Dear Christian friends:

You give me great pleasure and honor because you have invited me to preach today as you celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church For The Deaf. Since I was your Pastor (shepherd)from 1959 to 1970. Mrs. Hauptman and I shared with you eleven of the twenty years we remember today.

During the past twenty years God has shown great mercy to this congregation and ministered to many deaf people. God has used Prince of Peace Church to bring new birth and new life to deaf children, deaf young people, and deaf adults. Especially through the Sunday School and Youth program many, many deaf children and young persons have learned to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Some of these children, now grownup are still active members here at Prince of Peace. Some have joined other Christian churches and are active members in those churches.

One, Carol Hedensten, now Mrs. Mark Seeger, is a D.C.E. and a pastor's wife. Mark Seeger will graduate from Concordia Seminary, F.W., Indiana this month and will be ordained at Grace Lutheran Church in Lancaster, California on June 10th. The Seegers will then move to Rochester, N.Y. where they will serve the deaf in that field.

I am sure that many of you can give other examples of how God has done wonderful work in the hearts and lives of many deaf people through the ministry of Prince of Peace Church during the past twenty years. Perhaps this afternoon you will have an opportunity to tell your various stories.

So let us give thanks and praise to God today as we look back and remember some of the blessings He has given to deaf people through Prince of Peace Church.


It is important for us to praise God today. Often we like to praise men, and not really praise God. We perhaps say that we thank and praise God, but in our heart we really want praise and honor for ourselves. We become excited and emotional to praise former pastors as you can see for yourselves today. And we former pastors seek praise and honor for ourselves. We want everyone to praise our years of service more than another's. And perhaps you the members like one pastor better than another.

Perhaps you members and lay leaders want praise and honor for your past service in the church. You are not really concerned to praise God. You feel jealous and displeased if your past service is overlooked or no one thanked you for it. (Tell about the man who rode on the bus from Great Falls, to Helena, Montana who left the church because no one appreciated him.)

We often seek praise for ourselves in doing church work, and do not really want to praise and honor God. St. Paul had the same problem with the church in Corinth. They were acting like unbelievers, and not like true brothers and sisters in Christ. Some of the members liked preacher Paul and did not like preacher Apollos. Others liked Apollos and did not like Paul. (verses 3-4) There was envy and jealousy and strife in the congregation because the members wanted to praise and honor men and failed to give praise and honor to God.

So Paul tells them they are "carnal." They think and act like unbelievers, and not like children of God. Then Paul asks them a good question: "Who is Paul? And who is Apollos?" Then he answers, "Only ministers by whom ye believed, but the Lord gave faith to every man." Then Paul continues to explain they should praise God, not men: "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (blessing) He that plants is nothing and he that waters is nothing, but God is everything; He gives the increase (blessing)."

Who is Hauptman, and who is Reinap and who is Finke and who is Lange? They are only servants through whom you believed, but God gave you the faith. So Hauptman is nothing and Finke is nothing, and Reinap is nothing and Lange is nothing! But God is everything! He gives the blessing! Praise God, not men! See honor and glory for God, not for yourself!

God loved the world and gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Jesus died on the cross and arose on Easter morning so that we can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

The Holy Spirit has given us new birth and new life through the Word and Sacraments and continues to keep us in the true faith, and helps us produce many beautiful fruits for God's honor and glory.

Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the Vine-Keeper. I Am the vine, you are the branches; He that abides in me and I in him, the same produces much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. Here is how my Father receives glory if you produce much fruit." (John 15:1-8)

Many years ago Mr. Glenn Harris, who was superintendent of the Montana School for the Deaf told me an important truth. He said, "You can do much good in the world if you don't worry about who gets the credit." He meant you can really do much good in the world if you seek to praise God and forget about yourself.

So let us today give all glory to God:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Hymn: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Prayer At The Dinner Program

Praise and glory to You, O God, for Your grace and blessings on this congregation during the past twenty years. We also thank You for the blessings You gave through the former mother churches, Grace and Calvary during the fifty-eight years before this congregation was organized. We thank you for faithful pastors who served here in the past. We also thank you for the lay men and lay women who served as officers and leaders during the past years. May we remember their good example of faith and life and follow their way.

We thank You, O Father, for these gifts to this church through whom the Gospel and Sacraments came to many, calling them to faith and new life in the risen and living Savior through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Help us remember that our new birth and new life is from Your Holy Spirit. Let us remember that You, Father, are the Vine-Keeper, that Jesus is the Vine and that we are the branches. Show mercy to us and let us stay joined with the Vine Jesus through Your Word and Sacraments, that we may remain healthy, living branches giving much fruit for Your glory.

May we always praise only You, O Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.