http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/npu_sahq&CISOPTR=3083&CISOBOX=1&REC=14
However, there were times of joy for Ida Lindgren admist the austerity of life. The first CHristmas in Kansas was spent in the hoe of Ida's brother, Magnus Nibelius, and his wife, Johanna. They sang familiar Swedish psalms and the well mown Christmas anthem, Hosianna. Ida was surprised and pleased to receive a rocking chair from her husband. Included among her other gifts were two vegetable dishes, three dozen clothes pins, a pair of gloves, a knitting bag, and some cloth to cover a small sofa belonging to the children. Ida gave her hosts a soft pillow and two pictures of Gustaf Vasa which had been brought from Sweden. (7)
Hosianna, Davids son. Psalmen Hosianna, Davids son (sjungen på advent och palmsöndagen)(Sv Ps 105) sjungs mäktigt vid Oasrörelsens sommarmöte i Borås 21 juli 2009.
Wikipedia at http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosianna,_Davids_son says [in Google translation]: "Hosanna to the Son of David is an advent song and hymn originally composed for four-part mixed choir and organ around 1795 by Abbé Vogler for Swedish text. [1] It is one of the most sung Advent songs and the first hymn in the Finnish and Finland-Swedish hymnal 1986. / The song was part of a work on the Passion story, as Abbé Vogler built in St. Clara Church in Stockholm, March 20 1796. "
C.J. Snodgren, "A Brief History of the Augustana Synod." The Augustana Synod : a brief review of its history, 1860-1910 (Rock Island: Augustana Book Concern, 1910). 25-27. Internet Archive. 2007.
http://archive.org/details/augustanasynodbr00augu.
Of another congregation its minister wrote : "After a few months they began to pay attention to the sermon." Of another it is related : "The people were beside themselves with joy (i. e. over the visit of a minister). Services were announced for the following day (a Saturday) in the school-house, and all who could crawl or walk assembled. Many of them had lived there five and six years and during all that time had never heard a sermon. When they began the service by singing psalm 328 : 'Blessed Jesus, at Thy Word we are gathered all to hear Thee' (Hit, o Jcsu, samloms vi att ditt helga ord fa bora) [26] the singing was smothered by sobs and only after some minutes were they able to continue. -- -- At another place, when a visiting minister arrived and introduced himself to one of the members, the latter replied : "Oh, that's d--d fine now we can have communion." At another the members invited all the strangers to share their frugal meals, showed a cordial interest in each other, associated as members of a single, happy family and shared their temporal and spiritual experiences with one another. The spirit resting over the little flock was that of the early church at Jerusalem. At another place, when the minister returned to his quarters after service, the host and a few of his confreres had placed a pan of whisky on the stove and set fire to the ingredient to prepare a hot drink "after church." The minister affected alarm, grasped the burning pan, rushed to the open window and launched the whole thing into space, calmly remarking: "A good thing I came, otherwise the house might have caught fire." [27] The disappointed "thirsty souls" looked hard at the floor and said nothing. In a letter from still another congregation we read in part as follows : "Lord, Thou Physician of Israel, Thou that art able to do far more exceedingly than we can pray or think, send us a shepherd according to Thy heart ! Lord God, do not permit Thy church to remain empty of both preacher and hearers, but be gracious unto us and hear the sighing of our hearts. Man does not live of bread alone, but of each word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord. Send us Thy word and Spirit; yea, send us what can save our souls. - When the watchman is absent, the deceitful tempter is not discovered so readily. Help us ere we perish !" We have room for only two more samples : In a certain other congregation the service was carried out by one of the members. When they were through and on the way home, he called out: "Hold on, boys; I forgot to read the benedic- tion," to which they shouted back : "Save it till next time !" But in yet another a few settlers gathered in a private house to celebrate Christmas. They had procured a tree, and candles were placed in the windows. No minister was present, but a leader read the Christ- mas story in Luke 2, spoke a few heartfelt words and led in earnest prayer; and the simple service made such a profound impression on those present that all embraced each other and wept like little children. the memories and emotions that must have swept over that little gathering of pilgrims in a strange land!
Dag Blanck. The Creation of an Ethnic Community: Being Swedish American in the Augustana Synod, 1860-1917. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 2006. 116.
"Lars Furuland has noted that [Pehr] Thomasson was probably the most widely read author of Swedish fiction before Strindberg (453,000 copies of his Kung Oskar och skogvaktaren were printed in numerous editions), and in 1866 a Swedish magazine commented that emigrating peasants in Gothenburg would buy a Bible, a hymnal, and works by Thomasson before boarding the ship."
Thomasson, 1818-1883, was a former farmhand who became a successful poet and novelist. Promoted Swedish peasantry and national history.
Also, from "Swedish Lutheran pioneer missionaries" by C.J. Petri. The Augustana Synod : a brief review of its history, 1860-1910 (Rock Island: ABC, 1910). on page 12:
We should fail to state the whole truth were we to limit our thoughts and considerations to these early pioneer ministers. In the various settlements there were many laymen who, burning with a zeal for the Lord and his cause, labored faithfully for the upbuilding and the extension of the Church. They were not men with any theological training, but they knew their Bibles, loved the Catechism and ad- mired the hymns and songs of the Lutheran Zion, and, filled with the Holy Spirit, they practiced their faith, prayed to their God and preachedaboutthewonderfulrichesofgraceinChristJesus. They laid a good foundation for the future upbuilding and development of the Swedish Lutheran Church in America. The past history of the Augustana Synod has verified the wisdom and nobility of their labors. WetheirchildrenwillbythegraceofGodhonortheirmem- ories and faithfully maintain their godly life, their spiritual power, and loyally serve Christ and his Church.
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