No comments about Hymnal for Church and Home.

No comments about A century of grace;: A history of the Missouri synod, 1847-1947, ([Evangelical Lutheran synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other states] Centennial series).

No comments about Evangelical Lutheran Worship: Liturgies on CD-ROM.

No comments about Public Church: For the Life of the World (Lutheran Voices).

1 comments about A Short Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism, Edited by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States with Additional Notes for Students, Teachers, and Pastors.

1. This is not as technical as Koehler's "Summary of Christian Doctrine," but a good supplement for someone who wants to have a little more information than is found in the Q & A sections of most editions of the Small Catechism. You will appreciate the book.

No comments about The Augustana Story: Shaping Lutheran Identity in North America.

1 comments about Why Worship Matters.

1. WHY WORSHIP MATTERS by Bishop Rimbo is a key volume in the new series "Worship Matters" put out by Lutheran (ELCA) publisher Augsburg Fortress. This is a series of short (under 100 pages each) but insightful examinations of important aspects of worship and liturgy (music, baptism, Holy Communion, the Lectionary, etc.). Rimbo's volume is a good starting point, because, after all, if one doesn't reflect on WHY one worships, the hows and wherefors don't matter much.
   
   This series is written primarily for Lutherans, but certain titles are likely to appeal to Episcopalians, and even to Evangelicals who are finding their tradition unsatisfying and unidimensional. WHY WORSHIP MATTERS is likely to have broad appeal because it forces readers to examine what they think is going on when they "go to church." Rimbo quotes Diana Butler Bass's description of the four kinds of congregations that experience growth: (1) those that "embrace evangelicalism," (2) those committed to becoming "user friendly" on the Willow Creek Community Church model, (3) those that adopt a psychotherapy or 12-Step style, and (4) those that are intentional about their mission. The fourth group does not represent one denominiation or theology, is neither liberal nor conservative, but is comprised of churches that are inventive in the way they blend local vision (confessional integrity) with Christian practice (liturgy, striving for justice, etc.). And it is this "fourth style" of being a church that Rimbo is clearly advocating for Lutherans.
   
   What I found especially appealing about Rimbo's take on church life, is his ability to uphold high standards (for music, the liturgy, the way we pass the peace, etc.), while also being generous and accepting of the way all Christians will inevitably fall short of these standards. "Things are never the way they _should_ be. But if we keep waiting for what _should_ be we'll miss what is real!" (p. 63). Another thing I appreciated is Rimbo's constant emphasis on the importance of community (both the church as a community of people who gather together to serve God and as a group of people who are not divorced from the larger communities they find themselves among.) "The kind of community to which the church is committed is not determined by territory, ideology, or fantasy. It is a place where each individual stands before God's judgment and mercy and where the well-being of the least dare not be ignored" (p. 51).
   
   Each section of the book concludes with a section of 1 to 5 questions "For reflection and discussion." These are genuinely challenging questions and worth reflecting on. There are 25 such sections of questions. I could see an individual taking a month to reflect on these as part of his or her daily devotions; or a congregation working through them in small discussion groups over the course of 4 or 5 weeks. Rimbo certainly gives us a lot to chew on. All for less than a cost of a movie in Manhattan!

2 comments about Church and Ministry: Witness of the Evangelical Lutheran Church on the Question of the Church and the Ministry = Kirche Und Amt.

1. This is pretty standard stuff on what the church is and the place of the ministry in relation to the place of all believers in Christ. It reads like a lot of other dogmatic treatments on these things and echoes what one finds in the Small Catechism. There is not much new ground here. It has become popular in recent years because of controversies within the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod over the roles of pastors and laity. It is a necessary historical and biblical benchmark, but it is not very exciting reading. I bought a copy for a presentation I had to make, but I also found it very easy to give it away later.



2. This is a valuable book for studying the doctrine of Church and Ministry. In separate halves of the book, Walther lays out the doctrines of church and ministry in a thesis-by-thesis style, with each thesis consisting of proof from 1) Scripture 2) The Lutheran Confessions 3) Luther and other Lutheran theologians, such as Chemnitz, Melanchthon, Gerhard, and dozens of others from that period and later; and 4) from other ancient church fathers, such as Augustine, Irenaeus, etc. While it may not be the most dynamic prose, the writing is very straightforward, and especially the lengthy quotations from Luther and Chemnitz are very instructive and helpful.
   
   Some of the downsides of the book are that Walther does not give much intervening commentary or explanation on the quotations--there is very little material in the book that is not a quotation. This sometimes leaves you a little unclear on how Walther himself reconciled some of the apparent discrepancies between quotations on similar matters. One example is on the issue of whether a head of the household should conduct family communion. But by in large, the book is very well organized, and I learned a great deal about what the Reformers taught about the role of the pastor in the church and various controversial matters concerning both. The Lutheran theologians amply show how the doctrines presented are in harmony with and flow from the Scriptures. Altogether this is essential reading on the topic, and well-worth the time spent reading it.

2 comments about Luther's Catechism: The Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther and an Exposition for Children and Adults Written in Contemporary English.

1. The explanations and diagrams are helpful and first rate; no other catechism is as in depth with the explanations or has as many diagrams to illustrate theological points. Only the Lutheran Church of Australia's Small Catechism even comes close, with very distant second when it comes to useful diagrams. This Small Catechism with explanation is right up there in overall quality with the LCMS's and the ELS' (Evangelical Lutheran Synod) Small Catechism.

   Some of the explanations, however, decidedly support Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) positions. For example, any prayer, even grace before a meal, is taught as an "act of worship" and, thus, one should not pray with others with whom he is not in fellowship. This of course is one of the more "extreme" WELS positions being espoused. But then again, this is a WELS catechism! So a reader should be aware of the doctrinal positions being taught when using this catechism.

   Only two negatives, however, mar this fine production. First, this Catechism uses the NIV translation exclusively as its Bible text. The LCMS's catechism uses the NIV, but favors the NKJV where the NIV strayed from the original text. The ELS catechism uses the NKJV exclusively. Second, the translation of Luther's Small Catechism is a bit breezy and slightly paraphrastic. For this reason I must give this valiant effort 4 stars instead of 5.




2. The "old" Small Catechism was getting a little stale in the opinion of this experienced youth ministry leader and Christian educator, and this translation is fresh and seems to be more engaging to Lutherans of all ages.

No comments about Ending Poverty: A 20/20 Vision Guide for Individuals And Congregations.