Fort Wayne is graced with many fine congregations and many inspiring works of architectural beauty.  Pictured above is just one of them.  It is St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on South Barr, just east of the Catholic Cathedral. 

In more than a few Fort-based cases a faith-filled congregation worships in one of these architectural wonders built by generations who have since gone to their eternal reward.

The above was built in 1905.

The Institute, as part of its mission under the ArchAngel Gabriel Division, celebrates faithful communities in such traditional settings.  They point a path out of the current post-modern madness and back to a foundation for social sanity.

One such faith-filled congregation worships in St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Fort Wayne.  The architecture is among the most inspiring among the downtown church buildings, and could be considered the most inspiring among Lutheran edifaces in Allen County.

Last Sunday the congregation sang that great stalwart of the Faith, A Mighty Fortress is our God, written by Dr. Martin Luther.  Two of the Institute’s Board members visited St. Paul’s with a Lutheran family that is very involved in the Institute.  

It can be argued that our church buildings are underutlized and under appreciated.  These pictures are intended to allow us all to better appreciate St. Paul’s on Barr Street in Fort Wayne,  a beautiful structure housing an active community of the Missouri Synod persuation.  

Both artists mean much to the Directors of the Institute.  We have placed their visages in the windows of the building so that all passing by can appreciate who it is that is softly calling them to faith during this spiritually-attuned season.

Those of you following the logic of this site will recognize that the Donegal Corridor’s work in this post-abortion outreach is the glass in the windows, the wood to support the speakers and the bricks in the wall.  The Institute comes up with the ideas, the technology and the artwork.

Find below lenten selections to aid the reader in appreciating the art of these fine Christians.

Tatiana, click here:  http://amdgweb.com/tatiana/video.asp?vname=DOLRSAclip2lrg.mov

 Rich Mullins 

We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are

Well, it took the hand of God Almighty
To part the waters of the sea
But it only took one little lie
To separate you and me
Oh, we are not as strong as we think we are

And they say that one day Joshua
Made the sun stand still in the sky
But I can’t even keep these thoughts
Of you from passing by
Oh, we are not as strong as we think we are

CHORUS
We are frail
We are fearfully and wonderfully made
Forged in the fires of human passion
Choking on the fumes of selfish rage
And with these our hells and our heavens
So few inches apart
We must be awfully small
And not as strong as we think we are

And the Master said their faith was
Gonna make them mountains move
But me, I tremble like a hill on a fault line
Just at the thought of how I lost you
Oh, we are not as strong as we think we are

CHORUS

And if you make me laugh well I know
I could make you like me
Cause when I laugh I can be a lot of fun
But we can’t do that I know that it is frightening
What I don’t know is why we can’t hold on
We can’t hold on

CHORUS

When you love you walk on the water
Just don’t stumble on the waves
We all want to go there somethin’ awful
But to stand there it takes some grace
‘Cause oh, we are not as strong
As we think we are

And finally this from Rich (God Bless Him!), which pretty well sums up where the Institute is this Lent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-b7TQMoZsM