A "Noted" Review: Not so Awkward

McCord, Jeff. Awkward Grace. Kingsport, TN: Twilight Times Books, 2008. 224 Pages. Paper. http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/ (N)

A first novel is an enormous undertaking. It could easily be a trainwreck, or at least "awkward." Awkward Grace is a compelling novel of Christian compassion in practice.

How would Burundian refugees fare in eastern Tennessee? Ben, a Christian layman and his congregation welcome Mevin and his brother, both from Africa.

I was uncomfortable with a couple aspects of the book. First, the way characters early in the book talk of God "speaking" apart from His Word. This borders on what Martin Luther called "enthusiasm," a misunderstanding of the work of the Holy Spirit through the means of grace. I understand that the author has a Christian confession of faith and that this is likely one area of doctrinal disagreement. I don't want to see emotion or "feelings" become a substitute for genuine religious experience. Second, I was disappointed in the portrayal of the pastor of Ben's congregation. As a pastor, it is hard to find a pastor portrayed in a positive light in much literature and even Christian literature. Perhaps the author could tell us another story in the future where a faithful and mission-focused pastor could be the "hero" for once. I liked the start he made in this regard. near the end of the book.

Two strands early in the novel are naturally and logically woven together once an aircraft lands in Tennessee. The rest flows along as an interesting and unified narrative.

Jeff McCord does well at character development for a first-novelist. Conversations sounded natural. Actions were believable, but I may reserve judgment on the "Moonshine Brothers." :)

I don't believe in doing "spoilers" in a book review of a novel. Font and page size make for easy and enjoyable reading of a pleasant book.

Perhaps the truly inspirational part of this novel of love and godly work in Christian vocation could be how it inspires its readers to meet the needs of their neighbors in this world with the love and mercy of Christ.


"In his seven years as a newspaper columnist, Jeff McCord has published somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred columns. He started out writing for "The Rogersville Review"--Tennessee's oldest active newspaper and along with his wife currently writes a column for the "Kingsport Times-News." McCord published his first essay, "Manhood and Kaptain Kangaroo" in 1994 and has been publishing essays and short stories ever since. A native of Sandy Springs, Georgia, Jeff McCord now resides in Kingsport, Tennessee with his wife and three children. Awkward Grace is Jeff McCord's debut novel" (publisher's website).





The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

Hymnody Review: Gettymusic, Part 3

Getty, Keith, Orchestrator and Conductor. Performed by the Czech Television Studio Orchestra. An Evening in Prague: A Symphonic Tapestry of Worship. Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK: Kingsway Music, 2005. Audio CD. $9.99. http://www.kingsway.co.uk/  http://www.gettymusic.com/  (H)

Getty, Keith and Kristyn. Songs that Jesus Said: Scripture into Music (20 Songs Helping Kids Engage with the Bible). Gettymusic, 2005. Audio CD. $9.99. http://www.gettymusic.com/  (LHP)


These two recordings, nearly five years old, are the latest for your consideration from Keith Getty.

I had been eager to hear symphonic arrangements of Getty's original hymns and the tunes of others. An Evening in Prague is one answer.

The lush arrangements on this CD are a great introduction to the orchestrating skill of Keith Getty. It is an unique way to hear his own melodies (and those of others) afresh.

• "God Is Here Prologue" is a a Getty setting of a melody by Lara Martin as is "The Voice of Hope."
• "Jesus Is Lord" shows a Getty arrangment of a Getty/Townend hymn. Others include the familiar hymn "In Christ Alone," introduced by a strong, stirring string section, "Joy Has Dawned."
• Listeners may note melodies by Matt Redman, Martyn Layzell, Tim Hughes, Paul Oakley, and Robert Critchley.
• Two increasingly well-known hymns by Stuart Townend are featured here, "How Deep the Father's Love" and "Beautiful Savior," usually called "All My Days (Beautiful Savior)."

I particularly appreciated the voice leading in these compositions. The melody shines through, always! And Getty deftly passes the melody from instrument to instrument and section to section. Those who know the words to these hymns or songs can sing along with most of the tracks.

QBR readers will know the name John Leavitt. If you love this disc, you will love his many CDs. And, if you love John Leavitt, this is perhaps the best way to get acquainted with Gettymusic.

I welcome future recordings of similar symphonic arrangements!


And for something a little different, consider the following collection of "20 songs helping kids engage with the Bible."

Songs that Jesus Said essentially, is (or could be) VBS music, except that the words are better. Keith and his wife Kristyn Getty collaborated on these Scripture paraphrases and melodies. Arrangements are similar to the "light pop" of typical VBS song. The twenty tracks divide neatly into five four-song sections:

• Meeting Jesus
• Things that Jesus taught
• Friends that Jesus has
• Following Jesus
• Jesus' Big Plan

The songs are memorable, singable, kid-friendly, fun, and have excellent Christian content. I appreciated "Better is on day with Jesus," "Have you seen Him?" "Father in Heaven" and "Christ has risen."

This CD is a challenge to Christian publishers to focus less on VBS marketing and cartoon characters and more on content that presents Christ and Scripture.

QBR is aware of new songs for children in progress from Gettymusic. We'll keep you posted.

And blessings to both Keith and Kristyn during their year of additional music training!

The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

FW: "That They May Learn or Pray"

 

 

Feed: Confessional's Bytes
Posted on: Thursday, July 08, 2010 7:51 AM
Author: Jim Pierce
Subject: "That They May Learn or Pray"

 

"We cheerfully maintain the old traditions made in the Church for the sake of usefulness and peace. We interpret them in a more moderate way and reject the opinion that holds they justify. Our enemies falsely accuse us of setting aside good ordinances and Church discipline. We can truly declare that the public form of the churches is more fitting with us than with the adversaries. If any one will consider it in the right way, we conform to the canons more closely than the adversaries. Among the adversaries, unwilling celebrants, and those hired for pay, and very frequently only for pay, celebrate the Masses. They sing psalms, not that they may learn or pray, but for the sake of the service (as though this work were a service) or, at least, for the sake of reward. Among us many use the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day. They do so after they have been first instructed, examined, and absolved. The children sing psalms in order that they may learn. The people also sing so that they may either learn or pray." (emphasis mine) —Apology XV, 38-41, Concordia: A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord What is the order of the Divine Service at Luther's time in which songs are sung so the laity may "either learn or pray"? On page 219 of "Concordia The Lutheran Confessions: A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord (2nd. Ed.), Luther's form of the mass from 1523 is listed as follows, Introit Kyrie, "Lord have mercy upon us." Gloria, "Glory be..." (may be omitted) Collect (only one permitted) Epistle Gradual/Alleluia Sequences (only one of three permitted) Gospel (candles and incense optional) Nicene Creed (may be sung) Sermon Order for Holy Communion a. Sursum Corda, "The Lord be with you..." and Preface b. Words of Institution (preferably sung) c. Sanctus, "Holy, Holy, Holy..." and Benedictus, "Blessed is He who comes..." (with elevation of body and blood) d. The Lord's Prayer e. Pax, "The peace of the Lord..." f. Agnus Dei, "Lamb of God..." (sung by choir during administration) g. Communion (antiphonal Psalm, during which priest communes first, then people) h. Benedicamus, "Let us bless the Lord" (optional Alleluia in place of "Ite missa est," "Go; it is the dismissal") i. Aaronic Benediction, "The Lord bless you and keep you..." Where would one widely depart from the form of the Divine Service as adopted by Luther in 1523 and why? It is obvious from the Apology that at least the songs were sung as a teaching device or for prayer and what is striking is that the full form of the liturgy is most importantly Christ centered, but is also catechetical. We are truly fed in the Divine Service with Christ's word and His body and blood. Our faith is strengthened as we corporately receive from the hand of God the forgiveness of sins. We also are taught in the Divine Service that we may know our Lord. The songs are not entertainment, but teaching devices for the laity.   Melanchthon writes, "We cheerfully maintain the old traditions made in the Church for the sake of usefulness and peace." Today such a laudable idea appears foreign to congregations who invoke change in the name of "Christian freedom." It is refreshing to read in the Apology that the concern for the Divine Service was to preserve what was good and not reject, wholesale, the liturgy because it was Roman Catholic in origin, or "looks too Roman Catholic." More importantly, the form of worship was conserved because of its usefulness; here again, because it teaches us about Christ. The focus is certainly on maintaining pure doctrine in the congregations. There is no talk of devising a form of the Divine Service that is focused on attracting unrepentant sinners. Why? Because the Divine Service is conceived for sinners who thirst after the righteousness of God. It is already designed with Christ at the center coming to us with the forgiveness of sins. The Gospel is proclaimed from start to finish in the "traditional" liturgy. Why would anyone want something different?

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LHP Review: Doing "Classical Education at Home" at a School

Bauer, Susan Wise and Jessie Wise. The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home Third Edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2009. 814 Pages. Cloth. $39.95. http://www.wwnorton.com/ (LHP)

"This educational bestseller has dominated its field for the last decade, sparking a homeschooling movement that has only continued to grow. It will instruct you, step by step, on how to give your child an academically rigorous, comprehensive education from preschool through high school. Two veteran home educators outline the classical pattern of education—the trivium—which organizes learning around the maturing capacity of the child's mind. With this model, you will be able to instruct your child in all levels of reading, writing, history, geography, mathematics, science, foreign languages, rhetoric, logic, art, and music, regardless of your own aptitude in those subjects.

"Newly revised and updated, The Well-Trained Mind includes detailed book lists with complete ordering information; up-to-date listings of resources, publications, and Internet links; and useful contact information" (publisher's website).

It has been seven years since my entire educational outlook was reoriented. I went to public schools from Kindergarten through University and then one of our synod's seminaries to prepare for the ministry. I always felt that something was missing. My public education didn't mesh with the ideas I had heard about education (reading, writing, arithmetic, Shakespeare, Latin & Greek, the ancient and modern "classics," and a good foundation in Western Civilization). Then I discovered why that it was so.
 
Dewey and Progressive education had taken over. I don't mean that it just became the dominant or majority view. Progressive ed took over. Even LCMS elementary schools and colleges were not immune. Those of the old German gymnasium model brought over by the Saxons were closed, turned into high schools, or morphed into a more secular model of higher ed.
 
And so, in Laramie, Wyoming, I attended my first Conference of The Consortium on Classical and Lutheran Education. The Seven Liberal Arts had little to do with what it means to be a modern "liberal" and everything to do with an education for a free citizen. Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric are the basic building blocks.
 
Home educators rediscovered this kind of education, now dubbed "classical," and led to a renaissance of sorts. Many schools have been birthed by home school associations and Christian congregations. The congregation I serve is the home of Martin Luther Grammar School and I serve as Headmaster.
 
And I recommend this book by a mother and daughter team.
 
Although intended for home use, many books and resources are already in use in our classrooms and more will be soon. The authors share personal experiences, opinions, and good common sense as they discuss resources, curriculum, and the nuts and bolts of educating the next generation.
 
To get a quick sense of the book, read the Overview (xxi ff) and then the three Epilogues at the end of each stage of education (215, 458, 612), providing a glance of a K-12 curriculum at home or at a unique new/old kind of school.
 
Don't be overwhelmed by the size. It is this big and this trusted and this popular for a reason.
 
It is weak on "religion." In some ways I was disappointed by that (639), in others relieved. I'm not sure why Christianity/faith isn't a bigger part of the picture for these educators.
 
I was thrilled to see how little emphasis was given to computers and technology (198). Yes, you read that right. They can become a crutch and promote educational weaknesses (and plain laziness) later on.
 
Bauer and Wise are to be commended for such a comprehensive overview and guide to old education that is new again.



The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

LHP Review: Psalms Edition (Toward Concordia in Christ at Worship)

Hopson, Hal H. The People's Psalter. Fenton, MO: Morning Star Music Publishers, 2008. 301 Pages. Spiral bound. $38.00. 1-800-647-2117  http://www.morningstarmusic.com/ (LH)

Van Harn, Roger E. and Brent A. Strawn. Psalms for Preaching and Worship: A Lectionary Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009. 535 Pages. Paper. $35.00. http://www.eerdmans.com/ (LHP)

Witvliet, John D. The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship: A Brief Introduction & Guide to Resources.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007. 169 Pages. Paperback. $16.00. http://www.eerdmans.com/ (LHP)


Christians can and should recover the use of the psalms at worship. As Liturgy, Hymnody, & Pulpit Quarterly Book Review continues to reflect on the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Model Theological Conference on Worship last January and prepares for a Wyoming District Theological Conference on Worship in June of 2011, I hope that this recovery of the psalms can be part of how we get beyond the so-called "worship wars" with a unified Lutheran theology of worship that can show unison doctrine sung in a variety of harmonious practices. At this point, there is dissonance. Not all practices are faithful to our Lutheran theology. Therefore, I pray that we can move Toward Concordia in Christ at Worship.

Three resources on the psalms are before us.

The second part of Psalms for Preaching and Worship reprints The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship (PPW, 393).  I found this part to be the most helpful of the two parts of the larger 2009 book. For so many (ELCA) Lutherans included in the larger, newer work, I was surprised by the lack of Lutheran recommendations. Sadly, even though this book appeared three years after the introduction of new hymnals for the ELCA and the LCMS, our 1978 and 1982 hymns are still listed (464). I cannot think of a good reason why this section has not been updated and I do not wish to speculate.

Psalms for Preaching and Worship has another section that makes up most of the volume and incorporates the whole into a recent Eerdman's lectionary commentary series. I would be open to reviewing those volumes at a future time, but I was not impressed with this one.

Why? Usually I am disappointed by the overwhelming Calvinist perspective that in one way or another claims that Luther didn't finish the Reformation and Calvin did. I much prefer the productive Reformation discussions of Modern Reformation or The White Horse Inn. There seemed to be more of a balance here due to ELCA authors.

Why in this case? I was truly upset by this volume by the lack of Jesus. No, He wasn't totally missing. Yes, He was mentioned in brief. But no, the Gospel did not predominate here. Yes, the authors of individual signed articles did a decent job of exegeting the Hebrew text, but the largely did so without as much of the New Testament fulfillment in Christ that the Psalms themselves proclaim. Usable? Sure. Adequate? No.

I was further dismayed by the inclusion of pagan art, mostly Egyptian, as "commentary" on the Biblical Psalms. This is "History of Religions School" of thought, where nothing in Judaism or Christianity is original, but all borrowed from else where in a cobbled-together man-made religion. Other notable negative influences include feminist theology, liberation theology, and historical criticism.

If I had to choose between spending $35 for Psalms for Preaching and Worship and $16 for The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship, my choice would be clear. Readers/owners of PPW are not missing the necessary updates to TBPCW should have provided in a revision two years later. Since I have both, I will use PPW on a limited basis until something is produced covering the psalms in Lutheran Service Book (which has 10 more psalms included than the RCL).

In contrast, The People's Psalter is a great resource. And it's not just because I recognized the opened book on the cover, Lutheran Service Book.

My main critique is the use of so many different translations of the psalms. I do understand that music consideration entered into this decision by composer Hal Hopson. Yet, "Happy" in Psalm 1 is simply inadequate for the depth of the Hebrew. "Blessed" would be much better.

"Hopson has created an accessible collection of responsorial psalms for use throughout the church year. Each psalm appointed in the three-year Lectionary is included" (reproduced from publisher's website).

Features include:


• A total of 117 different settings

• Melodies drawn from over 25 countries around the world

• Eloquently simple, easily learned refrains

• Opportunity for creative use of Unison Children's voices and/or Adult choirs and Cantors of all ages

• Variety of accompaniments that are interesting and indigenous to each melody

• Creative use of piano, organ, melody/descanting instrument, handbells, and percussion

• Includes reproducible refrains for congregation and reproducible parts for instrumentalists

• Includes CD with congregational refrains in both PDF and TIFF format
 
(reproduced from publisher's website)
 
 
The People's Psalter shows how to do psalms in worship in a new way, beyond "spoken half verse by half verse" and sung according to LBW/LW/ELW/LSB psalm tones, in addition to refrains like CW and HS98.
 
The Reformed have had an interesting history with hymns and church music, largely preferring metrical psalms to hymns early on, even after the great example of the chorales of Martin Luther.
 
Why do I like this collection? It brings a several musical worlds together.

Hopson has rewoven melodies from around the world (including American hymn tunes and Orthodox liturgical music) to give voice to psalm texts in various translations and metrical versions. That is the great idea behind this collection.
 
Many famous hymn melodies began as tunes for psalm paraphrases. Hopson reuses hymn tunes as psalm melodies. We have come full circle!
 
I may have preferred a different title for this resource, but The People's Psalter is true to its name in that the people are given something of substance that is durable, singable, and memorable. I especially remember Psalm 4, Psalm 9, Psalm 46 (my favorite in the collection), and Psalm 51 among many others.
 
Copyright permission is covered for purchasers. The enclosed CD-Rom makes bulletin inserts a snap.
 
A variety of instrumentation could be employed.
 
I look forward to more resources like this from MorningStar!
 
 
The Psalter is the first hymnal of the Christian Church. And it should return to prominence among Christians of all traditions. LHP QBR will continue to seek out more resources on the Psalms to encourage faithful worship theology and practice Toward Concordia in Christ at Worship.
 

 
The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

FW: Short-Order Cooks and the Liturgy

For your consideration as we hopefully move Toward Concordia in Christ at Worship…

 

Feed: Pastor Strey's Weblog
Posted on: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 11:51 PM
Author: Johnold Strey
Subject: Short-Order Cooks and the Liturgy

 

Mother spends quite a bit of time preparing nutritious and well-balanced meals for her family.  Perhaps she maps out her weekly meals in advance.  One night the main course for dinner happens to be beef stew.  She sets the dinner table and calls the family into the kitchen to sit down.  And then it starts. "Beef stew again?  Didn't we have that, like, two weeks ago?  I'm not going to eat that.  I want pizza!"  So whines the teenage son. The daughter in middle school follows suit.  "Mommy, we haven't had macaroni and cheese in a while.  Let's have that instead." "Honey, I know you put a lot of effort into this meal, but I've been thinking about steak all day.  Why don't I fire up the grill and make something different?"  So much for a supportive husband. Finally, the son in elementary school blurts out, "I want a hot dog!" Imagine how the wife and mother who endured such requests must feel!  How much more unappreciative could her family be?  She's not shown the respect that a loving wife and mother should receive; she's being treated like a short order cook!  And if she actually gave in to these requests, there goes the valuable — and even symbolic — family practice of sharing a meal together around the dinner table! Sadly, this scenario plays itself out in the church on an all-too-frequent basis.  Many congregations, no doubt with the best of intentions in mind, have treated weekly worship as if there's a short-order cook in charge, ready to cater a service that fits the desires of every want and whim within the congregation.  One of America's fastest growing churches, Saddleback Community Church, offers services in nearly every flavor imaginable at its Lake Forest campus.  Its main worship center hosts the main services with contemporary music six times over the course of a weekend.  Then there's a service for 20- and 30-somethings called "Fuel," held three different times on Sunday evenings.  A service called "Overdrive" is offered three times each weekend and features guitar-driven rock that's meant to feel like a live concert.  "Praise" is a service with gospel music held twice on Sunday mornings.  The "Tarrace Cafe" service invites you to bring your coffee and relax in an outdoor venue during one of six possible service times.  Finally, there is (you guessed it) one lone service each Sunday morning called "Traditions" that offers a small church feel with traditional hymns and choruses. And it's not just the megachurches that engage in this kind of thinking.  Even substantially smaller churches feel the pressure to cater to differing preferences from different demographic groups.  A few months ago, I asked my friends on Facebook to check out their local phone book and share any unusual names that churches gave to their weekly services.  Among the examples cited, one Lutheran church (of another denomination) advertised three weekly services, called "Contemporary," "Praise and Worship," and "Alternative/Edgy."  Much more common is the congregation that describes one or more of its weekend services as "traditional" and the rest as "contemporary."  A common assumption among many churches and Christians today is that people's personal preferences should play a major role in determining worship, even if it means that a congregation offers significantly different styles of worship at different times to accommodate those preferences.  In fact, it is so common that the idea of dividing a congregation by stylistic preferences – e.g. a "traditional" service and "contemporary" service – is hardly challenged anymore.  I recall a conversation several years ago with another WELS pastor about this very issue.  When I asked if he was concerned that his church's two styles of worship might be dividing his people into two "congregations," he said, "They're already divided, so it really isn't a problem." I know that my brothers in the ministry who use more than one type of service on any given weekend do so with the best of intentions.  But, if I may be honest with my concerns, good intentions do not necessarily translate into wise practices.  The same apostle Paul who (likely quoting a motto among the Corinthians) said, "Everything is permissible," also went on to say, "But not everything is beneficial," and, "Not everything is constructive" (1 Corinthians 10:23). The whole matter of "contemporary worship" and styles of worship in general is a multi-faceted discussion.  The terminology itself is quite vague.  What are "traditional worship" and "contemporary worship"?  Is a liturgical service with piano, guitar, woodwinds and percussion "contemporary"?  To some, yes, and to others, no.  If the typical Protestant praise service outline would be done with organ and standard Christian hymnody, is that "traditional"?  Again, depending on whom you're talking to, the answer could be yes or no.  An even greater consideration is that forms of worship are built around theology; we cannot simply assume that every form will be a good vehicle for Lutheran worship.  We must also consider that styles of music are not neutral; some styles will carry law and gospel texts well, while others will get in the way of the text. All of the preceding concerns deserve further discussion and consideration.  But the factor I want to consider in this post is the practice of offering multiple services that intentionally differ in style in order to appeal to the preferences of worshippers.  To be sure, there are other reasons why worship styles change: the season of the church year (I hope your Christmas Day service doesn't feel like your Good Friday service!), the culture being served (e.g. is it "high context" or "low context"), the time of day (Matins and Vespers come from the same roots but have deliberately distinct tones from one another), or the particular musicians available at a specific congregation on a given Sunday.  All of these have the potential to affect worship, but none of them are matters of personal preference. So if other factors allow for a variety of styles within worship, why all the concern about personal preference?  My concern is that the practice of dividing a congregation based on personal preferences such as musical styles does not reflect the spirit of unity that Scripture calls us to have.  Personal preferences were a serious problem among the ancient Corinthians.  Their preferences were not musical, but pastoral.  They took pride in the pastors they identified themselves with, and their sinful pride was dividing them rather than uniting them. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.  My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.  What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Were you baptized into the name of Paul?  I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.  (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)  For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). No doubt Peter, Paul, and Apollos had different personalities and other distinguishing traits that caused some people to identify with one man more than another.  But that was no reason for public divisions within the congregation.  Paul wanted the Corinthians to be a united church, not a divided church.  He didn't suggest, for example, that the Peter fan club meet at 8:00 a.m., the Apollosites meet at 9:30 a.m., and the followers of Paul at 11:00 a.m.  I suppose he could have divided them into groups to accommodate their preferences, and that would have solved the problem on the surface.  But it would not have solved the real problem.  In fact, it would have made the real problem more prevalent.  Publicly dividing them by personal preferences would hardly reflect the spirit of unity Paul mentions elsewhere in the same letter. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?  If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body (1 Corinthians 12:12-20). Christians were never meant to be "cookie cutters" of one another.  Paul describes the church as a body.  We have many members with different backgrounds, abilities, contributions, and perspectives.  That's as it should be.  So it should come as no surprise that people will have different likes and dislikes.  And that's fine—unless we allow it to divide us. I have already mentioned that not every form of worship is built on Lutheran theology, and not every musical style is equipped to carry the freight of a law-and-gospel message.  That's an important discussion that we need to consider and not ignore.  But if there are forms and styles that are equally suitable, why would we use them to divide a congregation?  Why not offer a service that brings together the best of historic and modern music, the best cultural contributions among ethnic groups, the best of traditional liturgical patterns along with new developments that properly proclaim our theology—in other words, a service that unites believers together rather than divides them by preferences?  Wouldn't that kind of service avoid the public divisions based on personal preferences that Saint Paul found so disturbing?  Wouldn't such a service exemplify the kind of unity that he wanted his congregations to exhibit?  And wouldn't such a service teach us to appreciate the wide array of contributions from saints past and present, from around the globe and in our own midst? Sometimes we can become so used to something that we aren't inclined to challenge it or see it as a problem.  Offering multiple worship styles within a congregation has become so commonplace that it is hardly challenged anymore.  But maybe it's time we challenge that conventional wisdom.  And maybe it's time we stop dividing our people by personal preferences and start uniting them, with all their differences, together as one body, perfectly united by "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5).

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Resources Received

Maguire, Daniel C. Ethics: A Complete Method for Moral Choice. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2010. 340 Pages. Paper. $35.00. www.fortresspress.com/maguire (LHP)

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Fiction from Tegel Prison (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Volume 7). Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000. 287 Pages. Cloth. $39.00. http://www.augsburgfortress.org/ (LHP)

LHP Review: Recent CPH Resources

Fickenscher, Carl, Editor. Concordia Pulpit Resources, Volume 20, Part 2 February 21-May 23, 2010 Series C (Lent-Pentecost). St. Louis: Concordia, 2010. $46.99 for a one-year 4-issue print subscription. $46.99 for a one-year electronic subscription. $56.99 for a one-year subscription to both. http://www.cph.org/ (P)


Wolfmueller, Bryan. Final Victory: Contemplating the Death and Funeral of a Christian. St. Louis: Concordia, 2009. 64 Pages. Paper. $8.99. http://www.cph.org/ (LHP)

Stiegemeyer, Scott. United in Christ: Preparing for Christian Marriage. St. Louis: Concordia, 2010. 64 Pages. Paper. $8.99. http://www.cph.org/ (LHP)

Fast, Thomas E. and Carla H. Fast. The Baptism of Your Child. St. Louis: Concordia, 2007. 64 Pages. Paper. $8.99. http://www.cph.org/ (LHP)

How to Share Christ Confidently: A Guide to Comfortable and Effective Personal Witnessing. St. Louis: Concordia, 2009. 48 Pages. Paper. $2.99. http://www.cph.org/ (LHP)



Our friends at Concordia Publishing House have been busy producing solid Lutheran resources for the congregations, laity, and pastors of our Synod. This is and should be their primary task. I am also excited about how other faithful Lutherans and Biblical Christians continue to benefit from the Christ-centered and Gospel-focused books, hymnals, Bibles, and teaching resources from CPH.


I have been a faithful and happy subscriber to Concordia Pulpit Resources since before my graduation from seminary. While I fondly remember the shelves full of red volumes of The Concordia Pulpit in many a pastor's study, the sermon examples and exegetical work of CPR has been much more useful to me in the parish. And their book reviews inspired me in a special way to do this

The best part? One can archive copies of CPR to use every three years! CPH offers binders to make that storage task easier.

I only wish there were a comparable resource for the Historic One-Year Series, if only done as a special one-time project.


Concordia has a helpful new series for those Milestone events in life and one's Christian life, including Holy Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, and the Christian Funeral. Our generous stack of review copies included Baptism, Confirmation, and Funeral, as noted in the booklist above.

These are attractive, faithful, and affordable resources intended to be given to Christians at the time of (or hopefully in preparation for) these events. Each volume is friendly, giving the reader more familiarity with Scripture, the Small Catechism, and the liturgical manifestation of our Biblical theology in the rites of Lutheran Service Book.

Faithful family practice is given a foundation in Word, prayer, and song in The Baptism of Your Child so that the baptized are taught the faith into which they have been baptized.

Rooted in the Faith (2010) grounds Christians in the catechism, showing the newly confirmed, and reminding those transferring in to a congregation, and those received by Profession of Faith that our faith is rooted in Christ and His promises in Word and Sacrament (especially Holy Baptism).

Pastors preparing couples for Christian Marriage have as a new resource United in Christ. It prepares couples to discuss difficult personal and cultural questions in the light of God's Word, preparing them for a life together and not merely one special day.

Final Victory would be best used well before a funeral service needs to be prepared. I have previously encouraged such a study in the context of a Sunday morning Bible Class. The pastor can field questions on cremation, weak and strong hymns, and why Lutherans rarely do eulogies. A funeral service planning worksheet is found in the back, one of the best I've seen.

Buy these four booklets in bulk.


Even in the LCMS, we have had evangelism program after evangelism program. Personal witnessing appears to be the most effective way that relatives and friends of our own members visit and join our congregations. How to Share Christ Confidently is a brief and encouraging booklet that could help equip (or start) a congregation's evangelism committee or be made available as a tract.

The author is honest about our fears and how to deal with the lack of words. Sometimes short-term contacts (like on an airplane in all the President Barry stories he told) are easier than folks we live or work with long-term. They can build our confidence and give us practice to witness in our own communities.

The Gospel motivates us to witness of Christ, sharing the good news about Jesus as something that has comforted us in our time of need. We hear the Word and pray in preparation, share Law and Gospel, pray after, and trust the Holy Spirit to work when and where He wills.


Author Milton Rudnick leads his readers in a Journey into Prayer as he winsomely led his readers in the previous book on personal witnessing.

I have found that prayer changes me. I love singing prayers as in Lutheran Service Book and Treasury of Daily Prayer individually, or leading school chapel or Sunday Divine Service. This book is a guide for personal prayer.

And the author has been down this road before. He knows about the roadblocks and discouraging times that hinder our prayer. He emphasizes hearing God's Word before we dare to speak, and then encourages us to repeat His Word back to Him. Personal prayer is no substitute for Corporate Prayer (Sunday worship), yet is a necessary daily supplement to the Christian life nourished by the Word.

This brief book may help some Christians understand the benefits of both prayers spoken aloud from heart and mind as well as prayers from books and hymnals that teach us how to pray.  After all, our Lord Jesus said, "When you pray, say, Our Father..."


Thanks to CPH for books that support faithful doctrine and practice in a beautiful, winsome, and faithful way!



The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

A Noted Review

Mansfield, Ken. Between Wyomings: My God and an iPod on the Open Road. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009. 305 Pages. Paper. $14.99. http://www.thomasnelson.com/ (N)





Between Wyomings is a chronicle of Ken Mansfield’s physical and spiritual journey. The journey of Ken and his wife through much of America in a van named Moses, in which he recalls his past and his contentment that is now his through Christ. Ken Mansfield is now an ordained pastor and motivational speaker in the evangelical style. I was interested in reading the book because I grew up with much of the music Ken produced, in the 60’s, and 70’s.

Mansfield was born in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania and grew up in Lewiston, Idaho, hence the between Wyomings title. After high school he joined the navy and eventually graduated from college with a degree in marketing. While he was working in the space program, Ken’s heart was in music and he was hired by Capitol records in 1965. He became a record producer and worked with many artists, including the Beatles. While on his current journey, Ken recalls incidents with the people with which he worked. His travels take him to places, a home in Los Angeles, Austin, Nashville, and Lewiston, Idaho, as he reminisces about his past.

Interspersed between the stories of his past are his thoughts of what is happening as they travel, the people and places of the past with the present particular time and place. Ken’s past life was the drug and alcohol scene of the entertainment industry but he does not dwell on those episodes. His relationships with the people and how they affected his life is the focus. As usually happens, he enters a low point but is able to bounce back.

Also interspersed are spiritual moments. Ken likens learning to know God to learning to play a musical instrument: “At first it takes effort and repetition…something new occupies a space deep down inside. You don’t think about playing the notes—they are a part of you, and you are a part of them.” (page 45) God is his “joyful and peaceful part.” He states, “I think when the order of our stuff gets in His proper order; we become more like Him than like us.” (page 134) This should be a goal of the Christian, becoming Christlike. Mansfield’s evangelical take is there but so is an unwavering faith. He know God has taken him through his life’s journey.

Between Wyomings was an interesting read. While the chapters were somewhat disconnected and the reader never really understands the purpose of Mansfield’s drive, the stories were good and the spiritual chapters conveyed a deep faith. For me, the drive was a look at his past and bringing things together, returning home and understanding that with Christ, home is where you are. Between Wyomings is not deeply theological or even inspirational but it is entertaining and interesting. The reader is called to reflect on their own life and how God has been with them in all things, to take their own journey.


Review by Carol Nemec

A Brief Noted Review: A Return to 1632 and Nearby Worlds

Flint, Eric. Worlds: The Best of Eric Flint’s Short Fiction. Riverdale, NY: Baen, 2009. 559 Pages. Cloth. $25.00. http://www.webscription.net/  (N)

Flint, Eric, editor. Grantville Gazette V: Sequels to 1632. Riverdale, NY: Baen, 2009. 456 Pages. Cloth $25.00. http://www.baen.com/ (N)

I enjoy history. I enjoy science fiction. And my favorite kind of fiction includes both. Usually, it is called "alternate history." Some deem it "contrafactual history." Yes, some of the facts are intentionally wrong. Hitler won WWII. The South won "The [First] War Between the States."

And then there is the strange story of how a trilingual edition of the Lutheran Confessions, the 1921 Concordia Triglotta ended up being reprinted (yes, reprinted) in the 1630's in Germany.

Welcome to the "Worlds" of author Eric Flint.

Flint most often deals with worlds of rewritten history too big for as short story or a single novel. We're talking multi-volume multi-author collaborative series. The 1632 "universe" has about 15 volumes to date. Let me bring you up to speed.

In the year 2000, a mysterious event transports a West Virginia coal mining town back to 1632 in the middle of the Germanies just in time to intervene in what we call the Thirty Years War. Modern inventions (especially weapons) make a big impact leading to an Emperor Gustavus Adolphus leading a United States of Europe complete with modern arms, aircraft, and radio communications (106) within a matter of years after the arrival of the Americans.

And then there are the Lutherans. Kepler is well-known (336). Luther's translation of the Bible is regularly mentioned (256). The Emperor wants to do Lutheran Mission work (106). Theology is common in these novels (e.g., 52).

Consider this a sample of the world you will encounter in Grantville Gazette V, closely related to its online cousin, http://www.grantvillegazette.com/, a reference to the name of that WV American town from the future in this print and web compilation of fact and fiction. Online, one can read 29 complete GGs, with #30 in the works as I write. Grantville Gazette V, compiles the best of volumes 5-11 of the online version. After a while, it's hard to keep up/catch up, so the summary model of this and future print Grantville Gazettes is of great help.

Language is often strong. Unfortunately. And that is true of much of Flint's writing. I find it unnecessary to the plot or to character development. There are subtle references to sexuality that make me reluctant to recommend most volumes for teens.

Worlds is another volume of Flint's that crossed my desk. I was otherwise pleasantly surprised by the other imaginative alternate worlds of his imagination showcased in this collection of short stories.

After an imaginative romp with a Roman army in India (The Belisarius Series), four short stories represent the aforementioned 1632 Series. I will again object to the language and the caricature of Martin Luther (91).

There are stories of the far future and of armed rodents. The author has a religious, even Christian background or current confession, but it is often challenging to decipher whether words are coming from the author's mouth or that of a literary creation.


The benefit I see in the writing of Eric Flint for our readers is that it provides another (unique) way to study historical theology in the world of "what might have been." Perhaps a future project could be one where Katherina von Bora married her intended post-convent suitor so that the Pope could have named Luther a cardinal! Just a thought, Mr. Flint...



The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

LHP Review: A Treasure from NPH

Jeske, John C. Treasures Old & New: Daily Readings from the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2009. 384 Pages. Paper. $24.99. (Hardcover also available in 2010.) http://www.nph/   (LHP)



There are many things I do not understand. One of them is why LCMS congregations purchase so little from Northwestern Publishing House, the home of good Lutheran resources, and the publisher the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The LCMS and the WELS were in fellowship for a hundred years, working together on The Lutheran Hymnal of 1941 with the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America. I understand the history. But what about the reality today?

A book review is mostly opinion, but opinion backed by fact.
Fact: The LCMS has FAR more in common with the WELS, ELS and other Lutheran Synods than the ELCA.
Fact: Theological discussions among the Biblical Confessional Synods of America would benefit all of us.
Fact: The WELS and the LCMS have done little to heal the rift of the 1960's and 70's.

Hope: We can and should do better in the hopes of re-establishing the Synodical Conference.

[End soapbox]

:)

Treasures Old & New is a new-found treasure. Author/Editor John C. Jeske has done yeoman's work in producing a truly evangelical Lutheran version of Heinrich Bitzer's Light on the Path and its successors. It uses some easier and more important Hebrew texts. In addition to the daily format of both New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew, a third daily "reading" from the Lutheran Confessions was added to Jeske's manuscript. Thanks be to God!

And a special thanks to Concordia Publishing House for allowing the use of Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions to be reprinted in this volume. (This is an example of the future cooperation I pray for.)

I will admit that I lean on my supplemental Greek and Hebrew resources more than I ought. And I will further admit that I needed a few more helps than were provided on the daily pages.

I strongly believe that this book of Daily Readings from the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions should be on the desk of every Lutheran pastor, professor, seminarian, and layman equipped in either Greek or Hebrew.

Perhaps an anonymous Lutheran foundation could put that dream into reality.

Or, perhaps an anonymous Lutheran insurance company could send out a specially-commissioned print run of Treasures Old & New in addition to their annual Lutheran Desk Diary. (I miss their book and CD selections.)
This is "A daily devotional book for Seminary students and pastors who want to review the biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew. A passage from the Hebrew Old Testament and a passage from the Greek New Testament are provided for each day of the year. Also, a brief passage from the Lutheran Confessions in English is included. Notes on vocabulary and grammar follow each passage.

"General themes of the Christian church year calendar as well as key doctrinal passages of the Old and New Testament are chosen for these Scripture references" (publisher's website).

As I said when this book was released, "Buy this. Use this." Treasure this for the sake of the Word of God and the Lord's People whom you serve.



The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

LHP Review: Christian Manliness in a Broken World

Bond, Douglas. Fathers and Sons Hold Fast In a Broken World. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2008. 285 Pages. Paper. $14.99. http://www.prpbooks.com/  (LHP)

Struthers, William M. Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. 196 Pages. Paper. $16.00. http://www.ivpress.com/ (LHP)

I've often said that girls are complicated and that boys are gross. Granted, this is an oversimplification of male and female interactions, but it is intended to bring a little levity to tense situations with a nugget of truth.

Men and women are different. Men need strong male mentors. Men are visually oriented. Men are sinful human beings and so are women. Men are tempted to misuse God's gift of headship within a Christian household and God's gift of sexuality which was intended for one man and one woman married to one another until death parts them.

"Douglas Bond’s latest book Hold Fast In a Broken World is a ramped-up call for young men to prepare for stalwart leadership in the family, church, and culture. Hold Fast is a frank discussion of the cultural topics that a young man must biblically master if he is to be the winsome, servant leader of the rising generation. From stem-cell research to abortion, feminism to gay marriage, multiculturalism to death art, Hold Fast will help fathers prepare their sons to live with courage and wisdom in a hostile world, to be strong men who live and die to the glory of God" (publisher's website). 

Douglas Bond is a gifted writer that has a heart for men of this and the next generation. He pulls no punches. Lutheran readers will not be able to miss his Reformed perspective and respect for Calvin and Luther. We will disagree with him on the meaning of "Sabbath" (Chapter 2), yet I must commend the author for his Bibliography and manly Christian hymns (247ff, 249ff).

This is the second volume in this set, the first being Fathers & Sons, Vol. 1: Stand Fast in the Way of Truth, reviewed in QBR 3.3.

Bond's writing is honest, sobering, and necessary because of our broken, sinful world. This is necessary law. Repent. Hear Christ's absolution. Give the young men in your family and life a Christian example to emulate.

I see the need and the opportunity for more volumes in this series or a companion series from P&R.

The second book in this review is also sadly necessary. Porn is a dangerous drug. Satan cannot create new things, so he perverts the good things of God for his own demonic ends. Porn changes how men deal with women. It leads to guilt, denial, and further sin. It wastes time, money, and far too many people. It can lead to other addictions, disappointments, and unreasonable expectations. And it is a sin committed in our own bodies, a temple of the Holy Spirit.

"Pornography is powerful. Our contemporary culture as been pornified, and it shapes our assumptions about identity, sexuality, the value of women and the nature of relationships. Countless Christian men struggle with the addictive power of porn. But common spiritual approaches of more prayer and accountability groups are often of limited help.

"In this book neuroscientist and researcher William Struthers explains how pornography affects the male brain and what we can do about it. Because we are embodied beings, viewing pornography changes how the brain works, how we form memories and make attachments. By better understanding the biological realities of our sexual development, we can cultivate healthier sexual perspectives and interpersonal relationships. Struthers exposes false assumptions and casts a vision for a redeemed masculinity, showing how our sexual longings can actually propel us toward sanctification and holiness in our bodies.

"With insights for both married and single men alike, this book offers hope for freedom from pornography" (publisher's website).

The author writes as a Christian an as associate professor of psychology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He writes from his strengths. My initial and lasting impression is a book heavier on sociology and psychology and brain chemistry than theology. There is a Law focus.

Human wisdom is great at being a scale, a ruler, and rendering a diagnosis on sin. Such struggles with a sin that so easily entangles is not something a man can deal with alone. Accountability is good, but it is a Law approach.

Pastors need more resources and helps in this subject. Thank you to IVP for adding to my list of helps for the men in the congregation I serve. IVP would do well to provide a companion volume focusing more on the pastoral care side of addictions like that of sexual images.

In short, one needs more of the Gospel of Christ. That is the missing ingredient to well-intentioned but Law-based Christian strategies. Reform a sinner and you get a reformed sinner. Educate a sinner and you get a disciplined sinner. Discipline a sinner and you get a disciplined sinner. Forgive a sinner and you get a forgiven sinner who is at the same time a Saint in Christ Jesus.
The Appendices are a good starting place, but fathers, brothers, a good mens' Bible study, an an honest talk with a Biblical Christian pastor are a better way to deal with sin. We need to hear of the forgiveness of sins in Christ.



These two books for men complement one another but are only a part of the picture. Christianity has been seen as a feminine religion due to misunderstandings and subversive cultural motives for the last century. It is time to equip our men in their vocations as manly Christian men, Baptized, Christian Husbands, and Christian Fathers who are Christian Heads of Household. The Word is our only offensive weapon in our struggle against sin, death, the power of the devil, and our own sinful flesh. And that Word should be properly and clearly distinguished between the Law and the Gospel, with the Gospel predominating!


The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

A Brief LHP Review

D'Aubingne, J. H. Merle. History of the Reformation in the Sixteeth Century (Facsimile Edition). Powder Springs, GA: Powder Springs Press, 2008. 724 Pages. Cloth with pdf CD-Rom. $49.99, on sale for $29.99. http://www.powderspringspress.com/  http://www.americanvision.com/  (LHP)

It is a great time to be alive if you love old (formerly) out-of-print books. Reproductions like this one from Powder Springs Press and available through American Vision are a treat to behold.

Scanning technology makes rare books available to a wider audience when they are digitized and republished. The cover also makes use of modern publishing technology to give a photo-realistic reproduction of the original cover.

"Originally published in 1872, by G.P. Putnam & Sons in New York, this beautiful 800-page edition features 20 books, twelve steel engravings, and 200 wood illustrations including portraits of the most eminent Reformers.


"When the idea of writing this historical account first occurred to D'Aubigne, he stated that he was young, and felt strongly impelled to give a narrative of the wonderful works that God had wrought for Christendom in the Sixteenth Century. He earnestly desired that it should glorify God and he felt that the Holy Spirit, which then worked in so many hearts, might again manifest His power, and bring to God some souls as yet unacquainted with His saving strength.

"In addition to the spiritual significance of his work, D'Aubigne was deeply concerned about historical accuracy. He researched both public and private libraries and deciphered many manuscripts of the Sixteenth Century (many of which were unknown until he made use of them).

"The History of the Reformation is an essential volume in the Christian's library because it provides the historical detail and reflects the living power of the doctrines of the Reformation like no other work in history.

"The author found pleasure in telling the story of the acts of the Reformers; but he wanted this monumental work to be remembered in the words of John Calvin, 'Let us ascribe honor to those men who have excelled in the fear of God; but on condition that God should remain above all, and that Christ should triumph'" (American Vision website).


Although writing from the perspective of a Swiss Protestant, I have found the sections dealing with Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation to be largely fair and readable. The major bias I saw was in the reporting of the Marburg Colloquy (329-339), where "different views" on the Lord's Supper are sadly seen as a good thing! And, the author tries to show all of the "reformers" at their best, celebrating what we would call "diversity." There is much to appreciate here, but be aware of the author's theological worldview.

The list of illustrations is extensive (xxv).  Many show the persons under discussion or the places where history happened. The twelve major full-page engravings (on steel) are all of Martin Luther and his life and reforming efforts. Luther is respected as a magesterial Reformer.

One may even read the book on a computer as a pdf file thanks to the enclosed digital copy.
Such a tome is a joy to read, for this historian knows how to write in an engaging, entertaining, and edifying way. The original edition was an heirloom. I hope this new reprint is as well.

The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

A Brief LHP Review

Scotto, Dominic T.O.R. The Table of the Lord. Petersham, MA: St. Bede's Publications, 2002. 74 Pages. Paper. $18.00. http://www.fordhampress.com/ / (LHP)


The Table of the Lord is a brief history of the piece of sacred furniture that serves as a focal point for the Service of the Sacrament.

The author, writing as a Roman Catholic, assumes transubstantiation (2) and a reenactment of Christ's sacrifice during the Roman Mass (4).

Dominic Scotto gives a brief development of the history of the table/altar in Christian sacramental use, preferring a return to "a simple table."

This brief volume isn't worth $18.00 for a paperback and other authors and resources such as Luther's Small Catechism (on the Sacrament of the Altar) may help the Lutheran reader with greater clarity and completeness at less cost.



The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

Resources Received

Revive. Blink. Franklin, TN: Provident/Essential, 2010. Audio CD. $11.98. http://www.reviveband.com/ http://www.provident-integrity.com/ (H)

Note: Previous copy was a pre-release edition.

FW: We Draw Our Life from the Means of Grace

Overheard in the WELS…

 

Feed: Stand Firm
Posted on: Thursday, July 01, 2010 7:00 AM
Author: Scott Diekmann
Subject: We Draw Our Life from the Means of Grace

 

Quoting Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Professor John Brenner, from his presentation to the 2009 WELS Biennial Convention titled "Christ's Love": We cannot put the Holy Spirit on a timetable or expect him to work according to our schedule. We sow the seed. He produces the results he wants. In the Augustana we confess, "For through the Word and sacraments as through instruments the Holy Spirit is given, who effects faith where and when it pleases God" (Augsburg Confession, V, 2). Sometimes we cannot see any results from our proclamation of the gospel. At times the church may seem to disappear. The prophet Elijah thought that he was the only believer left in the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. God had to reveal to him, "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him: (1 Kings 19:18). Sometimes the faithful proclamation of God's Word may lead to a visible decline in numbers. After Jesus' great Bread of Life discourse we read, "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him" (John 6:60, 66). At other times the Holy Spirit may grant amazing visible results. After St. Peter's Pentecost sermon 3,000 were added to the church (Acts 2:41). The wicked city of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3:5; see also Matthew 12:41). Through Word and sacraments the Holy Spirit "effects faith where and when it pleases God." At least one person seeing the declining numbers in our Wisconsin Synod has lamented that we are a dying church. That statement cannot be further from the truth. We draw our life from the means of grace. So long as the gospel is rightly proclaimed in our midst and the sacraments are rightly administered the Holy Spirit is sustaining our life and extending it. A church dies when it no longer proclaims the gospel and administers the sacraments. A synod is in trouble only when it no longer treasures the means of grace or doubts the efficacy of Word and sacraments. American ideas of progress and success center on visible results. God's definition of success is faithfulness to his Word and the work he has given us to do (Revelation 2:8-11; 1 Corinthians 4:1-4). Faithfulness requires that we always do our best and try our hardest to communicate the gospel clearly. For the means of grace are always efficacious, but they do not work magically. ...As good Americans we can be tempted to judge success by the bottom line and to think that if only we discover the right method or do things in the right way, numerical success must follow. Our synod does not seem to be growing. Church attendance and Bible class attendance are not breaking any records. Even though we live in a wealthy nation, our congregations and synod do not seem to have enough money to do the work we would like to do. We set goals and don't reach them. We work hard, yet don't see the results we hoped for or the success we anticipated. We hear a lot of grumbling and complaining. And it is easy to become frustrated. We will therefore want to be careful that in our frustration over the apparent lack of visible success in our congregations and synod we lose confidence in the power of the gospel. Sectarian authors often offer new methods to ensure success and can even point to visible results. However, we will always want to examine their methodology and its presuppositions before adopting or adapting what they offer. Sectarian authors as a rule do not understand the means of grace or how the Holy Spirit works. Their methodology may be based on false presuppositions. The first question that a confessional Lutheran will want to ask when considering methodology is not "does it work?" but is "is it faithful to God's Word?"

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