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The Jubliee Souvenir was published in observance of the 75th Anniversary of the old Norwegian Synod. Scarville Lutheran is one of the schools featured in its pages. The Jubliee committee hoped that this publication would inspire other congregations to form Lutheran schools as well.

The hymn featured in Norwegian on the front of the Jubilee is the well-known Thomas Kingo hymn "O Jesu, gid du vilde."

I pray Thee, dear Lord Jesus,
My heart to keep and train
That I Thy holy temple
From youth to age remain.
Turn Thou my thoughts forever
From worldly wisdom’s lore;
If I but learn to know Thee,
I shall not want for more!

The Scarville School
Scarville, Iowa

“This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Ps. 118, 23.

These were the words of Holy Scripture that flashed through the mind of the undersigned as he hurried home from the special meeting of The Scarville Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation March 16, 1927; for at this memorable meeting this small congregation decided to establish and maintain a Christian day-school. And these words we wish to place as a superscription over the history of our school: “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

“This is the Lord’s doing,” He, and He alone, brought it to pass. ‘Tis true, He made use of men to further this work. The sainted Formand Torgerson prayerfully planted the seed, the Reverands A. J. Torgerson and Emil Hanson faithfully watered, but the Lord gave the increase. 1 Cor. 3, 7. And the present pastor was privileged to harvest. Verily, “this is the Lord’s doing.” Most forcibly was this truth impressed upon me as the preliminary steps towards the establishment of our school were taken. With what fear and trembling we approached the parents and other members of the congregation, and solicited both children and gifts for the school! Who was it that warmed and opened the hearts for this important and blessed cause? Surely, not our eloquence; for our tongue was well-nigh tied. There is but one answer: “This is the Lord’s doing.”

“It is marvelous in our eyes.” The marvel of it increases when we consider the might of the many sworn enemies of the Christian day-school — for there is nothing that the devil and the world hates more than the Word of God—; when we think of the lukewarmness, aye downright indifference of our own hearts in the matter of daily feeding the souls of our children; when we further consider that this small congregation, consisting of fifteen families with a heavy debt on their hands, had the courage of Christian conviction at a representative congregational meeting to unanimously vote to establish a Christian day-school. Full of wonder we are moved to exclaim: “It is marvelous in our eyes.”

The opening of our spiritual nursery was fittingly celebrated by divine services Sunday, September 4, the local pastor preaching the festival sermon in Norwegian in the forenoon, and the Rev. John Hartmeister of the Missouri Synod preaching the English sermon in the afternoon.

The following day the school commenced its work in the church basement. Now the word basement usually suggests a damp, dark place. Our basement, however, is several feet above the ground, is provided with ten large windows, is light, dry, and cozy — well suited for school purposes. There are thirteen pupils in the school — more are expected next year — and the attendance record has been almost perfect. The work has been progressing beyond expectations, and we have good grounds to believe that our school is daily growing in favor. The school has been under the teachership of Miss Laura Ingebritson, and we are deeply grateful to God for sending us a pious, able, and experienced teacher. We have been fortunate enough to secure her services for another year. Our first school officers are: School board, John Dale, Nels Brudvig, and Nels Faugstad; secretary, Andrew Brudvig; treasurer, John Dale.

May the Triune God in heaven continue to bless our school, and all our schools, to the glory of His great name, and the salvation of blood-bought souls! “Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.” Ps. 90, 16-17.

(Written by former pastor, Justin A. Petersen, Jubilee Souvenir, pp. 20-21.)

What others have said:

Where the Holy Scriptures do not rule, there I truly advise no one to send his children. Everything must become nothing where God’s Word is not continually promoted. I have great concern that schools are wide gates to hell when they do not continually and diligently use the Holy Scriptures and impress them on the young. — Dr. Martin Luther

Both Biblical and modern scientific educational theory point thus to the congregational school as the right solution of our school problem.

All of church history is thus a centuries-long recommendation of the congregational school. The church’s flourishing and regard always corresponds with that of the Christian school. The congregational school is required as the foundation of our whole school system. …

And how shall we be able to expect to continue as a true Lutheran church body in these difficult times, if we do not make a serious effort at making the upcoming generation secure in the truth through correct instruction from childhood on?” Synod Report 1911, page 77. — Prof. O. E. Brandt.

“Only in the school that is controlled by the congregation itself is it possible to shore up those false, corrupting, yes destructive errors from being imprinted on the children. Error is not communicated under the name “religion” or Christianity, but under the name of knowledge, science, etc.” Synod Report 1897, page 48 — Prof. A. Mikkelsen.

“For if the present civilization and culture is not to become heathen again and worse than before, because the present has the truth, but despises it, then more, much more, must be done than is being done now in most places. Education as a whole must be Christian, not secular.” Synod Report 1911, page 86. — Prof. Z. J. Ordal.

“We stand face to face with the most important question in the church. If we can rightly solve this, then we have the greatest victory of all over the powers of darkness. If we can solve this question, the young are ours, and if we have the young, then we have the future; if we lose the young, then our church will not be able to continue.” Synod Report 1900, page 120 — Pastor N. A. Quammen.

“The Synod declares the establishment of congregational schools as being a matter of life and death for our church body and our congregations.” Synod Report 1908, page 87.

(Included on the inside back cover of Jubilee Souvenir in support of Christian schools.
Translated from Norwegian by Prof. Mark Degarmeaux, March 2005.)

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