FW: [Sturm] Creating Wikipedia Books

 

From Sturm…   Sent: Friday, October 28, 2011 10:14 AM To: Tech-Geeks Mailing List Subject: [Sturm] Creating Wikipedia Books     I realize that Wikipedia isn't highly esteemed as an infallible resource, but there are instances where the content can be helpful or provide leads. Anyway, I came across this option which I hadn't known about: merge and download Wikipedia articles or create a Wikipedia book which can be "published" http://goo.gl/T12Hk OR http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Book&bookcmd=rendering&return_to=FreeCell+%28Windows%29&collection_id=9607d956513c1c7e&writer=rl The goal of education is a wise and eloquent piety. Subscribe:  Sturm-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  Unsubscribe:  Sturm-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

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FW: Theological Dialogue with Other Christian Church Bodies

 

WMLT…   Feed: Witness, Mercy, Life Together. Posted on: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 5:23 AM Author: Al Collver Subject: Theological Dialogue with Other Christian Church Bodies   In light of the third installment of dialogue between the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), October 27–28, which focuses on "Contemporary Issues Facing the Church in North America," it is good to consider the new document produced by CTCR staff titled, "Theological Dialogue with Other Christian Church Bodies." The document explores why it is good to engage in theological discussion with other church bodies, even if immediate fellowship is not foreseen. President Harrison requested the CTCR staff to study whether it is permissible and beneficial for the LCMS to engage in such discussions with other Christians. The result is the document below. – Rev. Albert B. Collver, Director of Church Relations Theological Dialogue With Other Christian Church Bodies-Adopted 09-17-11 View article...

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FW: The Benefit of Reading Multiple Bible Versions

 

….Including Hebrew and Greek…   Feed: School of the Solitary Place Posted on: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 7:18 PM Author: Walter Hampel Subject: The Benefit of Reading Multiple Bible Versions   During my seminary days back in the 1990s, one of the classes I was required to take was Biblical Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is a word we usually don't use in everyday conversation. Perhaps the class title should have been what the original class name really means...Biblical Interpretation.   The professor who taught the class was a man named Haskell Stone. He had been a Christian for many decades. I'm thankful for not only his academic knowledge of guidelines for correctly interpreting the Bible but also what he could teach us in the class based on his experience as a believer in Christ.   The one piece of counsel he gave us that has stuck with me over these years has been that we should systematically, over time, read through different translations of the Bible. Professor Stone remarked that the slight differences in the way in which a translation renders certain words and phrases could give us a broader understanding of what the Bible means in a given passage. I have taken up the challenge. Over the years, I have read through the Bible in the King James Version, New International Version and the New American Standard Bible translation. During this year, I have been reading through the English Standard Version.   Following through on Professor Stone's advice to us has really been a blessing. There are variations in these four translations which in many passages provide a depth of meaning of which I would not be aware had I not read that passage in a different translation. These variations can happen for a number of reasons.   One of those reasons happens to be the method in which a translation was made. Of the four translations which I have read, the King James version is probably the most literal translation (i.e. word for word) among the four. The New American Standard and the English Standard Version are also translated more literally, but in contemporary English and not the English of 400 years ago. The New International Version is translated as a "dynamic equivalence" work. This means that a priority is given to translating the Bible in an "idea for idea" method.   Sometimes, there are variations in the way that one biblical manuscript will read from another. These "textual variants" can occur for a number of reasons (which I may explore in this blog at another time). The overwhelming number of variations occurred due to a difference in spelling or simply repeating a word when visually copying a manuscript by hand. However, some variations reflect what a scribe may have thought a word meant rather than the word itself. One example can be found in Jude 1:5. In most of the translations I have read, there is a reference to the Lord saving a people out of Egypt. However, in reading the English Standard Version, the manuscripts from which it was translated used the word "Jesus" and not "Lord". That really grabbed my attention. Really early in church history, some scribe correctly understood that while God saved His people out of Egypt, since Jesus is God, Jesus saved His people out of Egypt.   In reading the Bible, one big help can be reading a translation with cross-references and a list of the textual variants all in one place. In 1 Peter 2:24, we read: "and He Himself (Christ) bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." The versions of the New American Standard have those cross-references and alternate readings. In some manuscripts, the word "cross" is replaced with "wood." When I discovered this, the meaning of this verse took on a deeper signifance for me. Jesus was placed upon the wood of the cross. However, to read this passage as Jesus was laid on the wood, the imagery of the burnt offerings referred to in the Old Testament really comes out. Jesus being laid on the wood reminds us that of all the Old Testament burnt sacrifices which needed to be done over and over again, Jesus performed one sacrifice perfectly (once for all according to the book of Hebrews).   There are many other examples which I can raise. First, let me encourage you to read the Bible, in its entireity from Genesis to Revelation. Once you have read through the entireity of a translation of the Bible, please consider doing another full reading in another translation. You will be presented with a deeper sense of what God is telling you in the text. It is worth the effort. View article...

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Resources Received

 

Page CXVI. Hymns IV. Gilbert, AZ: Page CXVI, 2011. mp3 audio download. $9.99. http://pagecxvi.com/ (H)

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Hymnody Resurgent: Arizona

Page CXVI. Hymns. Gilbert, AZ: Page CXVI, 2009. mp3 audio download. $6.99. http://pagecxvi.com/ (H)

Page CXVI. Hymns II. Gilbert, AZ: Page CXVI, 2010. mp3 audio download. $6.99. http://pagecxvi.com/ (H)

Page CXVI. Hymns III. Gilbert, AZ: Page CXVI, 2010. mp3 audio download. $6.99. http://pagecxvi.com/ (H) 

Hymns are being rediscovered in American churches. This is a good thing!

Why the name Page CXVI?

The name comes from a reference to page 116 in our copy of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. It is a poignant passage where Aslan begins to sing Narnia into creation out of a black void.

It starts, “In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction is was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.”
~ C.S. Lewis (publisher's website)

This review focuses on the first three albums by Page CXVI. As you can see, a fourth is one the way.


Hymns receive a similar treatment than that of David Potter and Man of Sorrows Glorious King.

You may remember that this Hymns Resurgent series of hymnody reviews celebrates the return of hymnody in Christian circles where praise songs have dominated for decades. 


An illustration of a fresh treatment of an old favorite is the lead track on the first album. "Come, Thou Fount," with its KJV language meets piano, female vocals, guitar, and drum set. Just when I was wondering if the drum beat would remain monotonous, it varies and even fades away.

"In Christ Alone" gets an unique Page CXVI treatment. This is more of a pop/rock setting with a driving beat in the later stanzas, leading in to a powerful treatment of "My Jesus I Love Thee" that I would consider more "road trip music" than for the sanctuary.

"Nothing But the Blood" (I, 5) appears to be a staple hymn in the repertoire of groups reviving and refreshing hymnody. The focus remains on Christ and His sacrificial atonement. I would love to hear new stanzas that concretely locate the delivery of forgiveness in the Lord's Supper. It would be a natural context to sing this resurgent hymn. 


"Solid Rock" and a pensive setting of "Joy" close the first album, with dissonance, tempo, and setting that confess the joy of Christ in the midst of life.


The second album kicks off with a very different tune (original to the band?) for "How Great Thou Art." It is singable, if not memorable, but supports the text and helps the singer/listener hear the text in a fresh way.

"Praise to the Lord" is a great arrangement of a well-loved hymn. Percussion is lively and appropriate. I'd love to hear the "unplugged" version.


I was unfamiliar with "Jesus I Am Resting, Resting." This arrangement is lively, uplifting, and encouraging. It sounds new, though it isn't.


"Rock of Ages" is given some different rhythms and occasional melody alterations (blue notes?). The piano chord progressions could have sufficed as a percussive accompaniment. "Abide with Me" gets a similar musical treatment and a slight ethereal echo.

The Church Militant is evident in "Battle Hymn of The Republic." As judges on TV singing shows say, the band "made it their own."


"Doxology" is a new spin on the classic text. It is a free melody that has melodic echos of the traditional tune. An appropriate finish.




Hymns III begins with "Be Still My Soul," "Be Thou My Vision," and "In the Sweet By and By." The tension of the first stanza of the first track resolves with soulful trumpet. Angelic vocals introduce the familiar Irish tune of the second track. The by and by of track three is supplemented with creative guitar chord progressions and a fresh take on the stanzas. All are hopeful and optimistic in feel.


A free melodic interpretation of "Holy, Holy, Holy" leads into a joyous and uplifting recording of "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,"  reminiscent of Michelle Tumes.


The closing tracks, "You Have Redeemed My Soul"  and "Divine Invitation" were new to this listener. Soaring vocals and inspiring melodies wrap up album three.

I am impressed by the hymn selections of Page CXVI evidenced by their first three albums. The hymn texts are rich in confession of the person and work of Christ. And they, as the song of the saints of generations now at rest in Christ, still confess the faith once delivered to all saints.

Hymnody is resurgent again. Good Christian hymns are filled with the comfort of the Gospel, solid Bible teaching, and are sung creativity. 

I wouldn't mind hearing Page CXVI until they release Hymns VI, Hymns XVI, and even Hymns CXVI. In the meantime, I'll ask for a review copy of Hymns IV.

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: Rev. Dr. C.F.W. Walther Bicentennial (1811 – 2011)

 

Walther…   Feed: Gnesio Posted on: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 7:19 AM Author: Gnesio Subject: Rev. Dr. C.F.W. Walther Bicentennial (1811 – 2011)   Celebrate, study and discover the ministry and the legacy of the Rev. Dr. C.F.W. Walther, the first president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), during the Walther Bicentennial. Many LCMS entities and congregations will recognize the bicentennial of Walther's birth with special events, activities and resources starting in 2011 and extending through the 125th anniversary of his death in 2012. Walther joined the Saxon Germans who immigrated to the United States in 1839 (the date of arrival), and at the age of 27 found himself leader of the group that settled in Perry County, Missouri. In 1847, Walther played a key role in the founding of the LCMS, which now ranks as one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States with more than 2.3 million baptized members in some 6,200 congregations and more than 9,000 pastors. Find out more about Walther, "The Father of the Missouri Synod," and his lasting leadership. Join the celebration. http://www.lcms.org/walther200 See also: LCMS Bicentennial Lectures Walther on Communion Fellowship Submit a Research Paper on CFW Walther A Letter from the President of the LCMS View article...

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FW: Thanksgiving for Light I

 

Oremus…   Feed: Stand Firm Posted on: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 4:00 AM Author: Scott Diekmann Subject: Thanksgiving for Light I   We praise and thank you, O God, for you are without beginning and without end. Through Christ you are the creator and preserver of the whole world; but above all, you are his God and Father, the giver of the Spirit, and the ruler of all that is, seen and unseen. You made the day for the works of light and the night for the refreshment of our weakness. O loving Lord and source of all that is good, mercifully accept our evening sacrifice of praise. As you have conducted us through the day and brought us to night's beginning, keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening and a night free from sin; and at the end bring us to everlasting life through Christ, our Lord. Through him we offer glory, honor, and worship to you in the Holy Spirit now and always and forever and ever. Amen From LW, p. 291 photo credit: Stuck in Customs View article...

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FW: Wii Pray?

 

Video game humor…   Feed: Sentire Cum Ecclesia Posted on: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 4:53 AM Author: Schütz Subject: Wii Pray?   Tonight we set up Mia's new "Wii" machine on the telly. She has been saving for it herself, and has finally reached the required figure thanks to birthday gifts towards her efforts. So we all had a bit of fun designing the "Mii's" before it was time for prayers, stories and bed. One of the girls made the comment that "we should have a prayers program for the Wii". "I wonder if there is such a thing," I said, having no idea if the Americans had not come up with just that. So I googled "Wii Prayers" to see what came up and hit this. It is, of course, a hoax, but we did have a bit of a giggle! PRAYER WORKS INTERACTIVE LAUNCHES MASS: WE PRAY. NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY TO WORSHIP THE LORD. Boston, Mass., November 17, 2009 – Prayer Works Interactive is pleased to announce the launch of Mass: We Pray, a revolutionary videogame that allows families to go to church every day from the comfort of their own home. After all, a family shouldn't have to wait until Sunday to worship the Lord. Mass: We Pray is the first of many worship-themed games in development for Prayer Works Interactive. Just like with any videogame, families can use a television as a monitor to play. Then, they can use the CROSS, a proprietary, wireless, cross-shaped controller to participate in 24 unique and exhilarating rituals. Make the Sign of the Cross, sprinkle Holy Water, take Collection and even give Holy Communion. Every motion and nuance of a blessing or ritual is detected in three dimensions and replicated on-screen. As they play, gamers collect Grace points. Then they can trade them in to unlock the Holy Mysteries. It's entertaining, educational and enlightening. To get off the couch and into the action, add the KNEELER, a pressure-sensitive accessory that allows gamers to kneel or genuflect just as they would in Church. To extend the experience even further, download the Seven Sacraments and Holy Rituals Expansion Pack featuring: Ash Wednesday, Confession, Holy Procession, Transubstantiation and much, much more. According to the founders of Prayer Works Interactive, "Families shouldn't be scared of videogames. Just like television and radio before that, it's not the medium that's dangerous; it's how you use it. Mass: We Pray is proof that videogames can be used to spread the Good Word." Don't miss this revolutionary launch, coming Easter 2010. Visit masswepray.com for more information. With Mass: We Pray, you can bring your family closer. To Heaven. About Prayer Works Interactive Prayer Works Interactive is a new game-development company founded in Boston in 2007. We believe there is a lack of quality games based upon traditional family values. Our mission is to fill that void by creating engaging, top-quality games that entertain, inspire and bring families closer to the Lord. Our first game is Mass: We Pray, but look for many more in the months to come.   View article...

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FW: How The Gospel Saved My Life

 

Moe Tchividjian…   Feed: Tullian Tchividjian Posted on: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 5:41 AM Author: Tullian Tchividjian Subject: How The Gospel Saved My Life   A couple months ago Drew Dyck, managing editor of Leadership Journal, came to Ft. Lauderdale to interview me about the 2009 merger of New City Church (the church I planted in 2003) and Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. As has been well documented, it was an incredibly painful and tumultuous year. It was the year that God brought me to the end of myself, broke my legs, and taught me grace. It was the year that the gospel saved me 18 years after I became a Christian. The whole story of how I discovered the practical power and punch of the gospel during that agonizing year is the subject of my new book Jesus + Nothing = Everything. The book is an autobiographical record highlighting how God helped me rediscover the now-power of the gospel in the crucible of excruciating pain. In the latest issue of Leadership Journal, Drew captured the heart of what happened that  year in an interview he did with me entitled War and Peace, and he highlights how I survived a leadership coup by finding rest in the liberating power of the gospel. Here's an excerpt: I was realizing in a fresh way the now-power of the gospel—that the gospel doesn't simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues us in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance. Through my pain, I was being convinced all over again that the power of the gospel is just as necessary and relevant after you become a Christian as it is before. When that biblical reality gripped my heart, I was free like I had never felt before in my life. It gives you the backbone to walk into a room full of church leaders and say "this is what we're going to do and this is why we're going to do it, even if it gets me thrown into the street." There is a fresh, sanctified I-don't-care-ness that accompanies belief in the gospel. Whether you like me or not doesn't matter, because my worth and my dignity and my identity are anchored in God's approval. Christ won all of the approval and acceptance I need. You can read the whole thing here. I really, really hope and pray that this story will be an encouragement to struggling and discouraged pastors. I know that many of your stories are worse than mine. It doesn't seem fair to me that just because I come from a well-known family and inherited a well-known church, that my story gets told and yours doesn't. But I've talked with many of you over the last two years and your stories have encouraged me tremendously. God knows how deeply grateful I am for all of you pastors who are feeling empty and all by yourself. Brothers, I am with you–side by side; back to back. View article...

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LHP Review: Luther

Luther, Martin. Edited and translated by Holger Sonntag. Solus Decalogus Est Aeternus: Martin Luther's Complete Antinomian Theses and Disputations. Minneapolis: Cygnus Series/Lutheran Press, 2008. 409 Pages. Paper. $15.50. www.lutheranpress.com (LHP)

Luther, Martin. Translated by Holger Sonntag. Edited and Arranged by Paul Strawn. Christians Can Be Soldiers: From Martin Luther's Whether Soldiers Too Can Be in a Holy Estate. Minneapolis: Lutheran Press, 2010. 123 Pages. Paper. $6.00.  www.lutheranpress.com (LHP)

Luther, Martin. Translated by Holger Sonntag. Adapted by Paul Strawn. Convicted by the Spirit: From Martin Luther's Postil 235 - John 16:8-13). Minneapolis: Lutheran Press, 2009. 105 Pages. Paper. $.6.00. www.lutheranpress.com (LHP)

Luther, Martin. Edited by Christopher Boyd Brown. Sermons V (Luther's Works, Volume 58.) St. Louis: Concordia, 2010. 489 Pages. Cloth. $49.99. http://www.cph.org (LHP)

I've said it once and I'll say it again: Christians need to read more Luther. And not just in time for Reformation Day. Sit down with him at least once a week. And graduate from the one Table Talk Volume. Read his exegetical and theological works. And then, challenge yourself.

Pick up Solus Decalogus Est Aeternus. 

The title is intimidating because it is in Latin. 

And because Luther uses formal logic and great rhetoric inside. 

If you don't know Latin, buy the English-only edition.

I appreciated this volume for two main reasons.

1. It is a perfect piece of homework for the Headmaster of a Classical Lutheran school. For the last two years, I've taught an Introductory Logic class for middle school children (beyond the offerings of our K-5 grammar school) and their parents, grandparents, as well as our grammar school teachers. We also include Latin in the curriculum and are preparing to teach Intermediate Logic, Aristotle, Rhetoric, Apologetics, and Worldview. Luther is perfect reading for this kind of background and to prepare to teach and lead this kind of classical education.
2. I love the content. This is a translation of all of Luther's antinomian theses, not just the ones formally presented in public disputation. (See below)

This is not a critical edition, but it is a bilingual Latin-English edition. This edition's title, "Only the Decalogue Is Eternal," comes from page 128, the 34th argument of the first disputation (7).

Why the Antinomian disputations? Why now? Whether it is the disappearance of the last generation of native-German speaking Americans, a residual post-World War II anti-German bias, or simply neglect, the theology of Luther that made its way out of the 16th century seems to have devolved, at least in the United States, into simple caricature. If known at all, Lutheran theology seems simply to be that which bolsters or buttresses contemporary theological concepts, ideas and trends...By bringing an unknown work of Luther to light, once again the reader is forced to consider the greater question of his theology in toto.


This 416 page side-by-side Latin/English work presents Luther's Antinomian Theses and Disputations for the very first time in English, and is a must-have for anyone interested in Lutheran theology. (Publisher's website)

Many today are unfamiliar with the logic-heavy and theologically demanding exercise of disputations as a way to do theology. How does one deal with false/ambiguous/unclear teachings in the church? This is one way. Motive and method are important (205, 277). Luther himself took on Agricola's teachings on the law of God. He did it in several rounds. Agricola recanted, and Luther accepted this recantation, suspicions remained (15).

The experience of reading all the theses and disputations in one volume is a very positive one. It has aided my preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and understanding of Walther's Law and Gospel.

I look forward to more in this elegant, substantial, and unique Cygnus Series (Latin for swan) imprint of Lutheran Press in addition to their two volume biography of Matthias Flacius and new offerings in their popular Luther series.

Christians Can Be Soldiers is one of two examples of Lutheran Press' popular series of the works of Luther.

It generally is not difficult to understand how a Christian can serve in the military compulsorily during a conflict in which life, family, property and even a nation itself is at stake; when right and wrong are easy to determine, when an enemy combatant is easily identifiable and a desired outcome clearly desirable and achievable. In such a situation the specific acts of individual soldiers, although troubling, and in any other context, unacceptable, are accepted and indeed, understood as necessary. But what about when the greater contours of war are not as clear? When military service is not compulsory, but voluntary? When combatants are difficult to identify? When the validity of individual acts of soldiers is routinely questioned by those outside of the military? Can a Christian serve in such a situation? Martin Luther answers this question with a sure and confident "Yes!" How? By explaining what a soldier actually is in the eyes of God and what therefore a soldier is to do. Luther even includes a prayer written specifically for soldiers before they enter combat.


Formatted into 15 simple chapters along with study questions, this 128 page book is perfect for personal devotion or Bible study. (Publisher's website)

And that's how I've personally used this volume. It was good reading to prepare to give pastoral care to returning veterans and retired military. It was a supplemental volume to a 2011 midweek Bible Class on Islam through Christian eyes. And it is as relevant as when it was first published. 

Sonntag's translation gives Luther an appropriately conversational and earthy tone. Editor Paul Strawn's study questions are properly insightful and Socratic in that they allow the reader/class to make the mental connections and the joyful discovery of what Luther says from God's own Word about war and those who have the vocation for it.

Convicted by the Spirit is a second volume in series of popular versions of Luther's Works. 

A commentary on John 16:8-13, readers will learn:

• The sin of the world is that it does not believe in Christ (32).
• Once you have this [Christ's] righteousness, then go ahead and do as many good works as you can (63).
• The world's prince and his followers are in condemnation already (76)

In today’s massive field of popular Christian literature it is common to find books about the End Times, about the Holy Spirit, and about Christ. Yet rarely are books found that deal with all three subjects at one time. As Martin Luther demonstrates in this work, all three topics do indeed belong together. In these End Times, the Christian remains in Christ by the working of the Holy Spirit. But what is that working? Is it in various types of manifestations which are interpreted to be fundamental faith-growing and faith-nurturing events? Is it in giving insight to individual Christians directly so that those around them can benefit from knowledge not to be found in the Bible? Is it in the creation of a specific emotion which is understood to be faith itself? By treating passages from John 16, Jesus’ last words to his disciples before his crucifixion, Luther demonstrates that the work of the Holy Spirit is much more all-encompassing in the life of the Christian. Specifically, the work of the Spirit is to convict the Christian of his sin, his righteousness in Christ, and the judgment of Satan. Far from being simplistic ideas of salvation history, however, Luther demonstrates that the continual conviction of the veracity of all three is fundamental to the life of the Christian in the here and now.


Formatted into 16 simple chapters along with study questions, this 112 page book is perfect for personal devotion or Bible study. (Publishers website)

Accessible for the modern reader, Strawn and Sonntag have developed a translating, editing, and formatting process that works (105). And I want more for the sake of the Gospel!

Electronic versions are available on the Lutheran Press website. Personally, I prefer the neat paperbacks to purchase and give away.

I've taken to reading Luther more closely in Lent. The new volume of sermons (Sermons V) in the Twenty-first Century expansion of the American Edition of Luther's Works was ideal Lenten reading for me.

This volume contains a selection of Luther’s preaching from between January 1539 and his death in 1546. Aware of his own mortality and deeply committed to the proclamation of the Gospel in the last days of the world, Luther preached during these years with a special sense of urgency, seeking to make a final confession and testament of his teaching and to issue a public rejection of its opponents. In that effort, he returned frequently to theological themes from the early years of his public career and to autobiographical reflection, working to convey the significance of the Reformation to a new generation ignorant of the circumstances that had called for reform, who had experienced “nothing of these distresses and heartbreak under the pope and what a joyful thing the Gospel is.”

The recent expansion of the Reformation to previously hostile territories and cities provided Luther, despite his health, with opportunities to travel and to preach to newly Evangelical communities, expounding the basic elements of his theology. In these sermons, Luther emphasized catechesis in the heart of the Gospel as he understood it, but he was also concerned with warning against a return to old abuses and with encouraging the new organization and support of Evangelical clergy and schools to ensure the survival of the Reformation.

In his ongoing preaching in Wittenberg itself, Luther was intensely concerned with the life and welfare of the congregation with whose life he had been most intimately involved. In addition to preaching on the broader theological conflicts with which he dealt in his published treatises, Luther dealt with local tensions—which culminated in his own brief, self-imposed “exile” from Wittenberg in the summer of 1545. He defended his own role within and responsibility for the Wittenberg church and dealt concretely with the Antinomians’ rejection of the Law for Christians by assiduously preaching both the Law and the Gospel to the congregation. When, as it often did, the life of the Wittenbergers seemed to fall short in both good works and faithful devotion, Luther could be uncompromising and unrestrained in his admonitions, whether in denouncing the university jurists who sought to reimpose the standards of papal canon law or in rebuking the Wittenbergers for immorality and, especially, for their greed.

Nevertheless, even Luther’s most bitter complaints about Evangelical congregations do not suggest that the old reformer had fallen into despair. His admonitions to faithful hearing of the Word and amendment of life appear alongside his confident declarations that, in fact, the Gospel was being faithfully taught. Luther boasted that the Gospel was being preached and proclaimed, not only in the churches by faithful pastors, not only in the schools, but also in homes, among parents and children, as he says in his last sermon: “You hear [God’s Word] at home in your house, father and mother and children sing and speak of it, the preacher speaks of it in the parish church.” The Gospel is thus communicated from one generation to the next, from parents to children—and also back again, from children to parents. It is to the children, learning the Catechism, that Luther refers adults who have questions about Christian faith, and upon the youth, “the seedlings with which the Church of God, like a beautiful garden, is cultivated and propagated,” that the reformer continues to place undiminished hopes. These sermons thus bear witness to Luther’s understanding that the Reformation is neither an accomplished, once-for-all event nor a step along the progressive way to the full purification of the Church, but a continual struggle, carried out through the preaching of the Law and the Gospel, to be renewed from generation to generation until the Last Day. (Publisher's website)

Volume 58 is an ideal supplement to the four widely-available volumes of Luther's Church Postils translated/edited by John Nicholas Lenker.

One will hear echoes of Luther's Catechisms in these sermons (xviii). He comments on theological current events like his ongoing disputations with antinomians (16) and criticism of such preachers (234) or the discussion of "the analogy of faith" (215). And the editors walk the modern reader through Luther's views of the Jews (407, 458), largely a result of frustration of a continued rejection of the Gospel. His sermon of February 2, 1546 on Luke 2:22-32 touches on Jesus' Jewish heritage, the virginity of Mary (433), and a warning against Christian pride over and against the Jews (440). I hear repentance for Luther's previous harshness, but the very fact that Luther calls for conversion of Jews to Christianity will be seen by modern Judaism as antisemitic anyway.


Luther

• extols marriage (27)
• condemns clandestine engagements (82)
• tells of his father's words to him on becoming a monk (86) and true godly vocations (201)
• finally tells us who Hans Pfriem is (100)
• holds communicants to the Words of Christ (110, 448) and the sacraments (116)
• speaks of Islamic militarism (139, 298) and Mohammed's theological confusion (193)
• teaches logic in Latin (149)
• frankly describes sin (156)
• talks of a Roman Church, not Roman Catholic (218)
• preaches at a site of Tetzel's preaching of indulgences for its rededication (259)
• rejects human/demon hybrids (292ff)
• recalls his trip to Rome (333, 372)
• modified the lectionary for local use (387)
• clarifies childbirth and "the churching of women" (431)
• condemns schisms and false doctrine (457)

Luther advocates for the more frequent singing of "Blessed Be the Lord," the Benedictus, a canticle for Matins/Morning Prayer (302).  Our school sings the Benedictus at Wednesday Morning Prayer each week and in Advent and Lent when we pray Matins on Mondays.

Educators will be encouraged to hear:

Nothing whatsoever will help us except to pay serious attention to God's Word with all diligence to help preserve it for ourselves and for our descendants, especially by maintaining good schools and educating the youth, for they are the seedlings with which the Church of God, like a beautiful garden, is cultivated and propagated (262 and 279, as also quoted above).

Look for this and other volumes of Luther's Works for LOGOS and other electronic formats as well.

Lutheran Christians know that reading Luther is good for them for he preaches the Word and points us to Christ. These five volumes will edify you and those whom you serve. I pray that this review will encourage you in why they are good so that Luther may be a continued blessing to the Lord's Church.

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 Resurgent: Nebraska

Potter, David. Man of Sorrows Glorious King. 2010. Omaha: David Potter, 2010. mp3 audio download. $12.00.http://davidpotter.bandcamp.com/album/man-of-sorrows-glorious-king (H)

The Church's hymnody is being rediscovered and reinterpreted around the country. This review of Man of Sorrows Glorious King is one of a series of reviews that focus on this resurgence of hymnody.

It is my assertion that this trend is a good thing. 

And here's how I think it is happening.

The generation of children raised in megachurches is coming of age. They tire of worship trappings of their Baby Boomer parents (like the boomers tired of traditional Christian worship in the 1960's, give or take a decade).

Then what? They look for something older, something more constant, more sure. So I see various artists, groups, and congregations look at the oldest worship books in their particular tradition for theological depth. And they seem to be finding it in hymns.

As a Lutheran Christian, I can watch what is going on with some detachment. I find it curious that "contemporary worship," a generational reaction against the shallowness of revivalistic (and revival-era hymns and worship practices) emerged in Lutheranism. Lutherans have tried to preserve the best Christian song of every time and place, sung in the context of the historic western Divine Service, itself the heir of the synagogue and home worship of Judaism in the context of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, the Prophet, Priest, King, and true Temple. In retrospect, it seems silly (at best) to abandon the song of the saints for the fad of one generation's song and style. In fact, I think the rise of CCM in the LCMS is due to the difficulties many in our Synod had with the revised version of Lutheran Book of Worship published by the LCMS in 1982, Lutheran Worship. I'll leave it to my generation and the children of the Baby Boomers to grow up out of their parents' preferences. So far, the future looks promising with over 80% of our congregations using Lutheran Service Book (2006).

I could go on, but David Potter's album deserves the rest of our attention for now.

I thought I was well-acquainted with hymnody of most Christian traditions, but I have been humbled by this "hymnody resurgent" trend. 


I thought "Man of Sorrows Glorious King" was a new composition by Potter until I found it in older hymnal. This Philip Bliss text and tune could be used by liturgical Christians in Lent if the closing phrase, "Hallelujah, what a Savior" had a seasonal substitute: "Lord, have mercy, what a Savior."


Hymns on this recording are accompanied by the typical modern pop/rock ensemble of keyboard, voice, guitar(s), and drum set. I don't find the drum set or distorted guitar reverent for Divine Service or Divine Office on the Lord's Day, but I need to realize what these other artists, congregations and traditions have become accustomed to on Sunday mornings at worship over the last 50 years. This is definitely a step forward. 


Listeners will hear more familiar hymns like "All Creatures of Our God and King," Rock of Ages," "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus," There Is a Fountain," Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah," and Be Thou My Vision" alongside "You Are the One" and "The Greatness of His Mercy." The album concludes with acoustic arrangements of "Man of Sorrows," "You Are the One," and "The Greatness of His Mercy." I am more worshipful with those versions because I find natural sounds (even if amplified for clarity of communication) more appropriate than artificial ones (and that includes electronic organs, too). 


David Potter's album is representative of hymnody resurgent. He reinterprets hymns from his own Christian tradition by changing the instrumentation, harmonies, arrangments, and often the melody to communicate and worship with a new generation of Christians seeking something of substance in theology and praise.

Hymnody resurgent borrows some techniques from historic Christian worship and so-called contemporary worship, as does the modern hymnody of Keith Getty and Stuart Townend et al. One will hear musical interludes in-between hymn stanzas (like traditional Lutheran organ playing). One will also note new or altered melodies (not unlike tone painting to emphasize texual phrases or entire hymn stanzas) and the addition of refrains to encourage congregational singing. 


As an album, Man of Sorrows Glorious King is an example of the resurgence of the theology of the cross and a better theology of worship in American Evangelicalism. I'll be listening for more from David Potter.

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: Youth, Christianity, and Higher Education

 

Sawler, David. Before they Say Goodbye: Thoughts on How to Keep This Generation.  Winnipeg, Canada: Word Alive Press, 2011. 235 Pages. Paper. $17.00.  www.beforetheysaygoodbye.com  www.davidsawler.com (LHP) Ham, Ken and Greg Hall with Britt Beemer. Already Compromised: Christian colleges took a test on the state of their faith and THE FINAL EXAM IS IN. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2011. 240 Pages. Paper. $13.99. www.masterbooks.net  www.answersingenesis.org (LHP) Youth ministry is often frustrating. So many resources merely embrace the current or next fad. Young people are busy with sports, part-time work, and other interests. And parents sometimes have other priorities to bringing their children to Church or Youth Group.  In this way, youth ministry is like running a school. You can discipline the children, who often understand what's going on, but you can't really discipline the parents.  The authors of today's two books give perspective on caring for the next generation of Christians. We asked ministers, authors, teachers, youth and children's pastors all over the world this question.   If you could tell a parent, minister, children's or youth worker one piece of advice to help keep their children and yuth strong in their faith, what would it be?   It is common knowledge that the majority of the children, youth, and young adults who have grown up in the church do not remain.  However, many have been left wondering, 'What? If anything can we do?'  Before They Say Goodbye is a proactive attempt to answer that question.  David Sawler has put the ideas, advice, and stories from Christian leaders from around the world in a book that will be a benefit to every reader. We asked ministers, authors, teachers, youth and children's pastors all over the world this question.   If you could tell a parent, minister, children's or youth worker one piece of advice to help keep their children and youth strong in their faith, what would it be?   It is common knowledge that the majority of the children, youth, and young adults who have grown up in the church do not remain.  However, many have been left wondering, 'What? If anything can we do?'  Before They Say Goodbye is a proactive attempt to answer that question.  David Sawler has put the ideas, advice, and stories from Christian leaders from around the world in a book that will be a benefit to every reader. (publisher's website) I really like the proactive approach. There are no easy answers here. The Introduction gives us the parable of the sower from Luke 8 (xii) to set the proper tone.  I also appreciated what young people themselves had to say (84). More Scripture, less illiteracy. Less hypocrisy. Get away from the megachurch model, mentorship. I will take objection to the modern unbiblical practice of altar calls and decision theology, but what the young person really wanted, "for the Spirit to move," is part of God's work in Word and Sacrament as we preach and teach the Gospel of Christ.  In the context of caring for those hurt by the Church, the author of Chapter 05 briefly discusses infant baptism. I do not agree with how the author comes down on the issue, but I do appreciate the tact, seriousness, and respect with which the issue was handled (98). That helps me hear what is being said. I applaud the courage and forthrightness of Sawler and his contributors in saying what needs to be said: The idea that hiring professional staff to work with our children and youth means we will retain our youth is false (20). As we raise our children (both naturally and spiritually), we need to let them understand that there are things we do because we are Christians. While this can [and should] include going to services, it must go beyond that into everyday practice (56). Spiritual adoption means that we invite new and young believers not only into our church programs, but also into our lives (77). The gospel is Good News because God is doing what we never could do. It is Good News not just to those perishing, but also to those who are now in our churches (123). Counter-example: I have been told how many went looking for answers, but received non, even in the church. They have been told not to question, just to accept (151). ....we must also address the psychological and social reasons that shape belief and unbelief. If we don't, it may not matter how persuasive our apologetics are (168). At minimum, every church family should continue to follow up, encourage, and keep in touch with its members until they are firmly established in a new location (190). They [a huge number of Christians of all ages] do not associate being a Christian, or their church experience, with "life" at all. Rather, they are more likely to believe it is a lack of life (202). I happily recommend Before They Say Goodbye as a realistic, honest, forthright, and encouraging help to those struggling with youth ministry. Authors Ken Ham and Greg Hall tackle the state of Christian colleges and come to some surprising and troubling conclusions.    Will a Christian college build a student's faith or tear it down? Parents and students sacrifice large sums of money for a Christian college education. Why? They are purchasing a guarantee their child's faith in God and the Bible will be guarded and developed. But is the Bible being taught? Will they graduate believing in the inerrancy of Scripture, the Flood of Noah's Day, and a literal six day creation? Apologetics powerhouse Ken Ham and Dr. Greg Hall reveal an eye opening assessment of 200 Christian colleges and universities. In an unprecedented 2010 study by America Research Group, college presidents, religion and science department heads were polled on critical areas of Scripture and core faith questions. Ken Ham is an accomplished author of some of the most popular and effective apologetics research on the market. He is the founder of Answers in Genesis - U.S. and the president of the Creation Museum. (publisher's website) Ham and Hall's writing is in a popular style rather than an academic one, much like Already Gone. Sadly, some of America's Christian religious institutions are already gone, too. Some are uncertain of their identity and message. We face a battle for the minds and souls of young Christians in higher education. Two-dimensional barcodes take the reader to http://creationcolleges.org to show the detailed responses of university presidents, academic deans/vice presidents, and the heads of each institution's science and theology/religion departments. While I think such a study is helpful, it has limitations that affect how helpful its results will be to me as a Lutheran. Only colleges in agreement with the Answers in Genesis Statement of Faith are commended. Source: http://www.answersingenesis.org/colleges/all/ Bible Institutes Jackson Hole Bible College (Jackson Hole, WY) Grace Baptist Bible College (Winston Salem, NC) Frontier School of the Bible (La Grange, WY) Word of Life Bible Institute (Owen Sound, Ontario; Pottersville, NY; Hudson, FL) Piedmont Bible College (Winston-Salem, NC) Kentucky Mountain Bible College (Jackson, KY) The Crown College of the Bible (Powell, TN) Verity Institute (Indianapolis, IN) Colleges & Universities Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) Cedarville University (Cedarville, OH) Appalachian Bible College (Bradley, WV) Northland International University (Dunbar, WI) Tennessee Temple University (Chattanooga, TN) Warner University (Lake Wales, FL) The Master's College (Santa Clarita, CA) Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) Dayspring Bible College & Seminary (Lake Zurich, IL) Baptist Bible College & Seminary (Clarks Summit, PA) Louisiana Baptist University (Shreveport, LA) Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary (Ankeny, IA) San Diego Christian College (El Cajon, CA) Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary (Kansas City, MO) Ohio Christian University (Circleville, OH) God's Bible School & College (Cincinnati, OH) Seminaries Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School (Lynchburg, VA) The Master's Seminary (Sun Valley, CA) Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary (Allen Road Allen Park, MI) Landmark Baptist Theological Seminary (Haltom City, TX) Southern California Seminary (El Cajon, CA) As you can see, many have a Baptist background or theological position. I'm not making any derogatory assertions here, just stating fact.  There are honest differences between Bible-believing Lutherans (in the LCMS, my church body-NOT the ELCA) and Bible-believing Baptists. Knowing the theological position/biases of the authors is important.  Those of us in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are well aware of work that needs to be done in-house in our Concordia Universities and Colleges. Our seminaries are top notch. And the LCMS is one of a very small number of church bodies that officially hold to a real 24-hour-day 7-day creation! What does this book reveal? Watch the YouTube preview:   I recommend Already Compromised as a resource for Christian pastors, congregations, and parents to help prepare children for college (and junior high and high school). It is so sad that the secularization of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth is repeating itself in our day.  How should the book be used in our midst?  Read the official Questionnaire in Appendix D (228ff). Visit institutions that you are thinking about attending. Ask the questions yourself of the faculty there. Do your own research. Compare the answers you hear to Scripture and the recommended acceptable answers. Involve your pastor in the process.  Use this book to learn about historical criticism of the Bible and the JEDP false teaching. Learn about apologetics and worldview. Teach your young people about the dangers of political correctness. And begin early. Answer their questions. Use realistic art in Sunday School and VBS. Already Compromised is the beginning of a process, not the end of one. It is one tool that can be used to answer the question: Will a Christian college build a student's faith or tear it down? That question could and should be asked at every educational step. It is often said that our young people are the future of the Church. And while that statement is true, it is misleadingly incomplete. All the baptized are part of the Church NOW! They deserve the best education their parents can give them at every stage, whether that is at home, a Christian school, a private school, or a public school. Parents need to reclaim their "Honor your father and your mother" mantle as the first and primary teachers of their own children so that errors in doctrine and worldview are handled early and often so that their children receive a Christian education. 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.

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