The day dawned coldb...
Illustration
The day dawned cold and gray along the rocky coast of Norway. It was a Sunday morning in February 1942. The Second World War was raging. Nazi storm troopers had just overrun the land. In the city of Trondheim, the Nazis had scheduled a Sunday ceremony in the Lutheran cathedral, to celebrate their victory.
It didn't work. The brave committed-to-God Norwegians defied them. They refused to come to church for such a blasphemous service. That morning the great cathedral was almost empty. The Nazis were enraged.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, a large crowd of people started moving toward the church. The Norwegians had decided to hold their own ceremony --a Christian worship service --at that hour. But when they reached the cathedral, they discovered that the enemy had sealed it off: the secret police had locked every door and entrance. Thousands of people were left standing outside their church in the freezing winter weather.
Then it happened. Way back at the rear of the crowd, one lone voice began to sing. The person was singing Martin Luther's great hymn --"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing." Soon other voices picked up the words: "Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his Name, from age to age the same. And he must win the battle."
One lone voice had turned to a surging sea of sound: thousands of people committed to their Lord in a time of trial and terror.
It didn't work. The brave committed-to-God Norwegians defied them. They refused to come to church for such a blasphemous service. That morning the great cathedral was almost empty. The Nazis were enraged.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, a large crowd of people started moving toward the church. The Norwegians had decided to hold their own ceremony --a Christian worship service --at that hour. But when they reached the cathedral, they discovered that the enemy had sealed it off: the secret police had locked every door and entrance. Thousands of people were left standing outside their church in the freezing winter weather.
Then it happened. Way back at the rear of the crowd, one lone voice began to sing. The person was singing Martin Luther's great hymn --"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing." Soon other voices picked up the words: "Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his Name, from age to age the same. And he must win the battle."
One lone voice had turned to a surging sea of sound: thousands of people committed to their Lord in a time of trial and terror.
