replaced it by calling the unsaved or lost.  In 2012 we pray for the lost or the unsaved.  In our society the word heathen carries a very crude connotation though in this respect its usage actually had quite a different group or groups of people in mind.  We must remember that in 1921 there were still places and countries and locations to where the Gospel had not yet traveled, and that anyone not whitish in skin color and a Christian was considered by many to be uncivilized and without merit.

For example:
The Christmas message is universal; it is for all races and to every individual. Not only for Israel, but also for the Gentiles; not only for those over whom the light is shining, but also for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Yea, even the heathen. Prof. W. O. Wee.

Obtaining and publishing this many sermons from this many men in itself is a large undertaking. The actual publishing is not the main portion of the task.  Unfortunately, there is no preface or introduction that might help fill in the blanks. The entire book contains only sermons along with their related Scripture, and a topical index at the end.  There is no table of contents.  I have not read all of the sermons in this book.  The ones I did read were interesting and inspirational but without profound revelation. 

Typographical Errors
I have found one typographical error in this book, which leads to the possibility of that there are more. The Scripture text for the sermon, Our Obligations Toward the Negroes, is stated as Luke when it should be Acts. 

Missionary Sermons will be of interest as an addition to a collector of Lutheran Books, those doing research, and also family members of the included authors.  It is also relevant if researching American Christian life in the early 1900s and specifically the 1920s.  Even reading through the sermon titles and Scriptures used is a sort of window to the past.

To view the entire title list of sermons, Scriptures used and sermon authors, you will need to open and/or save the Adobe PDF file:; Missionary Sermons Contents List.

There are a few original copies available on the internet for purchase as well as new print-on-demand publications.  This book is also available through google.

MP3 Audio: Missionary Significance of the Christmas Message by Rev. W. O. Wee

on Mary Katherine May's blog, TheRoosterSings.com.

 

Adobe PDF file: Three Humble Witnesses for Christ and Israel by Rev. Alexander R. Kuldell.