When Martin Luther penned “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” he wasn’t writing from a place of comfort or ease. The world around him was uncertain—politically, spiritually, even personally. Yet out of that storm came a song of confidence that has echoed across centuries and continents:

A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from every need
That hath us now o’ertaken.

It’s no wonder that this hymn became a heartbeat of the Reformation and, later, a song of courage for those who left everything familiar to seek a new home of faith and freedom.

When the Saxon immigrants boarded ships bound for America in 1838, they carried little with them—some clothing, a few possessions, and a deep conviction that God’s Word must remain pure and central in their lives. In their hearts, they carried the same confidence Luther proclaimed: “The Word they still shall let remain.”

Those Saxons faced storms both literal and spiritual. The journey across the Atlantic was perilous. Their new life in Missouri was grueling and uncertain. They suffered loss, doubt, and division. Yet through it all, the Word endured. The fortress held.

At the Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum, we tell that story every day—not as one frozen in history, but as a living testimony to God’s steadfastness. The same God who sustained Luther in his battles and the Saxons in their journey continues to sustain His people today. The log cabin, the old chalice, the well-worn Bibles on display—these are more than artifacts. They are witnesses. They remind us that faith is not an escape from struggle but a refuge in the midst of it.

Our ancestors sang, “The kingdom ours remaineth.” They sang it through storm and sickness, through trials and rebuilding. And today, as we face our own uncertainties, we sing it still—not in nostalgia, but in confidence.

For whether in Wittenberg, on the deck of an immigrant ship, or in a museum in Perry County, Missouri, the fortress has never changed.

God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.

May we continue to live, tell, and sing that truth boldly.