Yesterday, I republished an old post about a Lutheran teacher in Ft.Wayne, Indiana. It told the story of a man who served at a Lutheran congregation that was established in 1837, even prior to the German Lutherans that arrived in Perry County in 1939. I will be attending that church because I happen to be in Indiana today. The previous post that I will share this morning is one that was originally posted on the day after the one you may have read yesterday. It tells the tale of a congregation that was established in 1899. That congregation is Zion Lutheran Church in Alva, Oklahoma.

The present-day church sanctuary used by Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg was built in 1867. One of its builders was a man by the name of Carl Groh. Carl had a son named Carl who moved to Oklahoma and helped build a new sanctuary for Zion Lutheran Church in Alva. The story of Carl Groh’s son, Carl Groh, is the one you will read today.

There were not many Lutheran churches in America back in the 1830’s. What became the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod was then established in 1847, and the LCMS grew by leaps and bounds. Now, this weekend, I have been attending the National Lutheran Basketball Tournament which is hosting 32 boys basketball teams and 25 girls basketball teams from all over the country. It has been a real treat for me to be found in this basketball environment this weekend. It is evidence of how our church body has certainly Groh-n over the years. Now, if you are like my wife, you can groan about the crazy words I make up out of thin air.