A Nation in the Loom: The Scandinavian Fibre in Our Social Fabric: An Address by Rev. R. A. Jernberg — John Shaqi
A Nation in the Loom: The Scandinavian Fibre in Our Social Fabric: An Address by Rev. R. A. JernbergJernberg, R. A. (Reinert August)
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A Nation in the Loom: The Scandinavian Fibre in Our Social Fabric: An Address by Rev. R. A. Jernberg
Jernberg, R. A. (Reinert August)
Scandinavians -- United States
Having discovered you, I have always felt a deep interest in you and in
the work to which you have been called. The people whom you represent,
and for whom this department is founded, are a most interesting people,
and destined to have a very great influence upon the future of our
great Northwestern States. In North Dakota, seventy per cent of our
people are of Scandinavian origin. In Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, the
Dakotas, and on to the Pacific Ocean, these sturdy people from the
north of Europe, of Protestant faith, of industrious and frugal life,
form a large element in the population. Strong in body, accustomed
to hardships, readily falling into our American ways of thought and
life, they make the very best of American citizens. Through our public
schools and other influences these people are becoming one with us in
all that makes citizenship. Thousands of them are beginning to feel
that our American churches are sure to gather in their young people,
if they are kept in line with religious work. They feel that there is
something lacking in the Old Country churches. The life and movement
is different. They attend our Sunday Schools and our evening meetings.
They sing our songs; and their young people mingle with ours in the Y.
P. S. C. E.
In one of our North Dakota towns where this work had been going on in
connection with one of our churches, a former pastor of the English
Lutheran Church in Fargo visited these people, and told them that they
must withdraw their children from our Sunday School, and withdraw from
our evening service and hold one of their own in English. While they
obeyed him for a little while, in less than a month the children were
back in our Sunday School, and the people back to our service.
These people like the freedom and simplicity of our Congregational
Churches. As earnest Christians to-day the world over care less and
less to be known as followers of John Robinson, or John Calvin, or John
Wesley, or John Knox, however glorious and worthy of honor are these
men, but rather to be known as disciples of Jesus Christ, so these
people will care less and less to be known by the name of the great and
intrepid reformer of the 16th century, but rather by that name above
every name, which makes us all brethren, marching under one banner and
bent on executing the commission the Master left us,--to conquer the
world for Him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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