LHP Review: Old Testament Resources

 

Wenham, Gordon. The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. 205 Pages. Paper. $15.99. www.crossway.org (LHP) Webb, Barry G. The Book of Judges (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012. 555 Pages. Cloth. $50.00. www.eerdmans.com (P) Franke, John R., editor. Thomas C. Oden, General Editor. Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament IV). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005. 458 Pages. Cloth. $40.00. http://www.ivpress.com/ (P) Our focus is the Old Testament in this review with titles from IVP, Eerdmans, and Crossway.   Though frequently used in times of crisis or pain, the book of Psalms is often misread or misunderstood, seeming like a disorganized jumble of prayer, praise, and lament. To help readers get more out of the Psalms, renowned Old Testament scholar Gordon Wenham highlights its foundational place for all Christian worship and spiritual formation. This compilation of eight lectures delivered between 1997 and 2010 teaches the practices of singing, reading, and praying the Psalms, paying special attention to the Psalter's canonical structure, messianic focus, and ethical goal. In drawing on his extensive academic and scholarly experience, Wenham has crafted a guide for discovering afresh the manifold wonders of this beautiful and surprisingly complex portion of the Bible. Gordon Wenham (PhD, University of London) studied theology at the universities of Cambridge, London, and Harvard, taught Old Testament at Belfast and Gloucestershire Universities, and is now adjunct professor at Trinity College, Bristol. He has also authored a number of critically acclaimed Bible commentaries and books. (Publisher's Website) I like this brief volume as a re-introduction to many readers on "Praying and Praising with the Psalms." I appreciated references to St. Bernard and Martin Luther. The author does exceptionally well when he urges use (and re-introduction where necessary) of Psalms in public and private Christian worship. I disagree with the author's stance on re-written hymn texts (24-25, 104-105) and was exceptionally disappointed by the author's denial that Psalm 51:5 has anything to do with original sin (76). Our second volume focuses exclusively on the book of Judges. Eminently readable, exegetically thorough, and written in an emotionally warm style that flows from his keen sensitivity to the text, Barry Webb's commentary on Judges is just what is needed to properly engage a dynamic, narrative work like the book of Judges. It discusses not only unique features of the stories themselves but also such issues as the violent nature of Judges, how women are portrayed in it, and how it relates to the Christian gospel of the New Testament. Webb concentrates throughout on what the biblical text itself throws into prominence, giving space to background issues only when they cast significant light on the foreground. For those who want more, the footnotes and bibliography provide helpful guidance. The end result is a welcome resource for interpreting one of the most challenging books in the Old Testament. Read Judges and Misogyny, a blog post by Webb about the book. Barry G. Webb is senior research fellow emeritus in Old Testament at Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia, where he taught for thirty-three years. Among his other published works are The Book of the Judges: An Integrated Reading and Five Festal Garments: Christian Reflections on the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther. (Publisher's Website) I appreciate the context provided by the author as he presents the individual verses of the Biblical text of Judges. His exegesis is largely sound and quite usable by Lutheran pastors at Bible Class. I do not care for the introduction or the seratim historical critical take on numbers of people throughout the commentary. At this point, The Lutheran Study Bible remains my commentary of choice for the book of Judges, at least until Judges appears as a volume in Concordia Commentary. As a whole, Old Testament Volume IV of Ancient Christian Commentary may be a better use of limited funds if pastors need a commentary on Joshua, Judges, Ruth, or 1-2 Samuel. The history of the entry into the Promised Land followed by that of the period of the judges and early monarchy may not appear to readers today as a source for expounding the Christian faith. But the church fathers readily found parallels, or types, in the narrative that illumined the New Testament. An obvious link was the similarity in name between Joshua, Moses' successor, and Jesus--indeed, in Greek both names are identical. Thus Joshua was consistently interpreted as a type of Christ. So too was Samuel. David was recognized as an ancestor of Jesus, and parallels between their two lives were readily explored. And Ruth, in ready fashion, was seen as a type of the church. Among the most important sources for commentary on these books are the homilies of Origen, most of which are known to us through the Latin translations of Rufinus and Jerome. Only two running commentaries exist--one from Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the famous Cappadocian theologians, the other from Bede the Venerable. Another key source for the selections found here derives from question-and-answer format, such as Questions on the Heptateuch from Augustine, Questions on the Octateuch from Theodoret of Cyr and Thirty Questions on 1 Samuel from Bede. The remainder of materials come from a wide variety of occasional and doctrinal writings, which make mention of the biblical texts to support the arguments. Readers will find a rich treasure trove of ancient wisdom, some appearing here for the first time in English translation, that speaks with eloquence and challenging spiritual insight to the church today. Related Information & Resources Read the general introduction to the series. And for even more information, visit the Ancient Christian Commentary website! Download an essay by J. Robert Wright on the significance of the art used on the covers of the Ancient Christian Commentaries. Join the Ancient Christian Commentary Series to save 50% on every volume! John R. Franke (D. Phil., Oxford) is associate professor of theology at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. With Stanley J. Grenz, he is coauthor of Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context. (Publisher's Website) These books only occasionally show up in the lectionary, but they do a couple of times in Year C. I am thankful for a multi-book resource like this ACCS commentary to help me out on those occasions. Ruth 1: 1-19 shows up this year on October 13 (Proper 23C). Turn to 181-184 and keep your congregation's focus on Ruth as an ancestor to Christ, prefiguring the Christian Church, and better explain Naomi's new name. 2 Samuel 11:26–12:10, 13-14 (Proper 6C) is read this June 16. Share the impressive and unique insights of the David, Uriah, Bathsheba, and Nathan story from Augustine, Gregory the Great, Chrysostom, and lesser-known Church Fathers with your congregation. The way they retell the story may add "ancient" freshness to your preaching in the 21st century. Pastors, do you regularly study an Old Testament Bible book verse-by-verse with your congregation? I'm currently in the middle of one on Judges and consider it a book for our time. Studying the Old Testament is a great way to increase and promote Biblical literacy among those entrusted to your care. And we have a great opportunity to frame all of salvation history in Christ! The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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Liturgy Review: Lutheran Catholicity

 

Sundberg, Walter. Worship as Repentance: Lutheran Liturgical Traditions and Catholic Consensus. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012. 206 Pages. Paper. $18.00. www.eerdmans.com (L) Zeeden, Ernst Walter. Translated by Kevin G. Walker. Faith and Act: The Survival of Medieval Ceremonies in the Lutheran Reformation. St. Louis: Concordia, 2012. 148 Pages. Paper. $36.99. https://www.cph.org/p-18165-faith-and-act-the-survival-of-medieval-ceremonies-in-the-lutheran-reformation.aspx (LHP) I love discussing the liturgy with other liturgical Christians. These two titles by Eerdmans and Concordia will help you see the small-c catholicity of the preserved liturgical traditions of the Lutheran Reformation. First, the title from Eerdmans: Against contemporary trends that conceive of Christian worship primarily as entertainment or sheer celebration, Walter Sundberg argues that repentance is the heart of authentic worship. In Worship as Repentance Sundberg outlines the history of repentance and confession within liturgical practice from the early church to mid-twentieth-century Protestantism, advocating movement away from the "eucharistic piety" common in mainline worship today and toward the "penitential piety" of older traditions of Protestant worship. Read more about the book in a blog post by Sundberg and another post by Eerdmans editor Tom Raabe on EerdWord. Walter Sundberg is professor of church history at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, an ordained Lutheran pastor, and the author (with Roy A. Harrisville) of The Bible in Modern Culture: Baruch Spinoza to Brevard Childs.  (Publisher's Website) Repentance is not a popular word in American Evangelicalism or the Mainline Progressive churches, but it is at the heart of the Lutheran confession of the Christian faith. An attack on confession and absolution (and the sacraments as means of grace) seems to be a common thread in the protestantizing of our inherited catholic consensus of the theology and practice of worship. Sundberg, an ordained ELCA pastor and professor, calls his own church body to repentance. Given the references (and appendices) to resources in the ELCA (and predecessor bodies') tradition, I did at times feel like an outsider overhearing a conversation not entirely intended for me. I was personally struck by the theological profundity of the authors use of a relatively obscure literature reference: "....Into this world comes the promise of release, the offer of the grace of God. To receive this grace requires one thing and one thing only: repentance. To teach this central fact of Christian faith, to give it unerring, objective expression is the purpose of Catholic worship in Brideshead Revisited: worship as practicesd unchanged for centuries, worship as repentance. When the church worships in this way it demonstrates the dogmatic principle Ecclesia semper eadem: the church is always the same (ix). So much for the latest fads! Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Amen! Our second title is from Concordia: The Reformation did not happen overnight, not with the singular act of posting of the Ninety-Five Theses, or even the presentation of the Augsburg Confession. Prof. Dr. Zeeden's classic study of how medieval church practices continued and developed within Lutheran church orders offers readers a unique perspective on how faith influences the act of worship. Historians of liturgy and theology will discover insights and important continuity between the Lutheran churches of the sixteenth century and their forebears of the late medieval period. (Publisher's Website) Faith and Act is another "Peer Reviewed" title from CPH, one that did not go through the typical LCMS Doctrinal Review process. I remain convinced that the Lutheran Church is more small-c catholic than any other alternative tradition in Christianity. This is most clearly seen in the Lutheran Confessions. Secondarily, this is also shown as theology in action at worship, a purified, historic, and catechizing liturgical and hymnological faith life (both corporate and personal). Read Musculus' 1536 description of a Lutheran Divine Service (from a Reformed perspective, 12ff).  Consider reports on the use of vestments in the Lutheran church in the centuries after Luther (32ff).  Connect Faith and Act to Worship as Repentance by reading about sacramental absolution (49ff).  Finally, compare Sixteenth Century liturgies to those in Lutheran Service Book and its contempories as worship resources. Where else have so many medieval ceremonies so faithfully survived? I am thankful for these two titles and would ask Concordia, Eerdmans and other publishers to consider publishing more titles on liturgiology and hymnology, especially long-out-of-print titles in print-on-demand or digital formats. The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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LHP Review: Jesus and the Gospel

 

Tchividjian, Tullian. Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011. Cloth. $18.99. http://www.crossway.org.(LHP) Chandler, Matt. With Jared Wilson. The Explicit Gospel. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. 237 Pages. Cloth. $17.99. www.crossway.org (LHP) I waited a long time to read the following two titles (because of my reading list backlog). Both were worth my time and should be worth yours.   It's so easy to forget what the Christian faith is all about. We struggle so much, work so hard, and fail so often that we frequently sense something in the equation of life must be missing. Tullian Tchividjian argues that what we are missing is the gospel—a fuller, more powerful understanding of Jesus and what his finished work means for everyday life. During a year of great turmoil, Pastor Tchividjian discovered the power of the gospel in his own life. Sharing his story of how Jesus became more real to him, Tchividjian delves deeply into the fundamentals of the faith, explaining the implications of Christ's sufficiency—a revelation that sets us free and keeps us anchored through life's storms. Ultimately, Tchividjian reminds us that Jesus is the whole of the equation as he boldly proclaims that Jesus plus nothing really is everything. (publisher's website) Autobiographical in structure and content, Tchividjian's tome teaches us how a grandson of Billy Graham came to occupy the former pulpit of D. James Kennedy. It is the story of how a thriving mission start merged with an established congregation and how a theology of the cross helped pastor, leaders, and congregants to comfort, direction, and sufficiency in Christ alone. The author is learning and beginning to practice a proper distinction between law and gospel and is a reader and student of Martin Luther. His book recommendations are encouraging, including titles by C. F. W Walther and Harold Senkbeil, in addition fo Gerhard Forde and the Reformer himself. Going through a rough patch of ministry yourself? Get a copy of Jesus + Nothing = Everything from Crossway. TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN is pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the author of Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different, Do I Know God? Finding Certainty in Life's Most Important Relationship, Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels, and Jesus + Nothing = Everything. (publisher's website) A second Crossway title by Matt Chandler also got our attention. Matt Chandler is the lead pastor of The Village Church, a multi-campus church in the Dallas metroplex of over 10,000 people. His sermons are among the topselling (free) podcasts on itunes and he speaks at conferences worldwide. Prior to accepting the pastorate at The Village, Matt had a vibrant itinerant ministry for over ten years where he spoke to hundreds of thousands of people in America and abroad about the glory of God and beauty of Jesus. He lives in Texas with his wife, Lauren, and their three children: Audrey, Reid and Norah. (publisher's website)     Even if you go to church, it doesn't mean that you are being exposed (or exposing others) to the gospel explicitly. Sure, most people talk about Jesus, and about being good and avoiding bad, but the gospel message simply isn't there—at least not in its specificity and its fullness. Inspired by the needs of both the overchurched and the unchurched, and bolstered by the common neglect of the explicit gospel within Christianity, popular pastor Matt Chandler writes this punchy treatise to remind us what is of first and utmost importance—the gospel. Here is a call to true Christianity, to know the gospel explicitly, and to unite the church on the amazing grounds of the good news of Jesus! (publisher's website) There is a lot to critique here from a Lutheran perspective, from growing up in the church but saying "No one ever taught me that" (12), to a Calvinist bias (53), buzzwords (145), unexplained rapture references (160), and the CCM "sound-alike" band Christian "ghetto" (204). There is more worthy of praise. As I have noted in other reviews of books with authors of an American Evangelical background, I do not believe myself as a liturgical confessional Lutheran to be Chandler's intended audience. I do see, from my Lutheran perspective, reason to rejoice in an intentional emphasis on the explicit Gospel (passim), distinguishing between the Gospel and the response to the Gospel (82, et al), a warning against syncretism (190ff), clear teachings on grace (210ff), and this concluding paragraph of an appendix by Josh Patterson: I want to encourage you to begin, and with some of you, continue to make the gospel explicit in your relationships. Don't waste life by living an assumed gospel; rather, flesh it out and connect the dots for yourself and those around you. Talke with your spouse how Christ's person and work relates to everything. Pass this on to your kids. Mention Christ. Talk about Christ. Point to Christ. Relate to Christ. Oftentimes where the gospel is assumed, it is quickly lost (224). There is still a distance between this reviewer (and most of our readers) and these two authors when it comes to the Sacraments as where the Gospel is delivered here and now, but I am encouraged by a growing emphasis thanks to these two authors on the theology of the cross, a (more) proper distinguishing between law and Gospel, and an encouragement for the Gospel to predominate and be explicity believed, taught, and confessed. The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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LHP Review: IVP Recent Releases

 

Scott, Robert. Questions Muslims Ask: What Christians Actually Do (and Don't) Believe. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011. 162 Pages. Paper. $15.00. http://books.ivpress.com (LHP)   Oden, Thomas C. and Joel C. Elowsky with Cindy Crosby. On the Way to the Cross: 40 Days with the Church Fathers. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011. 160 Pages. Paper. $15.00.  http://books.ivpress.com (LHP)   Oden, Thomas C. Early Libyan Christianity: Uncovering a North African Tradition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011. 336 Pages. Paper. $22.00 http://books.ivpress.com (LHP) With Libya, Islam, and bad news in our daily headlines, these three titles from InterVarsity are timely, relevant, and informative.   Christians and Muslims don't understand each other very well. Muslims have often heard that Christians worship three gods, or that the Injil, the Christian Scripture, has been corrupted. How can Christians explain their faith in a way that Muslims can understand? In his work with Muslims in central London, Robert Scott has discovered that many are quite open to talking about matters of faith. In this thoughtful and respectful book, he explores common questions and objections his Muslim friends have discussed with him over the years. Ordinary Christians can read this book to better appreciate where Muslims are coming from. Ordinary Muslims can read this book to better grasp what Christians actually believe, and why. With discussion questions for both Christians and Muslims, this accessible book is a helpful foundation for understanding and conversation. Use it to start start and continue fruitful conversations with your Muslim friends. (publisher's website) There are not too many Muslims in Wyoming. Yes, there are some, but conversations are few and far between. My main concern with this resource is that it may be too idealistic as well as too impractical and idealistic. The "conversation" idea may be misunderstood as if we Christians have something spiritually to learn from Muslims and that is not the case according to Scripture. The strength of the book is its apologetic usefulness to correct misunderstandings many Muslims assume about Christians, Christianity, and the west. Consider Questions Muslims Ask as one more tool as you speak the truth about Christ in love to Muslims. Oden and Elowsky provide yet another introduction to the Church Fathers through this devotional.   This unique devotional by Thomas C. Oden and Joel Elowsky and edited by Cindy Crosby offers fourty days of devotional comments from the church fathers about the Gospel of John. Based on the daily Gospel reading cycle from the Book of Common Prayer and written in a brief daily format, this is a perfect resource for Lenten use! (publisher's website) Consider this as an opportunity to spend next Lent with the Church Fathers. Next, consider spending a whole year with them, and then a lifetime. The next title seemed like the most obscure topic in the world when I first heard about it. Now, I cannot think of the Passion of Christ and the book of Acts without it. Buried for more than a millennium beneath sand and the erosions of time are the remnants of a vital, formative Christian presence in Libya. From about A.D. 68 till the Muslim conquest of A.D. 643, Libya housed a vibrant, creative Christian community that contributed to the shape of the faith even as we know it today. By the mid-190s A.D., Leptis Magna could claim favorite sons as the Roman pontiff, Victor the African, and as the Roman emperor, Septimius Severus.   A rich and energetic community produced a wide variety of key players from early martyrs to great thinkers to archheretics. Tertullian, the great theologian, and Sabellius, the heretic, are relatively well known. Less well known are the martyrs Wasilla and Theodore and the great poet-philosopher-bishop Synesius of Cyrene.   Uncovering this North African tradition and offering it to a wide reading audience is the task that Tom Oden sets for himself in this fascinating tour de force. The book, originating as lectures delivered at the Islamic Da'wa University in Tripoli in 2008 and later expanded as the W. H. Griffith Thomas Lectures in 2009 at Dallas Theological Seminary, has been expanded and refined to provide additional insights and references, surveying the texts, architecture and landmarks of this important period of Christian history. It also serves as a valuable companion to Oden's earlier offerings in How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind and The African Memory of Mark. (publisher's website) How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind helped me see how missionaries from Africa helped plant Christianity in the West, beginning with Europe. Early Libyan Christianity helped me understand how influential and vibrant Libya was in early Christianity. Consider: Simon of Cyrene (53, 67-68, 76, 79-82, 85, 100-104, 271). Where is Cyrene? Libya. This connection to one who was compelled to help Christ carry the cross, whose descendants where known to the early Christians recorded in Acts has already been worthy of mention in my congregational Bible Class and my Lenten Preaching. Insights about that one Bible person alone make this book worth the price.  The Christian history of Libya and north Africa has been intentionally buried. I pray we can preserve this forgotten history for our own sake and as the heritage of those in bondage to the false teaching of Mohammed. Based on the author's expertise in this area, I would very much like to hear Dr. Oden's opinion of Jenkins' The Lost History of Christianity (http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2010/12/noted-review-little-known-christian.html). We hope to review The African Memory of Mark in the future since we have already reviewed How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind (reproduced for your convenience from 3.1, below).  LHP Review Oden, Thomas C. How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007. 208 pages. Cloth. $19.00. www.ivpress.com (LHP) Years ago, I began a surprising correspondence with a young pastor in the African nation of Cameroon. He faces many challenges pastoring a congregation because of the unique challenges posed by the rapid expansion of Christianity on that continent. And many Christians in Africa are unaware of their ancient Christian heritage. "Africa has played a decisive role in the formation of Christian culture. Decisive intellectual achievements of Christianity were explored and understood first in Africa before they were recognized in Europe, and a millennium before they found their way to North America" (9) This clear thesis encouraged me to read the whole book in one sitting. I simply did not want to put it down. 633 million Christians in Africa by 2025 (10). What does this mean? Thomas Oden's book is has arrived at just the right time. The author honestly struggles with the term that is Africa (16ff, 80ff) and demonstrates how oral tradition have endured. This leads to other questions. "….why is Christianity so often perceived in Africa as a Western colonial import? How can Christians in Northern and sub-Saharan Africa [later described as "Two Africas," Chapter 4], indeed how can Christians throughout the world, rediscover and learn from this ancient heritage?" (publisher's website) It may be because of that oral tradition and the lack of a "written intellectual tradition" so important to western scholars and Africans today (28ff). Harnack (57) and other liberal continental "theologians" are also to blame. "….the exegesis and theology and liturgy that were first refined in Africa finally returned to Africa in the prayerbooks and penitential practices of both Catholics and Protestants, but in forms that seemed unrecognizable as African. Indeed, by the time [Christianity] returned, it seemed alien to Africa…" (75). Answering the questions Oden raises may also help the church respond to Islam and also to be more familiar and comfortable with "catholicity," both in the term and in its reality. "The aim of catholicity in Christian teaching is to reflect the wholeness of apostolic truth to the whole world. The criterion is the accurate attestation of truth, not the egalitarian goal of making all voices equal" (92). He criticizes modern liberal ecumenism, seeing "earlier evangelical ecumenism [was] closer to ancient ecumenism" (115). Africa's gifts to the Christian tradition are enumerated (42-43). Oden backs up his assertions somewhat briefly. I wish there were more. Perhaps this will be part of the larger project he envisions. "Theologian Thomas C. Oden offers a portrait that challenges prevailing notions of the intellectual development of Christianity from its early roots to its modern expressions. The pattern, he suggests, is not from north to south from Europe to Africa, but the other way around. He then makes an impassioned plea to uncover the hard data and study in depth the vital role that early African Christians played in developing the modern university, maturing Christian exegesis of Scripture, shaping early Christian dogma, modeling conciliar patterns of ecumenical decision-making, stimulating early monasticism, developing Neoplatonism, and refining rhetorical and dialectical skills. "He calls for a wide-ranging research project to fill out the picture he sketches. It will require, he says, a generation of disciplined investigation, combining intensive language study with a risk-taking commitment to uncover the truth in potentially unreceptive environments. Oden envisions a dedicated consortium of scholars linked by computer technology and a common commitment that will seek to shape not only the scholar's understanding but the ordinary African Christian's self-perception" (publisher's website). I see this book as a natural companion to the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. That set will soon be supplemented by "the five-volume Ancient Christian Doctrine series…the Ancient Christian Text series…and the series of volumes titled Ancient Christian Devotional, all published by InterVarsity Press" (148). These are ambitious projects. Equally ambitious is Thomas Oden's desire to make texts available "in a low-cost, reader-friendly format, many of them for small group use by both lay and clerical readers in the villages and cities of Africa" (145). Perhaps those books, and this neat book will find their way to African pastors like my friend in Cameroon and the readers of this issue of QBR. The volume concludes with a "Literary Chronology of Christianity in Africa in the First Millennium," (157ff) and a Bibliography. "Thomas C. Oden (Ph.D., Yale University) recently retired as Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology at The Theological School of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He is general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and author of numerous theological works, including a three-volume systematic theology" (publisher's website). This resource, as well as the author's future plans would complement the ongoing work in Africa by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of  Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Morrill, Nebraska, and serves as Wyoming District (LCMS) Worship Chairman and Editor of QBR Pray for both apologetic and evangelistic work among Muslims. Equip yourself spiritually, practically, and historically with these resources from IVP.   The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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LHP Review: Evolution

 

Ham, Ken. The Lie: Evolution/Millions of Years (Anniversary Edition 25 Years Revised and Expanded). Green Forest: Master Books, 1987, 2012. 236 Pages. Paper. $13.99. www.masterbooks.net (LHP) Regular readers of QBR are familiar with Ken Ham. We've reviewed his recent books on youth and Christian colleges. We are thankful for the updated edition of The Lie. Revised & Expanded for this special 25th anniversary edition, Ken Ham once again takes the lead in pointing out the looming precipice too many church leaders are rushing towards: a denial of the full authority and accuracy of the Bible from its very first verse. In addition, Ken powerfully shows how the ideas of evolution and millions of years are driving young people away from the Christian faith, and provides solid, biblical solutions to turn things around. Published in 1987, this book took a bold stand which became prophetic. Ken warned the church about the destructive effects of compromise with evolutionary/millions of years ideas. He warned that compromise in Genesis would undermine Scriptural authority in the culture and erode confidence in the infallibility of God's Word. Today, Christians (and those considering the Christian faith) increasingly doubt the Bible's reliability. Compromising Genesis has led to a generational loss of an acceptance of the absolute authority of the Word of God, and leading to an exodus of young people from the church Why Genesis remains critically important in presenting the Gospel This slippery slope of reinterpreting Scripture to redefining biblical doctrine Discover how your handling of the biblical account of creation impacts your understanding of all of Scripture and your worldview The issues are of critical importance when you realize that today we have Christians not only confused when it comes to Genesis and the age of the earth, but now even the reality of Hell, Adam as a real person, and Christ's own words about creation, marriage and more are debated in the pulpits across the world. One compromise just leads  to another – and it has to end if we want to leave a legacy of faith to future generations. (Publisher's Website) The need for an update of the 1987 edition is exemplified in how the "castle" diagram has changed over the years as culture battles spread and intensify (198ff.). The "Lie" that surrounds Christians who confess a young Earth along with Genesis and our Lord (for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ) has also expanded. We now face the lies of gay marriage, the new liberal orthodoxy of global warming, the growth of militant atheism, the challenge of apathetic agnostics, and the popularization of millions/billions of years in texts and exhibits, in addition to the challenge to biblical reliability made by Christians who compromise on Genesis chapter one. On a personal note, I am encouraged by the impact this one title from our church/school library has made for the strengthening of our young people here in our community. At least once a year, proud parents have told me of interesting parent/teacher conferences with science teachers stymied by the bold and winsome apologetic and confession given by our Junior High and High School students. Add this title to your church and family libraries! The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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Pulpit Review: Church Fathers for the Three-Year

 

Holmes, Stephen Mark, Editor. The Fathers on the Sunday Gospels. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2012. 308 Pages. Paper. $24.95. www.litpress.org (P) I love reading the Church Fathers. We at QBR have focused on them through various introductions to their theology and works and modern collections of their works as commentary on Scripture. Today we highlight a book that will help you in the Pulpit. Now, the fathers of the church speak from across the ages each week: The Fathers on the Sunday Gospels provides rich reflections on every Sunday gospel reading in the three-year Lectionary from Augustine, Bede, Ambrose, Gregory the Great, Aelred, John Scotus Erigena, Origen, Cyril of Alexandria, and many more. This unique volume will prove to be an invaluable companion for preachers and for personal reflection on the Sunday gospels. It is also an ideal gift for ordination and anniversaries of priesthood. Stephen Mark Holmes is a priest of the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church and a doctoral candidate in the Edinburgh University School of Divinity. He previously studied at the University of St. Andrews; Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; and the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham; and has taught in Birmingham and Edinburgh. For eighteen years he was a Benedictine monk at Pluscarden Abbey in northern Scotland, where he was novice master, and he is now assistant priest at Old St. Paul's Church, Edinburgh. He is the author of a number of books and articles on the fathers of the church and church history. (Publisher's website) Why should you get and read this book? Holmes takes the great wealth of patristric preaching on historic pericopes and rearranges them for how and when they show up in the post-Vatican II three-year lectionary.  This is a volume used by users of the Roman Lectionary, RCL, the Common Worship Lectionary of the Church of England, but especially for our purposes, the three-year lectionary of Lutheran Service Book. We are on our own, however, for patristic quotes for the Festival of the Reformation. Brief biographies are found in the back. Usable, practical, historic, and Biblical, faithful Lutheran preachers will find more benefit than bane in The Fathers on the Sunday Gospels. The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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LHP Review: The Concordia as More than History

 

Arand, Charles P., Robert Kolb, and James A. Nestingen. The Lutheran Confessions: History and Theology of The Book of Concord. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012. 341 Pages. Paper. $39.00. http://store.fortresspress.com/store/product/17009/The-Lutheran-Confessions-History-and-Theology-of-The-Book-of-Concord (LHP) When I was recruited to go to seminary, I was told that a new translation of the Lutheran Confessions was about to be published. Five years later, I got a copy of Kolb/Wengert as a seminary graduation present. There was a lot to like. It was an improvement and update compared to the 1959 Tappert Edition. There was the benefit of decades of scholarship Tappert, et al, did not have access to. And then there was controversy, like the octavo/quarto debate. And so we ended up with (finally!) a Concordia from Concordia. For me, the best part of the new edition was the companion volume, Sources and Contexts (2001). Honestly! Again I was told another volume was to follow on history and theology. Now, more than a decade later, Arand joins Kolb and Wengert in completing this twenty-year-long, three volume project (vii). From their formulation in the sixteenth century through the present day, every generation of Lutheran leadership has grappled with the centrality and importance of the Lutheran confessional writings. In this important new volume, Arand, Kolb, and Nestingen bring the fruit of an entire generation of scholarship to bear on these documents, making it an essential and up-to-date class text. The Lutheran Confessions places the documents solidly within their political, social, ecclesiastical, and theological contexts, relating them to the world in which they took place, and assists readers in understanding the issues at stake in the narratives, both in their own time and in ours. (publisher's website) Most likely intended as a seminary-level text, many will critique the choices of language here regarding "Confessing in the Wittenberg Manner" (9), the Marburg Colloquy (95), the denunciation of the Pope as Antichrist (153), and assessment of the Philippists and Gnesio-Lutherans (185). Winkels will benefit from study of this volume, whether beside Kolb/Wengert, Concordia Triglotta, or Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions.   I am most encouraged that the authors place the Confessions in "their political, social, and theological contexts," yet confess them as the timeless confession of the Lutheran Church and not merely an historical relic. The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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LHP Review: Culture and Heaven

 

Spinks, Bryan D. The Worship Mall: Contemporary Responses to Contemporary Culture. New York: Church Publishing, 2010. 242 Pages. Paper. $28.00. www.churchpublishing.org/worshipmall (LHP) Noland, Rory. Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven: Exploring Worship as a Spiritual Discipline. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. 231 Pages. Paper. $16.99. www.zondervan.com (LHP) At long last we have come to two thoughtful and information packed books on worship for your consideration. The first is a survey of the buffet that passes for worship practice and theology in our era. The second helps the Christian rethink assumptions about worship. Religion today is in competition with the leisure and entertainment industries. Gen Y, the postmodern generation, is open to spirituality; but most of today's young adults have not been born into faith communities where they feel any lasting allegiance. Studies suggest that for the young, belief in God is an optional matter, a virtual consumer choice. As a result, different trends in worship and worship styles are offered by different churches to suit lifestyles, attitudes, and personal taste. In this comprehensive and lively survey, Bryan Spinks examines postmodern worship trends including hip hop, praise and worship songs, emerging worship, blended worship, the U2 Eucharist service, the Roman Catholic rethinking of Vatican II, contemporary Celtic worship, the Zaire Mass in Africa, liquid worship, Vineyard and Hillsong worship, the snake-handling holiness churches of the American south, and other emerging forms of alternative worship. Bryan D. Spinks is a priest in the Church of England and Goddard Professor of Liturgical Studies and Pastoral Theology at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School. His numerous books on worship and liturgical history include Early and Medieval Rituals and Theologies of Baptism and Liturgy in the Age of Reason. (Publisher's Website) This book's strength is in exposing the reader to worship "styles" and practices he or she may never see in person. Descriptions are quite detailed. Strengths are noted. There is not as much critique (or condemnation, as the case may be) as I would prefer or provide, but a Lutheran reader would be able to responsibly respond when asked about weaknesses in theology and practice of Spinks' survey. Lutheran-specific resources in the book are limited to a description of the Finnish Thomas Mass (3-5) and congregations moving away from traditional Lutheran liturgies and a Lutheran theology of worship (46-47, 65-66).   The Worship Mall is appropriately titled. While not a complete resource of both survey and critique (from a confessional Lutheran perspective), Lutheran readers will find enough here to engage in conversation with those who attempt "Contemporary Responses to Contemporary Culture" as well as those like us who aim to remain faithful while resisting every wind of change in teaching and practice. For our next title, I had the blessing of seeing the book in both paperback and kindle formats. Rory Noland addresses the challenges of Christian worship head-on, offering practical suggestions gleaned from Scripture on understanding and experiencing vibrant worship. The first half of Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven explores what it means to grow as a private worshiper. The practices of the psalmist David provide insight to help people worship God on their own. Second, Noland discusses corporate worship by exploring the glorious gatherings in heaven, as described in the book of Revelation. He presents immediately applicable ideas for becoming a better corporate worshiper. This book includes: * Slice-of-church-life scenarios. Every chapter begins with a brief scenario that presents a worship-related issue or a conflict corresponding to the chapter topic. * Group discussion questions. Based on the opening scenario, these questions help readers think about and discuss worship-related topics from different perspectives. * Issue-by-issue practical guidance from a biblical perspective. * "Ponder and Apply" application questions. Each chapter ends with a series of discussion questions and action steps to help readers identify key insights and make personal applications.   Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church (www.heartoftheartist.org). A songwriter, speaker, church leader, and consultant, Rory is also the author of three books, all published by Zondervan: The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team, Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help For You and Your Ministry Team, and The Worshiping Artist: Equipping You and Your Ministry Team to Lead Others in Worship. Rory currently serves part-time as Pastor of Worship at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, contributes regularly to Worship Leader magazine, and also leads worship for the Transforming Center, a ministry that cares for the souls of pastors and leaders. Rory graduated from the Chicago Musical College at Roosevelt University with a degree in theory and composition and served as the music director at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL (Publisher's Website. Also available in ebook and audio formats.) I can appreciate the soul searching that leaders of Willow Creek have engaged in over the last decade. We at QBR reflected on a published self-study back in Eastertide 2008 (QBR 2.2): LHP Book Review Honestly, the Press Conference Was More Revealing… Hawkins, Greg L. and Cally Parkinson. With Contributions from Eric Arnson. Foreword by Bill Hybels. Reveal Where Are You? The Answer will Transform Your Church. Barrington, IL: Willow Creek Resources, 2007. 112 Pages. Paper. $12.99. www.revealnow.com www.willowcreek.com(LHP) Numbers can reveal what we can see: people at church, membership totals, and offerings given to the Lord's work, but you can't measure the human heart or growth in faith. Big numbers don't necessarily mean that a congregation is faithful to Christ and His Word, or faithful to the confession of the church body named on the sign out front. If you don't believe me, at least believe them, the "Church Growth" so-called "seeker-sensitive" and "contemporary worship" megachurches that many in the LCMS are copying. At a press conference in connection with Reveal: Where Are You?, a startling book by the leaders of Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, pastor Bill Hybels says, "Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn't helping people that much. Other things that we didn't put that much money into and didn't put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for." In other words, their approach to doing church with large theatre-like sanctuaries, contemporary music, small group ministries, and watered-down theology, did very well at getting numbers, but failed miserably at making disciples who were taught all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Pastor Hybels also admits, "We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become 'self feeders.' We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own. Incredibly, the guru of church growth now tells us that people need to be reading their bibles and taking responsibility for their spiritual growth." Members of His congregation wanted in-depth doctrinal Bible Study. As long as people are there and Bibles are available, that's about the cheapest way to teach there is. Could it be that LCMS congregations like ours are on the cutting edge? Or, would we rather say that we've just continued to be faithful to what the Lord gave us to do? After hearing news like this our sinful human nature wants to scream, "I told you so!" But, that would not really be helpful to our brothers and sisters inside and outside the LCMS who have fallen for this fad-driven way to do church. I was hopeful for the future direction of members of the "Willow Creek Association," a group of congregations looking to Willow Creek as a model, until I read their future plans as articulated by pastor Greg Hawkins: "Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted in Scripture. Our dream is really to discover what God is doing and how he's asking us to transform this planet." I commend his passion for the lost. That's something good that should rub off on us as Lutherans. But shouldn't their insights on how to do church come first and primarily from Scripture? Shouldn't research take a back seat? Isn't this a quote that could have been written when Willow Creek was starting in order to justify why they were changing the way Christians had traditionally done worship, instruction new members and all members young and old? Why not look to how the Church has done Church for 2000 years, faithful to God's Word and using His means of grace to make disciples of all nations? Over the last ten years I've learned a lot about "doing church," from comparing my home congregation to our "Willow Creek" style LCMS campus ministry to seminary experiences and serving multiple congregations as fieldworker, vicar, or pastor. -Much growth at congregations like Willow Creek are only recycling sheep, not making new disciples. At worst, it is "sheep stealing." At best, it appears to be sheep playing musical chairs with churches. - There is a lot of transfer growth in growing communities. In our Platte valley, Many people work, play, shop, (and worship) in "the Bluffs," Scottsbluff and Gering, even though they live in a smaller town miles away. - Thanks be to God that there are new Christians in virtually every Christian congregation that trust in Christ alone for forgiveness, life, and salvation. Unfortunately, for all of its techniques, changes (or otherwise, they say, the church will die), high-paid consultants, and untold books over the last three or so decades, "Church Growth" (CG) has not actually grownthe church. - Various factors help explain the appeal of the CG approach: ·        An area of the country with a growing (rather than declining) population ·        Novelty (Recently, members of one Church Growth congregation in Scottsbluff were complaining to me about another CG congregation stealing their members.) ·        Location, location, location. People look around their neighborhood. They don't want to walk or drive very far—even in a parking lot ·        They were invited to church. ·        Old-fashioned Christian care and concern for people in their time of need. ·        Friendliness of the members of the congregation on Sunday and during the week. ·        Availability of group ministries and people like them. ·        The chance to be lost in the number of a larger congregation and not be asked to serve. ·        Legalism is attractive. Law-based sermons where the "to do" list is watered down make the law "something I can do" in contrast to the reality, God's Ten Commandments. Only Christ can keep the Law perfectly. We need His forgiveness once we realize that even watered-down law still accuses us when we can't or won't do it. This is why pastors often hear "Boy, Pastor, you really let them have it today…" The Revealbook is visually stunning. Great illustrations, graphs, text, sidebars, headings—you name it. After I read it, I think the press conference was more revealing than the book. This does appear to be an ongoing project. Visit www.revealnow.comfor more information. This is what they expected to find in their ongoing congregational research: [If Church activity drives spiritual growth, both would increase similarly.] What did they actually see? Take a look at the next graph. [The connection between church activity and spiritual growth seems to be limited.] This result actually made sense to me. And then page 25 pulled the rug out from under me: "Is it possible to measure the heart?" It's like trying to measure one's faith. I still don't think it is possible. Unlike the Lord, surveys are not omniscient. They are fallible, just like Willow Creek's earlier survey efforts (and those of any congregation or church body. Let's be fair.) Lutherans love to make use of what we call "First Article Gifts," gifts of creation, referring to the First Article of the creed. We must be careful to use such things (science, medicine, history, sociology, etc.) as servants to the Biblical text. Reason can be a beautiful servant but a horrible ogre of a master. Personally, I do find some value in sociological research. For example, many recent studies show a high correlation between the spiritual influence of fathers upon the spiritual activity of children. That encourages me to focus some intentional pastoral ministry upon our inactive or non-Christian heads of household. At the same time, I know the Holy Spirit can use God's Word to bring people to faith in Christ Jesus. I can give examples of this for families with active fathers and mothers, fathers or mothers, and in some cases, no family religious leadership at all! God's Word and Spirit trump sociology. Thanks be to God. Do you see my point? I'll look at studies, and use them as servants of what I've already been called to do as a pastor, but God's Word remains the foundation. Programs don't necessarily help people to grow. "If you build it, they will come" is not a guarantee for the church. Full parking lots are not necessarily a measure of a congregation's health. If that were true, the Mormons and Muslims would have to be acknowledged as true believers. Is our time, money, and effort really changing lives? Isn't comforting Christians the more proper function of preaching? People are running around like hypercaffeinated lemmings. The Church should lead them to be comforted by Christ and to be more like Him rather than just keeping them busy. I commend Willow Creek for their honesty and openness. That took courage and humility for their leaders as a group as well as individuals. My prayer for them and the whole one, holy, Christian and apostolic Church is that every pastor, every Christian, and every congregation may be led into all truth, that His kingdom will spread, and that Christians may grow in faith, knowledge, and how they are comforted by Christ. I further pray that our insights on how to do church would come first and primarily from Scripture, the only true source of teaching and practice. God's Word reveals to us a lot of things. Money can be better spent on Bibles and tables and chairs for group Bible Study under a well-taught pastor. Research should take a back seat. Turn off the calculators and open the Scriptures. Why not consider changing practice to the way Christians have historically done worship, instructed new members and all members young and old? Why not look to how the Church has done Church for nearly 2000 years, faithful to God's Word and using His means of grace to make disciples of all nations? The more radical reformers of the 16th Century tried starting from scratch, as if the previous centuries didn't happen. Well, they did. And there's been more history since. Knowing about attitudes, motivation, and the opinions of the sheep (both past and present) is indeed helpful at times, but nothing is more important than the guidance and love of the Good Shepherd Himself. PJC Rory Noland has moved on from Willow Creek. His book is for "Exploring Worship as a Spiritual Discipline" as an individual or with a study group. The ideal reader of this volume is someone who is weary of entertainment worship in an American Evangelical megachurch. I am a liturgical Lutheran who loves psalms, hymns, and the canticles of the historic worship forms (Mass and Daily Office) of western Christendom. Noland's book does lack an emphasis on what God in Christ does for us in worship and is very man-centered in that regard (what we are to do/not do). For the purpose of better reviewing bhte book, I attempted to put myself in the shoes of the intended/ideal reader Noland wrote for. Noland reminds his readers to avoid idolatry, worship in spirit and truth, and return the focus of worship to God. I would encourage a much more Christocentric focus. He encourages the regular use of psalms and the rediscovery of hymns! The author urges his readers to understand and practice both corporate and personal/private worship of God. Ultimately, Noland turns our attention to a heavenly perspective: "So what does worship in heaven look like (Location 1236)? I find much to commend in this volume. I pray that Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven and books like it will lead to prayerful, thoughtful, Biblically-informed reformation of worship theology and practice in congregations around our country and world. There is always reason for hope when the Lord gathers His people around His gifts of Word and Sacrament. His Word and Spirit can reform us (personally and corporately) in spite of ourselves. As articles IV and V of the Augustana remind us: ....men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight... ....That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ's sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ's sake.... The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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