Liturgy and Hymnody Review: Rundman, Getty, and GIA

Rundman, Jonathan. Protestant Rock Ethic (featuring A HEARTLAND LITURGY plus Event Theme Songs, Hymn Interpretations, Scripture Settings, and Curriculum Music). Minneapolis: Salt Lady Records, 2006. Three CD set: 2 audio, 1 data "eSongBook."  www.jonathanrundman.com www.saltlady.com (LHN)

Shackley, Larry, Douglas E. Wagner, Mark Hayes, Lloyd Larson, Mary McDonald, Arrangers. The Hymns of Keith Getty.  Dayton, OH: Lorenz, 2010. Piano Folio. $18.95.  www.lorenz.com  http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=70_1727L  (H)

Alonso, Tony. "Arise, My Love." Chicago: GIA Publications, 2010. Sheet Music. $1.75 www.giamusic.com (LH)

Alonso, Tony and Marty Haugen. Arise My Love: Music for Weddings. Chicago: GIA, 2010. Audio CD. $16.95.  http://www.giamusic.com/ (LH)

O'Brien, Francis Patrick. Can You Hear Me Now? Chicago: GIA, 2010. Audio CD. $16.95. http://www.giamusic.com/ (LH)

True, Lori. "Let This Be the Time." Chicago: GIA Publications, 2010. Sheet Music. $1.75. www.giamusic.com (LH)

 True, Lori. Let This Be the Time: Songs of Transformation and Peace. Chicago: GIA, 2010. Audio CD. $16.95. http://www.giamusic.com/ (H)

Haas, David. Without Seeing You: The Best of David Haas, volume 3. Chicago: GIA, 2009. Audio CD. $16.95. http://www.giamusic.com/ (H)

Haas, David . Glory to God: The Best of David Haas, volume 4. Chicago, GIA, 2009. Audio CD. $16.95. http://www.giamusic.com/ (H)

Haugen, Marty and Marc Anderson . Tree of Life. Chicago: GIA, 2009. Audio CD. $16.95. http://www.giamusic.com/ (H)

Donna Pena . I Say Yes / Digo Si. Chicago: GIA, 2010. Audio CD. $16.95. http://www.giamusic.com/ (H)

Ever since the Psalmist sang, "Sing a New Song to the Lord" in Psalm 96 and Psalm 98, there has been little lack of new song in Christ's Church. To be sure, some new song has endured longer than others, and much of that enduring new song has been rightly about Jesus, the New Song, Himself.

You will meet several new composers/artists in this review and we will revisit some friends and acquaintances.

Others have described Jonathan Rundman, as "a Lutheran rocker." Even though I'm younger than he is, pastorally, I wouldn't use rock or the pop/rock combo for Christian worship. 

Seven tracks comprise "A Heartland Liturgy," complete with:

• Texas Kyrie
• Glory in the Highest (Gloria)
• Psalm Tone Blues (employing Psalm 111)
• Gospel Verses
• The Great Thanksgiving/Holy Holy Holy (Sanctus)
• Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)
• Canticle for Departure (Dunc Dimittis)

The composer was kind to include an eSongBook with the sheet music of the complete setting. This is a nice touch for both techies and musicians. Both lead sheet and piano scores are provided for A Heartland Liturgy and five supplemental songs.

The Kyrie is responsive, as is the Gloria. Rather than sticking with LBW/LW/ELW/LSB liturgical texts, the Gloria calls upon "Loving father, caring mother Hold us in your wings," rendering it completely unusable. I like the "Anglican thump" of the repeated last two notes of the melody of the Psalm Tone. The  Gospel Verses wisely stick to the same melody as an aid in teaching and repeated use, but I am concerned if it will wear well over time. Lamb of God was the most memorable and usable, in my opinion. I was grateful to see a Nunc Dimittis. Like the Offertory, which began disappearing a generation ago, it too is fading due to the influence and advice of liturgical scholars (e.g. ELW; both are still in active use in LBW). I have not yet attempted to compose my own mass setting. I respect Rundman's attempt. Again, the Gloria text remains the sour note. 

Regarding the supplemental music, we at QBR had seen "Hey Hey Samuel" before (like the Gloria, it appeared on Lutheran Songs Today 1). It would be more appropriate for Sunday School, campfire youth singing, or VBS than Divine Service. "As You Did, Lord, at Emmaus" is textually reminiscent of Herbert Brokering  (LSB 474, 680, 817, 879). "The Serious Kind" needs some serious context. Perhaps that could be provided by other song or a devotion. "Forgiveness Waltz" has Lutheran theological origins, for it proclaims the Gospel in Luther's way: "for you." It needs more Jesus, as does "By Grace."   

Roughly a quarter of the tracks on this two-disc set are theme songs for youth gatherings (ELCA, Youth Encounter, Holden Village, LCMS). Jonathan Rundman's sound is much like Lost and Found (2.11, "Because He Lives,"  is a collaboration with that duo). Hymn arrangements are similar to LaF. My perspective on youth ministry is the approach of Higher Things, an LCMS RSO. Work is work, play is play, and worship is historic Lutheran worship, less of a "mega gathering mountaintop experience," but far more supportive of home congregational life, pastoral care, communion practice, and overall reverence.

"Calm the Storm" (2.4), based on Mark 4:35-41, was particularly memorable. It would be a nice story song for the weeks where that Gospel text is read. I could imagine it becoming a favorite for Vespers or Evening Prayer in a nave or around a campfire.

Rundman's composing style and unique voice could make a great contributions to animated shows like one of my favorites, Phineas and Ferb. 

 Can You Hear Me Now by Francics Patrick O'Brien is a new theatrical performance piece. The musical idiom (melody, arrangement, and performance) reminds me of Broadway. Initially, the title reminded me of the Verizon cell phone guy. Fr. O'Brien's individual octavos, especially the Biblical Canticles, will likely be more useful in parish contexts than the entire opus. It was pleasant, but not something I would usually buy or listen to personally.

David Haas is not a well-known composer in the LCMS. His one canticle in Lutheran Service Book is found only in the music and electronic editions. That has limited the use of "Blest Are They," 982, which has grown on me since the introduction of LSB. The the song on two "best of" collections provided to us was largely new to me. Genres varied from folk-like to Broadway to ethnic-derived song. 

Those easiest to place and use liturgically may be the Psalm settings:

• 3.2 Throughout All Time (Psalm 89)
• 3.4 The Lord Is My Light (Psalm 27)
• 3.7 Before I Was Born (Psalm 139)
• 3.14 I Thirst for You (Psalm 42/43)
• 3.15 They Who Do Justice (Psalm 15)
• 3.17 The Fragrance of Christ (Psalm 138)
• 3.19 Like a Little Child (Psalm 131)
• 4.1 If Today... (Psalm 95) [Consider for Morning Prayer/Matins]
• 4.4 All the Ends of the Earth (Psalm 98)
• 4.14 You Are My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

A Social Gospel is often stronger than a Gospel message. Others focus more on First Article topics than Second Article Gospel. 

Used as an addition and supplement to historic catholic liturgical texts and melodies, these compositions may be a welcome addition to parish worship. I would be uncomfortable with them being a parishoner's exclusive hymnic and liturgical diet. We are still open to seeing volumes 1 and 2 of "The Best of David Haas."

Donna Peña is a composer and performer, residing in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Speaking strongly to and for the Hispanic community in the Midwestern church, she provides a leadership founded strongly on her Mexican and Cherokee heritage. While at the University of Minnesota, she took part in the Chicano Studies program. As she unites formal education with top-notch communication skills, she is able to produce music that serves well the needs for multilingual worship. In addition to her incredibly popular song “Digo Si, Señor/I Say Yes, Lord,” her recorded collections Alma Mia and Against the Grain as well as A New Heaven, A New Earth, Mass of the Nations or the collaboration with Marty Haugen We Come Dancing, provide a broad range of music and texts for inclusive worship. “El Amanecar,” which is the first cut on La Tierra, La Gente, is a masterpiece of Hispanic rhythms and instrumentation. When one sings it, one dances it. Her setting of Psalm 25, “Levanto Mi Alma/I Lift Up My Soul,” has become a staple in the Advent repertory for many parishes. Peña’s compositions have been featured on the recording Cross Culture and also in the collection Music for Small Christian Communities. She stands at the forefront of composers who are able to express ethnic richness through accessible music. 

“Digo Si, Señor/I Say Yes, Lord” will appeal to fans of Gloria Estefan. It would hardly be authentic for me to introduce on a Sunday morning. Theologically, track 13, "Salvanos, Maria," would be inappropriate in a Lutheran context because it is a prayer to Mary. Occasional texts are prayers for social justice. Some of the guitar work sounds like an early Carlos Santana. As an album, I Say Yes, will remain music for the road rather than song for the sanctuary.

Lori True's latest release, Let This Be the Time, is true to its subtitle: Songs of Transformation and Peace. Notes in the choir music for the title track (1) give this background: "'Let This Be the Time' is a musical proclamation expressing the urgency, immediacy and impatience for the church to rise up to its call, to witness as a herald of reconciliation and justice." The Refrain sings: "Come and tear down the old ways and build up the new, be the God of our promise; all hope rests in you. With the fire of your Spirit, blaze a kingdom of truth. Prepare us for action, let nothing distract us from you!" Unfortunately, liberation and social justice are the distraction from the Biblical Gospel of Christ. I'm not sure if that kind of transformation is for me and my congregation.

Arrangements, instrumentation, and melodies remind me of K. Lee Scott and as Michael Card, well as other GIA recordings. "Love Is the Touch" (3) uses the Irish tune SLANE, and would be appropriate for weddings. Track 4 has an unfortunate stanza that could lead to miscommunication. One could hear "God is not present" and forget the previous phrase, "no place so distant God is not present." Could this be reworded for clarity and comfort? I would love to have the sheet music for track 8, "How Good it Is." It is a singable, usable paraphrase of Psalm 133, informed by Colossians 3:12-17. The harmony would sound great at a District Pastoral Conference. Similarly, the closing tracks (13 and 14) are Christocentric and Gospel filled. "Go Forth in Peace" focuses on the gifts and love of God in Christ and His service to us. Japanese tunes are rare in Christian use. "May the Peace of Christ Be with You" is memorable and comforting. I would use tracks 3, 8, 13, and 14 immediately. I am eager to see the Let This Be the Time music collection.

Marty Haugen and Marc Anderson collaborate on Tree of Life, a soulful album based on Genesis 2:8–10, the gospel accounts of the crucifixion, and Revelation 22:1–17. The title track, "Tree of Life" (1) wore on in repetitiveness, so that I missed the Christological "loving tree of the Son" before the final refrain. "I am a Child of this Planet" sounds more ecological than First Article of the Creed. "We Are One Family" needs more of a Christian, baptismal context, otherwise it could be easily misunderstood. "God Is Still Speaking" sounds like a theme song for the recent UCC emphasis, but is grounded in (only) the First Article. It is most in need of the invitation of the Gospel in Jesus Christ. "We Are All the Leaves of One Tree" would benefit from a revision based on Romans and the pruned and added branches. "When We Can Honor" is First-Article-only. "O Holy Water" has an obvious but not completely explicit baptismal theme. Dignity, justice, and hope are present in "Light Dawns..." but not Jesus. He is our dignity, the Just Judge, and our Hope eternal. Unfortunate. "No One Can Own the Wind" may cross the line from a hymn about creation to a hymn to creation. What "God Is Present" says is true, but where is God Present for your Gospel benefit? Only Word and Sacrament. "Deep Peace" is also missing the Prince of Peace. I do not wish to be picky or petty, but Tree of Life largely fails as Christian music because of the lack of a Christological focus. This is an example of a work that is largely Biblical, but not uniquely Christian in character. Disappointing.

Arise, My Love, Haugen's collaboration with Tony Alonso, is much stronger contribution. "Arise My Love," (1) is based on Song of Songs. It would have fit in well at my own wedding in 1997. The music is accessible to musicians of modest ability and singable by nearly anyone of decent voice. The CD liner notes suggest use of the collection as Processional and Gathering Songs, Psalms, Hymns and Songs for Prelude, Preparation for the Gifts or Post Communion, Communion Songs, and Recessional and Sending Songs. This is quite helpful. 

I had hoped for an explicit Christological interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13 in "Love Endures All Things," yet it is useful and useable. "Love Has Brought Us Here Together" makes use of HYFRYDOL and would be a singable congregational hymn. Bilingual contributions are welcome (4, 8, 10, 15).  "Gathered in the Love of Christ" is a creative adaptation of Canon in D (5). "What a Gift to Be Gathered" and "At the Table of Jesus" may be better texts for SIMPLE GIFTS than the original (9, 16). "Beloved, God's Chosen" would be a great way to remind couples to forgive one another and reinforce this message from a wedding sermon (11). I would not use "Litany of Love" (12) or "Litany of Mary" (17) due to historic Lutheran/Roman theological differences. "Love Is a Longing" (13) is a good use of SLANE, but would be stronger if Christ were substituted or God in the first syllable of each stanza's last line. "Planted and Nurtured in Love" is a strong original song to conclude the album.

The final offering for consideration in this blog review is a collection of piano solo arrangements based on the hymn tunes of Keith Getty, composed in collaboration with Stuart Townend, Jonathan Rea, Kristyn Getty, and Ian Hannah.

Level 2 • Irish composer Keith Getty and his talented collaborators have created some of the most memorable hymns of this generation. With their folk-like melodies and scriptural lyrics, these songs have made their way into the hearts of congregations around the world. We have chosen ten of Keith Getty’s most popular hymns and asked five of our brilliant arrangers to set them for piano. This book will serve you well throughout the church year with preludes and offertories suitable for Christmas, Easter, missions, prayer, Communion, and general use.

Contents:

Page Number	Title	Composer
3	The Power of the Cross	Mark Hayes
8	Across the Lands	Douglas Wagner
12	God of Grace	Lloyd Larson
16	See What a Morning	Mary McDonald
21	There Is a Higher Throne	Lloyd Larson
26	Speak, O Lord	Mary McDonald
30	Behold the Lamb (The Communion Hymn)	Larry Shackley
34	Joy Has Dawned	Douglas Wagner
38	In Christ Alone	Mark Hayes
43	Glorious Light	Larry Shackley

(publisher's website)

Arrangers include Larry Shackley, Douglas E. Wagner, Mark Hayes, Lloyd Larson, and Mary McDonald. Lorenz Publishing classifies the arrangements as Level 2, "Intermediate to moderate difficulty with a variety of musical styles; expanded range and more rhythmically demanding" (2). This is quite accurate. The melodies of these new Irish hymns still shines through.  My favorite arrangement was "Joy Has Dawned," (34) a hymn our congregation sang for Christmas Morning. Key changes are naturally done, not merely because the arranger had appeared to run out of other ideas. 

This collection was an opportunity to hear my favorite Getty/Townend tunes, but revisit two that were less-familiar. "Glorious Light" appeared previously only on the New Irish Hymns #3: Incarnation album. " Modern Hymns Live and New Irish Hymns 2: #Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the two albums featuring "God of Grace." The theological term "Irresistible" in stanza one of the Getty/Rea text has rendered the hymn unusable to to me and my congregation and church body until I can come up with a replacement Bibically-true five-syllable phrase. The soaring tune pairs well with NEW BRITAIN in the Lloyd Larson arrangement.

The Hymns of Keith Getty is worth your money and time. 

To a lesser degree, I will recommend portions of the albums and sheet music collections noted above. 

I have a growing impression that in Roman circles, "contemporary" music for Church is more of the musical theater idiom than that of "pop/rock" as in American Evangelicalism. I would be open to perspectives from readers as well as publishers on that opinion.

This late Spring and Summer I hope to catch up on reviews and reading in preparation for late Summer and Fall reviews. 

Recently, music submissions for our opinion have significantly increased. Sifting through it all has been worth my/our time because of the wheat that we have gleaned thus far.

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 Contrasts Review: Doctrine and Demons

Something new for a new year:
A Contrasts Review is where we contrast very different kinds of material
to better understand them all.

Baker, Robert C., General Editor. Charles P. Schaum, Contributing Editor. Lutheran Spirituality: Life as God's Child. St. Louis: Concordia, 2010. 301 Pages. Paper. $14.99. (Special offers available.) www.cph.org (LHP)

Engelbrecht, Edward A., General Editor. The Lutheran Difference: An Explanation  and Comparison of Christian Beliefs. St. Louis: Concordia, 2010. 602 Pages. Cloth. $29.99. (Sale: $20.00.)   http://www.cph.org (LHP)

Richards, Larry. Earthbound (The Invisible War Series, Volume I). Mustang, OK: Tate Publishing, 2009. 277 Pages. Paper. $16.99. http://www.demondope.com/ (N)

Richards, Larry. The Day of the Others (The Invisible War Series, Volume II). Mustang, OK: Tate Publishing, 2009. 261 Pages. Paper. $16.99. http://www.demondope.com/  (N)

Richards, Larry. The Blind Prophet (The Invisible War Series, Volume III). Mustang, OK: Tate Publishing, 2008. 283 Pages. Paper. $16.99. http://www.demondope.com/ (N)

Richards, Larry. The 69th Week (The Invisible War Series, Volume IV). Mustang, OK: Tate Publishing, 2009. 286 Pages. Paper. $16.99. http://www.demondope.com/ (N)

Richards, Larry. Possessed (The Invisible War Series, Volume V). Mustang, OK: Tate Publishing, 2010. 286 Pages. Paper. $16.99. http://www.demondope.com/ (N)

Richards, Larry. The Third Temple (The Invisible War Series, Volume VI). Unpublished advance manuscript. See also: www.theinvisiblewarnovels.com. (N)

I read fiction. I read theology. I spend a lot of time in God's Word as a Lutheran Christian. And my interests build on my experiences as a history major. 

I got into history because of a science fiction genre called "alternate history." What does this mean? Well, this is where to put all of the stories about the "what ifs" of history. What if the Confederacy won? What if Hitler won? What if the American Revolution failed?

To put the best construction on it, Larry Richards' The Invisible War Series is alternate history. That's the only way I can make sense of it and find the positive. He makes assumptions about angels, demons, salvation history, and Christ that I cannot agree with on the basis of Holy Scripture, not to mention the Lutheran Confessions. I can appreciate the author as an intelligent, prolific, articulate, and passionate Christian, but I cannot recommend or endorse The Invisible War Series. If I suspend what I know about the Bible, angels, demons, the End Times, and Israel, then I began to appreciate the story as a six-volume work of religious fiction. Richards does not do what Dan Brown attempted to do with his prefatory statements about Opus Dei in The Da Vinci Code. Richards' fiction appears to be a confession of his theological worldview in print.

A book review is not a complete theological analysis or critique of every assertion or error. Reviews, especially in blogdom, are nowhere near long enough for that purpose. I owe it to our readers, as well as the publishers and authors we review to explain why, at least in part, we cannot give their products a favorable review.

That is the origin of our new Contrasts review. I'm reading several books at once as a reviewer. Two resources from Concordia were on my stack at the same time. 

This book [The Lutheran Difference] began as a popular 18 booklet Bible Study series. In this new work, we gather together all the rich content of the series, order it around the Nicene Creed, and present it in one accessible volume so readers can access the facts they need.

As Lutherans interact with other Christians, they often find themselves struggling to explain their beliefs and practices. Although many Lutherans have learned the “what” of the doctrines of the Church, they do not always have a full scriptural foundation to share the “why.” When confronted with different doctrines or denominations, they sometimes cannot clearly state their faith—much less understand the differences. (publisher's website)

As popular as Bible Studies are by a respected publisher, no one congregation usually sees every series, nor ever study in a great series like The Lutheran Difference. I commend CPH for the high quality and wide variety of faithful studies that clearly and respectfully show were the Lutheran confession of the Christian faith differs from (and sometimes agrees with) other Christian traditions. Most importantly, this series showed how Lutheran Christianity is most faithful to the Scriptures and the mind of Christ. Further, I am thrilled to be the owner of this series on CD-ROM. This is how our congregation did the Holy Baptism study last fall.

Concordia is a pioneer in digital resources. One could also purchase the original booklets, download the studies from their website, or purchase the new hardcover edition.

What a genius idea: Take one of the best Bible Study Series ever produced and flesh it out into text between a hardcover to make it an accessible multi-generational resource. I think of it as an updated topical version of the old blue Popular Symbolics.

Of particular interest to me while reading the fiction series mentioned above was topic five, "Angels and Demons" (147ff). It offers correction to the false teaching that people become angels when they die (152), the erroneous understanding of Genesis 6:2 that would allow for angel/human interbreeding (154), as well as possession and hell (169, et al).

In addition, topic eighteen covers "End Times," a necessary inoculation and antidote to rampant predictions about the end of the world, the rapture heresy (543), dispensational premillennialism, the need to rebuild a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, and other challenges to historic Biblical amillennial Christian teaching.

As I mentioned before, the format is topical:

1. God's Word
2. Law and Gospel
3. God the Father
4. Creation
5. Angels and Demons
6. Marriage and Family
7. God the Son
8. Justification and Sanctification
9. Predestination
10. The Holy Spirit
11. Daily Prayer
12. Baptism
13. Confession
14. The Lord's Supper
15. Priesthood and Ministry
16. Vocation
17. Worship
18. End Times

The individual topics are structured in a multi-session/chapter format, with "Engaging this topic," "Lutheran Facts," Bible, Denominational "Comparisons" based on the major branches of Christendom, and "Point to Remember" subsections. Charts, references, and a handy "Lutheran Summary" with references from Concordia the Lutheran Confessions conclude each topic.

Indispensable. 

No wonder The Lutheran Difference in hardcover was added to The Essential Lutheran Library!

A similar resource is the paperback Bible Study compilation, Lutheran Spirituality: Life as God's Child.

Click here to listen to an interview with Rev. Charles P. Schaum, Editor, Professional and Academic Books for CPH and the Contributing Editor for Lutheran Spirituality

Do you want a closer relationship with God? Are there days when you feel far away from him? Instead of depending on your own strength, learn to depend on His!

 

This book, adapted from the popular Bible study series of the same name, explores the rich depths of a distinctively Lutheran spirituality. In Baptism founded upon God’s Word, the incarnate, crucified, and resurrected Lord proclaims His victory over sin, death, and the devil. From there flows the proclamation of His Gospel and the administration of His Sacraments. It is through these means presented within the liturgy of His Church that Christ communicates not merely spiritual energies, an emotional high, a method of reasoning, or a stringent morality, but He truly communicates Himself—God in human flesh.

This book is a how-to for Lutherans wanting more out of their spiritual life written by respected Lutheran scholars. It will help leaders in the church discover reachable goals to strengthen their own faith and help others grow strong as well.

 

Contents Include:

• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Word: God Speaks to Us
• Prayer: We Speak to God
• Confession: God Gives Us Truth
• Cross: We Suffer with Jesus
• Witness: We Share Our Faith
• Vocation: God Serves through Us
• Community: We Are Not Alone
• Promise: God Is for Us
• Glossary
• Scripture Index (publisher's website)

I had not previously used these studies with a congregation, but had studied several of them personally. 

 

"Spirituality" can be a very unhelpful term theologically. It can be very emotive and "touchy-feely." I love that Dr. Veith helped redeem this term in our circles through the modern classic, The Spirituality of the Cross. Lutheran Spirituality deals with suffering and life in this world from a grounded theological perspective, but is not simply a doctrine book. It is a friendly resource that deals honestly with life's challenges. Theology, applied, is very practical. Justification and sanctification are to be distinguished, but both are to be affirmed. Christianity is baptism lived out. Consider:

Sin always robs us of joy, whether we are wallowing in guilt and shame, hiding from others, or are anxious over getting caught. In fact, getting caught is the first step toward freedom. When our sin becomes public, the silence of the secret has been broken, and now a word of forgiveness can be spoken and heard. Having been forgiven, David is now in a position to teach others as well (Psalm 51:13). As long as we are bound up in a sin, we will attempt to justify ourselves and futilely try to atone for our sins. Such sacrifices God does not desire. He desires instead broken and contrite hearts (verse 17). Having been forgiven and set free, we are then in a position to offer right and pleasing offerings of thanks to God (269-270).

Scripture is extolled (13). Readers are taught to distinguish between Law and Gospel (18). Prayer is rejoiced in as a privilege (42) and not a means of grace, Christians are taught to "return to the baseline of the forgiveness of sins" which leads us "back into the world where we live in our various callings" (77). LS affirms the mission of the Church to proclaim both Law and Gospel (94), and to continue the fight against Pietism and for private confession (101). Witness and pure teaching are not mutually exclusive (153ff, et al).

Importantly, readers are taught the Theology of the Cross, that life is messy, and suffering helps us better understand our crucified High Priest. We endure the cross because we are Christians (113). "Hip" Christianity is much like the Peter of Matthew 16 who cannot reconcile Jesus with a cross (cf. 114). We suffer in vocation, face trials of many kinds, and are tempted (128). We are to speak out against "godless laws and practices" and "be willing to accept the punishment [of the state] and martyrdom rather than obey a godless law" (196). 

 

Readers are directed back to Bible, Catechism (201), and prayerbook/hymnal as the foundation of our piety. Jesus is at the heart and center of Christianity. "The Good news of Jesus is the good news of God's promises kept (257).

Lutheran Spirituality looks like a companion volume to the popular CPH offering Lutheranism 101 and would function well in that regard. It would also be a great resource to support the LCMS Emphasis for the Church: Witness, Mercy, Life Together (221, et al). The Glossary, like that of The Lutheran Difference, is particularly strong.

Both Lutheran Spirituality and The Lutheran Difference helped me be more clear about what exactly was troubling to me in the fiction of Larry Edwards.

There's a war going on. It's an invisible war; a war between good and evil, waged in a hidden realm. There Satan and his demons wage continual warfare against God and his angels. This unseen struggle affects each one of us. . . for the prize to be won is the hearts and minds of human beings.

Welcome to the realm of angels and demons, where occult forces battle to blind, to oppress, and to possess human beings. Welcome to the Invisible War novels, tales that chronicle the cosmic struggle of demons vs angels from Creation to the end of time-and beyond.

The Invisible War novels trace the struggle between good and evil, God and Satan, from Creation to history's end. Drawing on the Old and New Testaments and the demonology of ancient as well as contemporary civilizations, these novels provide unique insight into to impact angels and demons have had in history, and the impact they have on our lives today.

(series website)

Dr. Richards speaks about the series on YouTube

In brief, here are the names of the six individual volumes with my major concerns about each:

1. Earthbound asserts that there were eons (back cover, 5, 33, 37 et al) of time (and death and evolution) between Satan's fall and the creation of Adam and Eve. This is unacceptable to me on the basis of the clear Hebrew text of Genesis 1-2 and the word for "day." I cannot accept such a rewrite of ancient history, the Fall into sin, and demonology.
2. The Day of the Others "chronicles the in-between years of the Creation account and the Flood" (back cover, et al). One will read about the beginnings of idolatry and false worship (6). I had to take some time off from the series after the gruesome incident on p. 149. The fatal flaw of the book is the plot that demons and humans interbred to give rise to a hybrid Nephilim. Why couldn't the sons of God be believers and the daughters of men be unbelievers (cf. Proverbs)? "Sons of God" are often angels in Scripture, but not always. 
3. The Blind Prophet is a retelling of the Babylonian exile during the time of Daniel and Ezekiel. Zaki, which means "pure" in Arabic, is the name of the main character. It is the strongest of the series so far. It does set the stage for volume four with an interesting take on the prophecy of Daniel and the timing of its fulfillment. The author and I do not share a the same worldview on prophecy, but I can appreciate the moments of realism in this volume.
4. The 68th Week is the best of the series in my opinion. Its weakness is the connection to the rest of the worldview of the series as a whole. The focus is often on Jesus. Satan and Myrdebaal return as major characters. Richards provides suspense in his artful retelling of a harmony of Gospel events. The major "veil" of the retelling is the use of more authentic period names for the human characters. Yeshua is Jesus.
5. Possessed, volume V, jumps to modern times and provides a courtroom drama not unlike Peretti's Piercing the Darkness. Yes, the author is creative and original in many respects, and there is no overt plagiarism, but the situation and its resolution bored me the first time and did so again.
6. The author was personally very gracious and accommodating in providing a pre-publication digital copy of The Third Temple. I'll be honest: I didn't read it word-for-word. Why? It read too much like my least-favorite series, Left Behind, and asserts the need for a Third Temple. The fundamental question for me is this: Is Jesus also the Savior of the Jews, or is there another Covenant for them?  Jesus Christ is our 100% Savior, the One Savior for all humanity (Acts 4:12), our True Man, True God, Prophet, Priest, King, and Temple (John 2). Not all who are genetically part of the people of Israel (Romans 8-11) belong to the new Spiritual Israel of Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2) in Christ Jesus. A Third Temple is a denial of Calvary and  a refutation of the curtain of the temple torn in two. God has not rejected His ancient people (Romans). He has provided them a Messiah in Yeshua. Some of His ancient people rejected Christ Jesus, but not all. A million Jewish Christians were known at the end of the First Century A. D. 

The writing of the series is part Frank Peretti, part Dan Brown, part Lewis (cf. Screwtape), part Bible Scholar.  Richards excels when he creatively tells the Bible story according to its own detail, particularly when he presents Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins. His writing is weakest when non-Biblical or anti-Biblical details become the main plot lines, obscuring God's grace and mercy in salvation history, as well as clouding his presentation of who Jesus is and what He has done for humankind. An overemphasis on "principalities and powers" can be unhealthy. Peretti hasn't been spiritually edifying for me in that regard, either.

Doctrine matters because truth matters (John 17:17, et al). Demons matter because these fallen angels wish us destruction and eternal separation from God.  We are to be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. Spiritual warfare is real. The Devil must be resisted.

I highly recommend Lutheran Spirituality: Life as God's Child  and The Lutheran Difference: An Explanation and Comparison of Christian Beliefs. They are resources for the battle!

We must never forget that Christ, the Lion of Judah, is greater than the roaring lion of 1 Peter 5.

Oremus.

I Thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.

Amen.                                

Luther's Small Catechism

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: Picking a Snapshot to Define Everything

LSB…

 

Feed: Pastoral Meanderings
Posted on: Saturday, June 04, 2011 7:55 AM
Author: noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Peters)
Subject: Picking a Snapshot to Define Everything

 

I have a personal issue with those who put in a picture from a person's young adulthood in an obituary for a person who dies after 7 or 8 decades of life.  We may want to think we are still the same person we were in our 20s but when we look in the mirror we see that we are not. I have the same problem when people pick a particular point in the liturgical development of the Church as the high point and say everything has to fit that snap shot.  Some choose TLH and 1941 as the apex of liturgical development of Lutherans (in the Missouri Synod, anyway).  Others might pick another time.  Some are romantic about the early church era as the pristine state of liturgical development.  A few are medievalists.  Rome and St. Louis are both in a war over which date to pick for the best liturgy -- Rome has Novus Ordo but many long for Trent; St. Louis has LSB but many long for TLH (or Walther's Agenda or Loehe's Agenda). I am not one to disdain the shape of Divine Service Settings I and II while at the same time I do appreciate Setting III.  I do not think that any one moment in our history should be used to define all the boundaries -- now this does not mean we are all free to do whatever weird thing a Lutheran has done at some point or another.  Those who regularly read this blog know already know that.  What I am saying is that rigid uniformity is not and has never been the liturgical law of Lutheranism.  Neither has the radical diversity of today.  Rather, wherever you go on Sunday morning, Lutherans have tended to look and sound pretty much the same within certain parameters.  It is just as valid to speak the liturgy with few ceremonies like we do at a week day Eucharist as it is to chant, to have many acolytes and assisting ministers, liturgical choir, processions, etc., as we do on Sunday morning.  But if you attended both, you would immediately see the family resemblance.  This is what I long for -- diversity shaped by the local situation and not by personal preference yet shaped within the recognizable family tree of Lutheran liturgical identity. We have folks who complain about the few extra liturgical additions and call them innovations (when they are hardly new even to Lutherans) and place these upon the same plain as those who have ditched every liturgical identity common to Lutherans at any point in their history.  While I respect their right to an opinion, I think that such equivalence is not accurate nor fair.  We hardly face a threat from those who go beyond the Lutheran Service Book hymnal but we do face a serious threat for those who refuse to be shaped by this book.  I do not think that LSB needs to be enforced as the only portrait of Sunday morning among LCMS parishes but it should be the minimum.  For those who want to reach back into 16th and 17th century Lutheran liturgical practice for additional things not in LSB, I think that our liturgical flexibility should allow this.  The reality is that this time period in Lutheran history was a whole lot more liturgical than even LSB reflects. So there you have it... I am passionate about the liturgy and about liturgical practice consistent with our Lutheran Confession and yet flexible enough to allow much room to shape the elaborateness of that liturgical form to flourish consistent with our Confession while at the same time insisting the at minimum LSB should be the norm for those who have gone down another path of non-denominational contemporary worship forms...

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FW: Singing is the Main Thing

Johnson…

 

Feed: Fine Tuning
Posted on: Friday, June 03, 2011 8:08 PM
Author: Stephen R. Johnson
Subject: Singing is the Main Thing

 

My daughters attend a small parochial school. On the first Friday of every month they have a Mass. Today, one of my younger daughter's class "hosted" the Mass. This means the the kiddies do some readings and help with the prayers, and then hold a little reception in their classroom for the parents who attend. You all are probably familiar with this practice. The hymnody was typical Catholic fare. "Here I Am Lord," "One Bread, One Body," "Lord of the Dance." This post is not going to critique these pieces. The purpose of my post here is to note the very strong singing in the Mass -- by ALL those in attendance -- students and parents alike. Very strong singing. But here's the catch. The singing was done a cappella! No instrumental accompaniment (unless you count the kid playing melody only on a keyboard). Now, I found this rather notable. Roman Catholic congregations are not exactly renowned for their singing in the first place, but these folks really did sing, and without instruments to boot. I looked around and noticed the participation of the adults with whom I was sitting. Parents of students and many rather elderly people who just decided to attend this Mass. There was a small group of students in the back of the church that were taught the songs and sang as a sort of "choir" as well. In previous years, there was a teacher who played the guitar for these Masses. He is no longer at this school. So, here are my observations: 1. After the guitar playing teacher left, I was told by the singer who prepares the choir that the singing was at first a little tentative, but soon improved. 2. This shows that congregations can indeed adapt to a cappella singing, but it requires some getting used to and some stronger, more prepared singers guiding them. 3. This shows that instrumental accompaniment, where very pleasant and often glorious, is by no means a necessity and we should not elevate the use of any instrument in the service (e.g. the organ)as utterly indispensable. 4. Do we really need electronic resources (without a real live person playing) to "help" the congregational singing? Or can we rely on our own live flesh and blood parishioners to guide the singing for the congregation by simply singing themselves? 5. Some congregations may have to sing without any instruments, if they do not have anyone to play them. Or they may have to use a flute/trumpet/violin to play the melody, much like the student who plunked it out on the piano this morning. But, if our congregations can do it the way this little Catholic school did, with the lovely voices of the whole congregation singing so nicely, I'd consider it a great success. The Lutheran Church has always been known as the singing church. We should not shirk in our attempts to continue to be just that even when the instruments we tend to treasure are not available to us. Just sing. That is the main thing!

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FW: The Course is Coming

L101…

 

Feed: Lutheranism 101
Posted on: Friday, June 03, 2011 12:08 PM
Author: LauraL
Subject: The Course is Coming

 

Have you seen some "Under Construction" pages on our site? We're getting ready for some great new resources! When things are final, we'll share all the exciting information. Until then, here's a little teaser for you:

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FW: A Second-Rate Church?

Pieper…

 

Feed: Gnesio
Posted on: Friday, June 03, 2011 4:51 PM
Author: Gnesio
Subject: A Second-Rate Church?

 

…within the Lutheran Church one meets people who, although they still belong to it, nevertheless look upon their Church as a kind of second rate Church, because they have a great respect for the outward prestige of the sectarian churches. The Lutherans in the General Synod, and in part, also those in the Council, consider themselves honored when they are treated by sectarian churches as a "denomination" of equal rank. Whether the sects recognize us or not, we should not think of ourselves as a second rate Church, nor allow ourselves to be pushed into a corner as outcasts who must first apologize for taking the liberty of existing alongside of sectarian church bodies. We should and must remain conscious of this — for God desires it of us —, that we alone, as the orthodox Church, have an express charter from God for our existence. The sectarian church bodies exist only by God's permission. Therefore, our whole heart should belong to our orthodox Church. We should be glad to belong to it as a member, even under the most humble outward conditions; gladly serve it as preachers and teachers, and, with joyful spirit and restless zeal, work for its extension. We should most earnestly strive, and daily pray, that our descendants may be the heirs of the Church of the Reformation. Luther confesses of himself, and of the whole church body named after him: "No man can deny this, that we have the ministry and God's Word pure and rich, that we use and teach it diligently, without any addition of our own new human doctrine, just as Christ commanded, and as the Apostles and all Christendom have done. We invent nothing new but rather hold to and remain with the old Word of God, as the old Church had it. Therefore, with it we are the true old Church, a one-of-the-same-kind Church, which teaches and believes the one Word of God. Therefore the papists again blaspheme Christ Himself, the Apostles, and all Christendom, when they call us Modernists and heretics. For they find nothing about us except only the same old things of the Ancient Church, and that we are like it and one Church with it." (Against Hans Wurst, 1541. E.A. 26,14.) Luther states further: "The impurity of doctrine which is not God's Word, or is without it, is such a poisonous evil thing that even if St. Peter, yes, an angel from heaven would preach it, it would still be accursed, Gal. 1:8. Therefore false teachers and Anabaptists or fake masters of the Sacraments cannot be or remain in the Church, as Psalm I says, for they not only undermine the life, which the Church must bear, especially where this goes on under cover, but also the doctrine is undermined, which must openly be bright and shine, so that the life can be regulated according to it." (E.A. 26,37.) from Franz Pieper, 'The Distinction Between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches'

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