FW: On the Post-Evangelical Path

Internet Monk…

 

Feed: internetmonk.com
Posted on: Friday, December 30, 2011 12:01 PM
Author: Chaplain Mike
Subject: On the Post-Evangelical Path

 

Out of the wilderness; onto a path — this is a summary of my spiritual/theological experience in 2011. As Antonio Machado wrote, "The way is made by walking," and I guess I've just kept walking through the wilderness long enough that eventually a path appeared. That path remains before me, its direction and character unknown. I am certain there will be twists and turns, unexpected conditions to navigate, places where the going gets hard and slow, and other spots where astonishing vistas may appear, inviting long contemplation and wonder. I discovered that "I'm a Christian, and I practice my faith in the Lutheran tradition." That's what I wrote on November 4 in a "Wilderness Update." I followed with a series about how the Lutheran tradition has answered many of my concerns about the culture of revivalistic evangelicalism, in which I spent most of my ministry career. How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Ev Concerns I How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Ev Concerns II How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Ev Concerns III How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Ev Concerns IV Ten Reasons to Love Luther (Lutheran Tradition V) I was happy to see that this series received some notice among the Lutherans themselves, as Gene Edward Veith blogged about the posts and invited discussion. Some Lutheran commenters were appalled that I chose to affiliate with the ELCA rather than one of the more conservative synods, and in fact, as on many blog comment threads, those with strong black and white views about such things dominated the conversation. You can read Veith's perspectives and the comments here: Chaplain Mike at Internet Monk becomes a Lutheran More from Chaplain Mike on Lutheranism The Beam in Our Missouri Synod Eye Chaplain Mike on the Sacraments I especially appreciated this supportive word from Dr. Veith: "Don't get me wrong:  I'm as supportive of the LCMS and as critical of liberal theology as anyone can be.  But to say that Chaplain Mike, in joining the ELCA, is just joining mainline liberal Protestantism is manifestly not true.  What he is finding in his congregation that he is responding to so gladly is not leftwing politics or feminism or gay marriages.  Rather, as he says, he is finding the centrality of Christ, Law & Gospel, vocation, worship, the sacraments, and the other things he is discussing in his three posts." And he's exactly right. The path I've started down puts Christ in the center of everything. It also understands the central importance of worship focused on Word and Table. Lutheranism has a strong emphasis on pastoral theology and the role of the ordained minister, as well as a wonderful perspective on the vocations God has given every believer as a priest of God. Luther, of course, is best known for his emphasis on God's grace in Christ received by faith, they make helpful distinctions between Law and Gospel in the Scriptures. I have especially come to appreciate and embrace the sacramental perspective that is at the heart of Lutheran spirituality. The Theology of the Cross is perhaps the Lutheran emphasis most needed in today's American church, which is often triumphalistic, shallow, and immature. Finally, everyone needs heroes to admire and emulate, and Martin Luther has long been one of mine. But since exploring and embracing the Lutheran way, I have come to appreciate him even more. Utterly human and remarkably flawed, he put his hope and trust in Christ alone, restored the Gospel to a corrupt church, revitalized congregations and the pastoral ministry, gave dignity to ordinary Christians, their marriages, their music, and their daily lives, and courageously spoke truth to power when necessary. I'm still a post-evangelical, and the culture of evangelicalism remains of great interest to me. Many of my brothers and sisters continue to practice their faith in revivalistic evangelical churches. I continue to appreciate the good things I gained from my time in non-denominational churches, even though my tenure there ultimately led me to the wilderness. Now a path has appeared, and I have begun to walk on it.

View article...

FW: “How Luther went viral”

Luther…

 

Feed: Cranach: The Blog of Veith
Posted on: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 3:31 AM
Author: Gene Veith
Subject: "How Luther went viral"

 

The Economist tells how Luther, in effect, used social media: Although they were written in Latin, the "95 Theses" caused an immediate stir, first within academic circles in Wittenberg and then farther afield. In December 1517 printed editions of the theses, in the form of pamphlets and broadsheets, appeared simultaneously in Leipzig, Nuremberg and Basel, paid for by Luther's friends to whom he had sent copies. German translations, which could be read by a wider public than Latin-speaking academics and clergy, soon followed and quickly spread throughout the German-speaking lands. Luther's friend Friedrich Myconius later wrote that "hardly 14 days had passed when these propositions were known throughout Germany and within four weeks almost all of Christendom was familiar with them." The unintentional but rapid spread of the "95 Theses" alerted Luther to the way in which media passed from one person to another could quickly reach a wide audience. "They are printed and circulated far beyond my expectation," he wrote in March 1518 to a publisher in Nuremberg who had published a German translation of the theses. But writing in scholarly Latin and then translating it into German was not the best way to address the wider public. Luther wrote that he "should have spoken far differently and more distinctly had I known what was going to happen." For the publication later that month of his "Sermon on Indulgences and Grace", he switched to German, avoiding regional vocabulary to ensure that his words were intelligible from the Rhineland to Saxony. The pamphlet, an instant hit, is regarded by many as the true starting point of the Reformation. The media environment that Luther had shown himself so adept at managing had much in common with today's online ecosystem of blogs, social networks and discussion threads. It was a decentralised system whose participants took care of distribution, deciding collectively which messages to amplify through sharing and recommendation. Modern media theorists refer to participants in such systems as a "networked public", rather than an "audience", since they do more than just consume information. Luther would pass the text of a new pamphlet to a friendly printer (no money changed hands) and then wait for it to ripple through the network of printing centres across Germany. Unlike larger books, which took weeks or months to produce, a pamphlet could be printed in a day or two. Copies of the initial edition, which cost about the same as a chicken, would first spread throughout the town where it was printed. Luther's sympathisers recommended it to their friends. Booksellers promoted it and itinerant colporteurs hawked it. Travelling merchants, traders and preachers would then carry copies to other towns, and if they sparked sufficient interest, local printers would quickly produce their own editions, in batches of 1,000 or so, in the hope of cashing in on the buzz. A popular pamphlet would thus spread quickly without its author's involvement. As with "Likes" and retweets today, the number of reprints serves as an indicator of a given item's popularity. Luther's pamphlets were the most sought after; a contemporary remarked that they "were not so much sold as seized". His first pamphlet written in German, the "Sermon on Indulgences and Grace", was reprinted 14 times in 1518 alone, in print runs of at least 1,000 copies each time. Of the 6,000 different pamphlets that were published in German-speaking lands between 1520 and 1526, some 1,700 were editions of a few dozen works by Luther. In all, some 6m-7m pamphlets were printed in the first decade of the Reformation, more than a quarter of them Luther's. Although Luther was the most prolific and popular author, there were many others on both sides of the debate. Tetzel, the indulgence-seller, was one of the first to respond to him in print, firing back with his own collection of theses. Others embraced the new pamphlet format to weigh in on the merits of Luther's arguments, both for and against, like argumentative bloggers. . . . Being able to follow and discuss such back-and-forth exchanges of views, in which each author quoted his opponent's words in order to dispute them, gave people a thrilling and unprecedented sense of participation in a vast, distributed debate. Arguments in their own social circles about the merits of Luther's views could be seen as part of a far wider discourse, both spoken and printed. Many pamphlets called upon the reader to discuss their contents with others and read them aloud to the illiterate. People read and discussed pamphlets at home with their families, in groups with their friends, and in inns and taverns. Luther's pamphlets were read out at spinning bees in Saxony and in bakeries in Tyrol. In some cases entire guilds of weavers or leather-workers in particular towns declared themselves supporters of the Reformation, indicating that Luther's ideas were being propagated in the workplace. One observer remarked in 1523 that better sermons could be heard in the inns of Ulm than in its churches, and in Basel in 1524 there were complaints about people preaching from books and pamphlets in the town's taverns. . . . Amid the barrage of pamphlets, ballads and woodcuts, public opinion was clearly moving in Luther's favour. "Idle chatter and inappropriate books" were corrupting the people, fretted one bishop. "Daily there is a veritable downpour of Lutheran tracts in German and Latin…nothing is sold here except the tracts of Luther," lamented Aleander, Leo X's envoy to Germany, in 1521. Most of the 60 or so clerics who rallied to the pope's defence did so in academic and impenetrable Latin, the traditional language of theology, rather than in German. Where Luther's works spread like wildfire, their pamphlets fizzled. Attempts at censorship failed, too. Printers in Leipzig were banned from publishing or selling anything by Luther or his allies, but material printed elsewhere still flowed into the city. The city council complained to the Duke of Saxony that printers faced losing "house, home, and all their livelihood" because "that which one would gladly sell, and for which there is demand, they are not allowed to have or sell." What they had was lots of Catholic pamphlets, "but what they have in over-abundance is desired by no one and cannot even be given away." via Social media in the 16th Century: How Luther went viral | The Economist. The article also tells about the role music and visual images (with a shout out to Lucas Cranach), both of which also went viral, in the spread of the Reformation. Can you envision a time and a cultural context in which this sort of thing--the spread of the gospel--could happen again, now that we really have the technology for it? HT:  Joe Carter

View article...

FW: Former Lutherans Outnumber the Active Ones

Consider…

 

Feed: Pastoral Meanderings
Posted on: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 5:00 AM
Author: noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Peters)
Subject: Former Lutherans Outnumber the Active Ones

 

Someone once said that 1 of every 100 Americans WAS a Lutheran.  Probably a goodly number of them, ex-LCMSes.  If only we were more cult like we could merit a web site and support group for all those former Lutherans!  But, alas, they just leave via the back door, side door, or for a brave few, the front door. The landscape of Republican candidates is populated with former Lutherans.  Ron Paul was raised Lutheran (has a couple of brothers who are Lutheran Pastors, I hear) and is currently Baptist.  We all know of Michele Bachmann's hastened exit from the Wisconsin Synod for non-denominational land.  Newt Gingrich was raised in the LCMS and departed for the Southern Baptists before rediscovering his liturgical roots and ending up in Rome.  Although no one ever heard of him, Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico, was briefly a GOP presidential candidate and is a non-practicing Lutheran (code for no longer Lutheran). Vern Wuensche, a name I had never heard before, was, apparently, a declared GOP presidential candidate and is Lutheran (wow, practicing, too, but who ever heard of him?).  This is typical of what we find in the world around us.  A non-Lutheran with Lutheran connections is Jon Huntsman, who, though a Mormon, went to a Lutheran school in Los Angeles. I was shopping the other day and in the midst of a conversation the gentleman explaining something to me asked me what I did for a living.  Short end of the conversation -- he was a former Lutheran, former LCMS, and from a parish I knew, not far from the one I served in NY.  You cannot throw a stone without hitting a dozen or so former, ex, or non-practicing Lutherans.  If we had kept them all, we just might be the second largest block of Christians in America.  But we have not... Why have we lost so many?  There are the standard answers.  The change from ethnic church to American, the upward mobility of immigrant Lutherans, the move from ethnic neighborhoods or rural areas to suburbs, the squabbles along the way, the mergers which compromised history and integrity for the sake of unity, the divergent social stands amid social change, the tears and rips in the fabric of the American family, culture, and political life, etc...  We have gotten quite adept at explaining why so many are no longer Lutheran.  But I still do not get it? How is it possible to exchange the theological vibrancy of an efficacious Word for one that is theoretically without error but powerless to do what it claims?  How is it possible to give up the sacramental presence of a God located among us in the water of baptism and the bread and wine of the Eucharist for one largely absent until called upon and then only vaguely present when we bid Him come?  How is it possible to forget the unforgettable Lutheran hymns that sing the faith into our hearts, minds, and memories for the sentimental songs of Gospel harmony or the repeated but shallow choruses of contemporary Christian music?  How is it possible to choose the veiled presence of the Pastor (himself a means for the means of grace) for a church in which the preacher is the star and the worship service warm up for the prince of the pulpit?  How is it possible to grow frustrated with a church that takes what we believe, confess, and teach so seriously that we debate and argue about it as if it were the most important thing in life (which it is, isn't it?)?  How is it that people can make a geographical move in which they exchange a church home in which they were Sunday school teachers, choir singing, ushers, counters, greeters, council members, and fully invested to go shopping for a church as if they were buying a new TV? I can only think of a couple of reasons.... a lack of catechesis and the failure to believe what it is that we confess and teach.  Too many have left in ignorance -- not knowing what it is that Lutherans believe and confess.  It is partly to blame on both sides of the rail -- Pastors who failed to teach passionately the faith confessed in creed and lived in liturgy on Sunday morning and people whose itching hears were not listening.  Too many have assumed that Lutheranism was an ethnicity instead of a Church, a choice instead of a confession, an intellectual point of view instead of a way of worshiping and living.  There is plenty of blame to go around here but my point is not to blame (too late for that).  The other is that we have forgotten to hear what we say and sing, to believe what we confess and teach, and to give to this life as a child of God within the Church the priority that is due.  Perhaps we as Pastors have too frequently confessed our own doubts and fears instead of concentrating on the kerygma in our preaching and teaching.  Perhaps we have listened too closely to the doubts and fears of our culture and let the growing confusion about who we are as Americans confuse and confound our faith.  Whatever the reason, the Church ceased to be about the Truth that transforms everything and become the domain of feelings and opinions as individual as the taste of diet or dress. We cannot afford to keep on making these same mistakes.  The numbers of former Lutherans or non-practicing Lutherans already outnumbers the tally of active Lutherans.  But this is not the reason or rationale for why or who we are.  We are people of the Word and Sacraments, the means of grace that deliver that of which they speak and do what they promise.  This is the essence of Lutheran identity.  The Word and the Sacraments are not a stairway to God (as Rome often speaks) but the means by which the hidden and distant God comes to us to deliver what we dare not ask and know we do not deserve.  These delightful and priceless gifts of grace bestow the Spirit as well as the blessings of the cross and empty tomb and enable us to receive and respond to God's bidding.  They compel us with love to the community in which the Word and Table of the Lord are central and the font is entrance gate.  It is here that we understand communion is not only nor primarily vertical but horizontal -- not in a vague spiritual sense but in the concrete mercy and service meant for others as Christ has shown mercy and served us. Faith is not intellectual assent to propositional truth or an experience resulting in certain feelings but an identity thrust upon us as God has literally ripped us up from one kingdom to plant us in His kingdom, by baptism and faith.  Faith is not a quest for answers that rationalize or organize the loose ends of all the whys or whats of our curiosity but God's impetus in confronting us with the mystery of who He is and what He has done for us.  Grace is not just a word for us but the taste of bread and wine which is Christ's body and blood.  It is the personal word of absolution that confronts and compels us as sinners to honesty and then surprises us with the embrace of the waiting Father loving, forgiving, and welcoming back His prodigal children.  Mercy is not one sided or one dimensional for us.  What we receive, we must give -- not out of duty or obligation but as the joyful privilege of those who have known grace first hand.  It is quiet work in which the attention is not upon us but upon those to whom this mercy is shown and the God from whence this mercy comes. I admit to having no secret method to keeping Lutherans and preventing the peeling off of Lutherans to other churches or, more importantly, to no church at all.  But our confession and faith is primarily positive.  We are not here because we fear hell (though we do).  We are here because of the joy that calls us and creates us a people of joy, who cannot get over the fact that God loves us and has accomplished for us what we could not do -- saving us from our sin, death, and selves to be His own, to live under Him in His kingdom both now and forever, the recipients of His gracious favor whose privilege it is to respond with praise, thanksgiving, and love.  We who are Pastors have a marvelous opportunity every Sunday to remind Lutherans of this blessed truth -- and not for us only, but for the life of the world!  We who are in the pew are those who make known this blessed truth in the words and deeds of faith that fulfill our baptismal vocation in the world.  What marvelous opportunity, indeed!

View article...

FW: What’s Up with the Evangelicals and Reformed?

Consider…

 

Feed: Cyberbrethren Lutheran Blog Feed
Posted on: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 2:18 PM
Author: Paul T. McCain
Subject: What's Up with the Evangelicals and Reformed?

 

Last June, an Evangelical/Reformed blogger, Kevin DeYoung, wrote an article on his blog asking where the Lutherans are? In it he expressed concern that Lutherans don't seem to be very active or present in his blogging and theological circles. I think Kevin was attempting to offer a gentle criticism and somewhat laying the blame for this on Lutherans. The response to his post by a number of pretty well known blogging Lutherans was very vigorous and positive, with offers to be more involved in whatever forum, or conferences, or gatherings, or organizations Evangelicals have where they would welcome Lutheran input. Despite some polite expressions of thanks for this offer, including even an interview with yours truly featured on Kevin's blog, the response now sounds like chirping crickets, for, you see, I honestly do not believe Evangelicals or Calvinists or Reformed, or whatever term they wish to use to describe themselves, actually really do want Lutheran input nor are they really interested in the Lutheran Church. What they actually like is Martin Luther, or, frankly, the version of Luther that Evangelicals/Reformed/Calvinists have created, a Luther that does not challenge many of the core presuppositions about things like the nature of original sin, the nature of grace, faith, the sacraments. Reading many Evangelical/Reformed blogs out there I remain convince there is a deep amnesia in these circles about Church History and a very low view of and understanding of the Church as being, one, holy, catholic and apostolic. This reality is no different than the one Hermann Sasse experienced in his many contacts across Christendom, both East and West, Reformed or Roman. He termed the path of the Lutheran Church to be the "lonely way" precisely because in spite of polite expressions of interest, and expressions of love for Martin Luther, the reality is that Lutheranism is not compatible with, nor supportive of, Calvinism and all its various offshoots, up to and including various forms of Evangelicalism. But, of course, this does not mean we Lutherans won't stop doing our best to be a positive influence in Evangelical and Calvinist circles, but we will still keep being Lutheran. And that's probably going to continue to be a problem for those who wonder where the Lutherans are. We are right where we have always been, and we will continue to be here and eager to contribute to your conversations. We are still waiting and asking ourselves "What's up with the Evangelicals?"

View article...

FW: Carols and telling the story again and again

Consider…

 

Feed: LifeWayWorship.com/blog
Posted on: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 1:07 PM
Author: LifeWayWorship.com/blog
Subject: Carols and telling the story again and again

 

Special guest post by author, song and hymn writer Keith Getty As the holidays approach, I often remember my days as a student in music class. My high school music teacher lived for Christmas carols. I spoke with him recently as I was working on our new Christmas album, "Joy--An Irish Christmas," and his enthusiasm is as strong as ever. He even wants Christmas carols played at his funeral. "Why?" I asked him. "Because these songs tell the story of the faith like no other songs can," he told me. I wholeheartedly agree. Carols blend a story form of writing with simple melodies, and they've resulted in a unique hybrid of English folk music and church music traditions. In that sense, the carol has impacted my own songwriting more than any other form. Our new Christmas album gave me a chance to relish in my love for carols by writing some of my very own. Yet we also decided to honor some of our age-old favorites, so profound in the stories they tell, by pairing them with new compositions. When it comes to celebrating Christmas, I think people want fresh sounds--but they also want to sing what they know. I love the fact that some of the most beloved carols essentially originated as rebel songs. In England during the 15th century, Catholics were forbidden to sing in the English language, or to even sing at all for the most part. Yet carols were the one exception. Additionally, certain factions of Puritanism during the late 16th century forbid any outward display of emotion. But again, carols remained the one type of song that allowed people to celebrate with their lips, instruments and even dancing. For those forbidden to even smile or smirk during the remainder of the year, this was much cause for rejoicing! Today, carols continue to be one of the few remaining conduits that allow us to proclaim our faith in the public square. Amazingly, they're heralded on secular radio, used in advertisements and sung on television throughout the holiday season. These songs allow us to celebrate our faith authentically and share it with others. We would do well as worship leaders to remember that non-churchgoers are far more inclined to attend a church service during the Christmas season where songs are easy and enjoyable to sing rather than a church trying to put on the slickest possible show. The music of carols, written by some of the finest hymn writers of all time (such as Wesley, Watts and Rossetti) and arranged by equally outstanding composers (Handel, Holst and Mendelssohn) speaks for itself. We have wonderful songs to use! And Christmas gives us a wide open door to use those songs to impact culture like no other time of the year. May we set aside time this Christmas season to give of ourselves joyfully and wholeheartedly to the music we choose and the services we plan. And in doing so we'll join with the Christians of ages past who've told the story of our faith through the carols they sing.

View article...

FW: How to Improve Your Prayer and Devotional Life

Some suggestions…

 

Feed: Cyberbrethren Lutheran Blog Feed
Posted on: Monday, December 19, 2011 2:37 PM
Author: Paul T. McCain
Subject: How to Improve Your Prayer and Devotional Life

 

I know, it is not yet the end of the year, but…did you know there was a tradition in Germany that the new year started on Christmas? This explains why often when reading Luther's sermons, or singing Lutheran hymns, there are wishes for a "glad new year to all the earth." I think there is something rather nice about thinking of a new year beginning with the celebration of the nativity of our Lord. But, be that as it may, many of us make resolutions for a new year and I think, if you are like me, you probably put toward the top of your resolution list to have a richer, more faithful life of prayer and meditation of God's Word in the new year. I'd like to suggest to you a number of resources from Concordia Publishing House that I trust you will find helpful for your prayer life.   The Treasury of Daily Prayer I think it is, by far, the most complete, single-volume resource for a daily devotional life that is ordered by readings from Scripture and prayers from the Church's historic prayer services. You can use as little of it, or as much of it, as you would like. You can have it in the form of a book, or as an iPhone App, or in Kindle or ePub format. Cultivate an enriching devotional life with a book that nourishes your time with God. This comprehensive Lutheran resource brings together Scripture readings, prayers, psalms, hymns, and devotional readings from the church fathers to guide daily prayer and meditation on God's Word. Organized around the Christian Church Year, Treasury of Daily Prayer is designed to be an all-in-one resource for daily devotions for individuals, families, and small groups. View the "How to Use" helpful download below for a complete overview. There are a variety of other books we offer that I think you will enjoy as well. You can use them separately, or as part of your daily habit with the Treasury. Let me show you some of them.   The Great Works of God by Valerius Herberger, translated by Matthew Carver, Volumes I and II. These books are masterpieces of Christ centered meditation on God's Word. Using the Book of Genesis, Pastor Herberger, offers rich reflection on how the events and people in Genesis remind us of Christ and His work for us, and our lives as His people. Herberger (1562-1627), a Lutheran pastor in Fraustadt (now Wschowa), Poland, at the turn of the seventeenth century, preached through the books of the Old Testament from Genesis through Ruth, producing devout meditations on the Scriptures. "These he regarded rather like the linen cloths that wrapped the infant Jesus in the manger, and traced his Lord in every little wrinkle" (from the translator's preface). Pastor Valerius Herberger (1562-1627) served St. Mary's parish church in Fraustadt (now Wschowa) Poland during the most difficult days of the Counter-Reformation when a royal decree ousted the congregation from its building in 1604. As a deacon and preacher in the congregation for nearly forty years, Herberger left us a remarkable example of biblical interpretation, application, and sincere devotion. Matthew Carver, MFA is a translator of German and classical literature. He resides in Nashville, TN, with his wife Amanda, where they pursue interests in art, orthodox Lutheran theology, liturgy, and hymnody. They welcomed their first child in October 2010. You can take a look inside here. And you can buy it here.   A Year in the New Testament: Meditations for Each Day of the Church Year A Year in the New Testament will guide you through reading most of the New Testament in the course of a year, and do it in a way that is encouraging and manageable, taking the readers experiences of daily life into the Bible. The daily devotions follow the seasonal movements of the Church Year in a broad, general fashion, but not in the more focused and specific way that one expects for the lessons and Holy Gospel appointed for particular Sundays and festivals of the Church Year, allowing Scripture to interpret itself in its own literary contexts, and thereby also to inform and shape Christian prayer and devotion over the course of time. An overview of the Church Year, Sundays and Seasons, and The Liturgical Calendar is included. Each day contains a Psalmody, Additional Psalm, an Old Testament Reading, a New Testament Reading, Prayer of the Day, and a Meditation. There is not greater source of comfort, hope, help, and counsel than the Word of God itself. Nothing serves the Christian faith more than diligently and daily reading and searching the Holy Scriptures. Take a look inside the book here, and buy a copy here. A Year with the Church Fathers: Meditations for Each Day of the Church Year by Rev. Scott Murray Drawn from the themes of Scripture itself, these devotions consider the salvation plan of God fulfilled in Jesus and carried to the world through the Church. The in-depth, thought-provoking content offers rich insight into Scripture and the Christian life and encouragement in the faith. Along the way you will drink deeply of the fountain of eternal life and gain in understanding of the message of God's Word. The daily devotions of A Year with the Church Fathers follow the seasonal movements of the Christian Church Year in a broad, general fashion, but not in the more focused and specific way that one expects for the lessons appointed for particular Sundays and festivals of the Church Year. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here. Reading the Psalms with Martin Luther This is an English translation of Luther's Summaries of the Psalms, 1531 which was originally done in 1993. This latest edition includes the ESV translation of the Psalms, Luther's introductions to each of the 150 psalms and a suggested schedule for reading the Psalter. The introductions demonstrate how Luther understood the Psalter as a Christ-centered book and how he used the psalms as the model for Christian prayer. Luther classifies each psalm as a psalm of prophecy, instruction, comfort, prayer, or thanksgiving and applies the message of the text to the life lived out under the cross. Luther also connects the psalms to the Ten Commandments and the petitions of the Lord's Prayer. For Luther, all aspects of the Christian's life, including the Psalms, relate to Christ and His Gospel of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Buy a copy here. Starck's Prayer Book, edited by Rev. William Weedon Since 1921, the Concordia Edition of Johann Starck's Prayer Book has encouraged thousands of Christians in their personal prayer life. This updated edition provides a comprehensive collection of prayers and meditations that speak to contemporary Christians while preserving the richness and depth of expression of the original. Starck's prayers do what all genuine prayers do: they draw the believer into the internal life of the Blessed Trinity and teach the joy of living in His presence throughout the day, throughout the week, throughout the year, throughout the good times and the bad. This book is offered to Christians of the twenty-first century in slightly updated garb, who live in a world very different from that inhabited by a Lutheran clergyman of the seventeenth century, in the hope that those who use it will discover, in the vibrant faith that rings through and shapes these prayers from another era, the voice of the faith once delivered to the saints. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here.   God Grant It: Daily Devotions from Dr. C.F.W. Walther This is a stunning compilation of Dr. Walther's Gospel sermons, each Sunday's sermon is spread out of a week of readings. This is a translation of the collection of lectionary-based devotions for the entire church taken from Walther's sermons and published by CPH in 1894. The translation aims to retain particular relevance for modern readers. Beginning with the first week of Advent,God Grant It provides a daily devotion for each day in the year, placing particular significance on the church year. Through these classic sermons of Walther, the modern reader will be reminded that God's mercies are new every day, that His mercies are ours by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Translated into modern English, these readings are intended to encourage the laity, as well as pastors, and affirm them in their daily lives as redeemed children of God. Each devotion is accompanied by a Scripture reference and a hymn verse. The daily devotion will take less than ten minutes to read. Take a look inside here. Buy a copy here.   To Live with Christ: Daily Devotions by Bo Giertz The devotional writings of noted Swedish pastor, bishop, and author Bo Giertz offer what foreword writer John Pless calls "sturdy confessional Lutheranism with warm piety born of confidence in the Gospel." To Live With Christ translates a collection of Giertz's classic devotions for those who want to explore their Christian faith and to connect God's Word in their daily lives. The devotional readings embrace the church-year calendar, just as Giertz did, preparing you for Sunday worship service. Each Christ-centered devotion includes a Bible reading, meditation, and a prayer. The collection points readers to the cross of Christ, offering the assurance of God's grace, love, and forgiveness, helping them draw closer to their Lord. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here.   Meditations on the Gospels First published in 1948 as The Devotional Bible these devotions, based on writings of the apostles in the first four books of the New Testament, cover a variety of themes of interest to those who want to explore their Christian faith and the connection between the Word of God and their daily lives These timeless devotions will strengthen, comfort, and inform the reader. This edition is updated to include Scripture passages from ESV, and begins with a Gospel reading as the starting point for the day, concluding with a prayer. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here.

View article...

Enclosures:

531179.pdf (1 MB) http://www.cph.org/pdf/531179.pdf

 

FW: Warum sollen dich so schmerzen* (Alt.)

Cantemus…

 

Feed: HYMNOGLYPT
Posted on: Monday, December 19, 2011 3:05 AM
Author: Matt Carver (Matthaeus Glyptes)
Subject: Warum sollen dich so schmerzen* (Alt.)

 

Here is my suggested emendation and modernization of J. Kelly's translation of Paul Gerhardt's hymn on the Circumcsion suitable for use on the Feast of the Circumcision on January 1. I Include below his original version, as well as Miss Cox' two-stanza version, which I believe is on the whole poorer than Kelly's. WHY SHOULD they such torment give You? Why so pain You, dearest Christ? Why by such a rite so grieve You, With their hearts uncircumcised? Jesus! Oh, but You are free From the Law's severity, For, although man's nature wearing, You are free of sin and erring, 2. For Yourself You do not bear it, Of the Cov'nant You are Head; 'Tis our debts that make You share it, That, like grievous loads of lead, Lie upon us, and Your heart Pierce unto the inmost part; These You suffer to deliver Those who could have paid them never. 3. Let your hearts be glad, O debtors! Let the world rejoice today! For God's Son now breaks our fetters, Here our price begins to pay. Now the Law has been fulfilled Now God's anger has been stilled. Now are we, to death once given Made by Christ the heirs of heaven. 4. Who can tell the grace and favor, Or of thanks repay Your due! Heart and mouth shall own You ever, As our Savior honor You! We shall praise with all our pow'r All Your goodness, You adore, While in weakness here we wander, And Your praises echo yonder! J. Kelly, 1867, alt. Matthew Carver, 2011. J. KELLY, 1867: 1. Why should they such pain e'er give Thee, Why inflict such cruel smart? Jesus, why should they so grieve Thee, Who're uncircumcis'd in heart, By this rite? Though Thou art free From the law's yoke utterly, Yet man's nature art Thou wearing, But no sin its beauty marring. 2. For Thyself Thou dost not bear it, Of the Cov'nant Thou art Head; 'Tis our debts that make Thee share it, That like grievous load of lead Lie upon us, and Thy heart Pierce e'en to the inmost part; These Thou bearest to deliver Us, who could have paid them never. 3. Let your hearts be glad, ye debtors! Let the world rejoice to-day, For the Son of God our fetters Breaks, the price begins to pay. This day is the Law fulfill'd, This day is God's anger still'd, Whom to death law did deliver, God's Son makes God's heirs for ever. 4. We this grace enough can never Own, nor for it grateful be; Heart and mouth, O Saviour! ever Shall exalt and honour Thee! We shall praise with all our pow'r All Thy goodness, Thee adore, While in weakness here we wander, And Thy praise re-echo yonder! Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs, 1867 F. E. COX, 1841 (sts. 3-4 only): 3. Mortals, who have God offended, Sinners all, rejoice to-day! Gods own Son, from heaven descended, Now your ransom 'gins to pay: See the law this day fulfill'd, God's just wrath and vengeance still'd; He for sin who would have slain us, Now for sons and heirs hath ta'en us. 4. Well may we this grace and favour Evermore with blessings tell ! Well may heart and mouth for ever Hail Thee our Immanuel ! Here in weakness while we stay, Lord, we praise Thee as we may; Earthly bonds our tongues here fetter, But in heaven we'll praise Thee better. GERMAN 1. Warum machet solche Schmerzen, Warum machet solche Pein, Der von unbeschnittnem Herzen, Dir, herzliebstes Jesulein, Mit Beschneidung, da du doch Frei von des Gesetzes Joch. Weil du, einem Menschenkinde Zwar gleich, doch ganz ohne Sünde? 2. Für dich darfst du dies nicht dulden, Du bist ja des Bundes Herr, Unsre, unsre große Schulden, Die so grausam, die so schwer Auf uns liegen, daß es dich Jammert herz- und inniglich, Die trägst du ab, uns zu retten, Die sonst nichts zu zahlen hätten. 3. Freut, ihr Schuldner, euch deswegen, Ja, sei fröhlich alle Welt, Weil heut anhebt zu erlegen Gottes Sohn das Lösegeld; Das Gesetz wird heut erfüllt, Heut wird Gottes Zorn gestillt. Heut macht uns, so sollten sterben, Gottes Blut zu Gottes Erben. 4. Wer mag recht die Gnad erkennen? Wer kann dafür dankbar sein? Herz und Mund soll stets dich nennen Unsern Heiland, Jesulein! [30] Deine Güte wollen wir Nach Vermögen preisen hier, Weil wir in der Schwachheit wallen; Dort soll baß dein Lob erschallen.

View article...

FW: A Medieval Liturgical 'Commentary' on the O Antiphons

Of interest…

 

Feed: New Liturgical Movement
Posted on: Monday, December 19, 2011 6:00 AM
Author: noreply@blogger.com (Gregory DiPippo)
Subject: A Medieval Liturgical 'Commentary' on the O Antiphons

 

We are now in the final days of Advent, in which the famous "O" Antiphons are sung each day at Vespers with the Magnificat. These are one of the most loved features of the Church's liturgy, and for good reason; the texts are especially rich in references to the Old Testament prophecies of the Divine Redeemer and His coming for the salvation of the human race, and the Gregorian chant with which they are sung is extremely beautiful. The Roman Rite has seven of these, and it of course well known that the first letters of the seven titles (O Sapientia, O Adonai etc.) form an acrostic when read backwards, ERO CRAS, Latin for "Tomorrow I will be."; this is completed on the last day before the Christmas season formally begins on the evening of the 24th. Magnificat antiphon. Various other particular customs were observed in other places. In the very ancient abbey of Fleury, the intonation of each antiphon was assigned to a particular member of the monastery: O Wisdom to the abbot, O Lord to the prior, O Root of Jesse to the gardener, O Key of David to the cellarer, (who held the key to all of the storehouses), etc. (Martene 'De antiquis Ecclesiae ritibus' IV.3.3) The medieval use of Augsburg Cathedral in Germany contains a particularly interesting enrichment of the liturgy on these days. Each O is accompanied by a special chapter, and a special concluding oration, both of which refer back to it; these form a kind of scriptural and euchological commentary on the much older antiphons. Like many medieval uses, that of Augsburg also added other antiphons to the series, which I will note in another post later this week; here are the chapters and prayers which go with the seven oldest antiphons, those found in the Roman Breviary. At Augsburg, the Os began on December 13th, and so I have noted them here. December 13 Capitulum Ego Sapientia ex ore Altissimi prodivi, primogenita ante omnem creaturam. Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me, et a generationibus meis implemini. The Chapter          Sirach 24, 5 et 26 I Wisdom came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.   Aña O Sapientia, * quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.   Aña O Wisdom, * that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from end to end, mightily and sweetly ordering all things, come thou to teach us the way of prudence. Oratio Festinantes, omnipotens Deus, in occursum Filii tui Domini nostri, nulli impediant actus terreni, sed caelestis sapientiae eruditio faciat nos ejus esse consortes. Per eundem. The Prayer Almighty God, let no earthly actions hinder them that hasten to meet Thy Son Our Lord; but let the teaching of heavenly wisdom make us his fellow heirs. Through the same.  December 14 Capitulum Ecce Deus noster: ecce Dominus Deus in fortitudine veniet, et brachium ejus dominabitur: ecce merces ejus cum eo, et opus illius coram illo. The Chapter          Isaiah 40, 9-10 Behold our God: behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule: Behold his reward is with him, and his work is before him.   Aña O Adonai, * et Dux domus Israël, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.   Aña O Adonai, * and leader of the house of Israel, who didst appear to Moses in the fire of the bruning bush, and gavest him the Law on Sinai; come thou to redeem us with arm outstretched. Oratio Deus, qui hominem de lapsu in mortem Unigeniti tui adventu redimisti: praesta, quaesumus; ut qui ejus gloriosam fatentur Incarnationem, ipsius Redemptoris consortia mereantur: Qui tecum. The Prayer God, who didst redeem man from the fall unto death by the coming of Thy Only begotten Son; grant, we beseech Thee, that they who confess His glorious Incarnation may merit the fellowship of that very Redeemer; who liveth and reigneth.  December 15 Capitulum Ecce radix Jesse ascendet in salutem populorum: ipsum gentes deprecabuntur: et erit nomen ejus gloriosum. The Chapter            Isaiah 11, 10 Behold the root of Jesse shall arise for the salvation of the peoples; him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his name shall be glorious.   Aña O radix Jesse, * qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.   Aña O root of Jesse, * that standest as an ensign of the peoples, at whom the kings shall shut their mouths, whom the Gentiles shall beseech: come thou to deliver us, delay thou not. Oratio Festina, ne tardaveris, Domine, Deus noster: et a diabolico furore nos potenter liberare dignare: Qui cum. The Prayer Hasten, delay Thou not, o Lord, our God; and deign Thou mightily to deliver us from the wrath of the devil. Who with the Father.  December 16 Capitulum Dedi te in fœdus populi, in lucem gentium, ut aperires oculos caecorum, et educeres de conclusione vinctos, de domo carceris sedentes in tenebris. Chapter            Isaiah 42, 6-7 I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles: that thou may open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoners out of prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.   Aña O clavis David, * et sceptrum domus Israël; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.   Aña O key of David, * and sceptre of the house of Israel; who openest, and no man shutteth; shuttest, and no man openeth: come thou, and lead forth the prisoner from the prisonhouse, and him that sitteth in darkness, and in the shadow of death. Oratio Aurem tuam, quaesumus, Domine, precibus nostris accommoda: et mentis nostrae tenebras gratia tuae visitationis illustra: Qui vivis. The Prayer Incline Thy ear, Lord, we beseech Thee, unto our prayers, and lighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation; Who livest.  December 17 Capitulum Orietur vobis timentibus nomen meum sol justitiae, et sanitas in pennis ejus. Chapter            Malachi 4,2 Unto you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings.   Aña O Oriens, * splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.   Aña O Dayspring, * splendor of the light eternal,  and sun of justice; come thou, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Oratio Mentes nostras, quaesumus, Domine, gratia tuae visitationis illustra: ut esse te largiente mereamur et inter prospera humiles, et inter adversa securi. Qui cum. The Prayer Enlighten our minds, we beseech Thee, Lord, by the grace of Thy visitation; that of Thy bounty  we may merit to be humble in prosperity, and safe in adversity. Who with the Father.  December 18 Capitulum Ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et suscitabo David germen justum: et regnabit rex, et sapiens erit, et faciet judicium et justitiam in terra. Chapter            Jeremiah 23, 5 Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will raise up to David a just branch: and a king shall reign, and shall be wise, and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth.   Aña O Rex Gentium, * et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.   Aña O King of the Gentiles, * and the Desire thereof, and cornerstone that makest of twain one: come, to save man, whom Thou didst make from the mud of the earth. Oratio Excita, quaesumus, Domine, potentiam tuam, et veni: ut ab imminentibus peccatorum nostrorum periculis, te mereamur protegente eripi, te liberante salvari: Qui vivis. The Prayer Stir up Thy strength, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and come; us, that we may merit to be delivered from the imminent dangers of our sins by Thee our protector, and saved by Thee our liberator. Who livest. December 19 Capitulum Dominus enim judex noster, Dominus legifer noster, Dominus rex noster, ipse salvabit nos. Chapter            Isaiah 33, 22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: he will save us.   Aña O Emmanuel, * Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.   Aña O Emmanuel, * our King and Lawgiver, longing of the Gentiles, and Savior thereof: come Thou to save us, O Lord our God. Oratio Omnipotens Christe, Unigenite Dei, propitius ad salvandum populum in te credentem veni: ut benignitate solita ab omni dubietate et metu temporis nos jubeas liberari: Qui cum Deo Patre. The Prayer Christ Almighty, Onlybegotten Son of God, of Thy mercy come Thou to save the people that believeth in Thee; that by Thy wonted kindliness, Thou mayest command us to be freed of very doubt, and fear of our times. Who with the Father. The translations of the Scriptural passages are taken from the Douay-Rheims version; where the quotation is different from the actual words of Scripture (a common enough feature of medieval liturgical texts), I have placed the changed words in italics. The translations of the antiphons are based on those in the English version of the Roman Breviary by the Marquess of Bute, with many modifications; those of the prayers are my own. It should be noted that the Chapter which accompanies "O Radix Jesse" is based on Isaiah 11, 10, but is actually quoted from a responsory of the Third Sunday of Advent. Likewise, the prayer which accompanies "O Clavis David" is that of the Third Sunday of Advent, and that which accompanies "O Rex gentium" is that of the First Sunday. A 15th century stained glass window of Augsburg Cathedral, showing the Coronation of the Virgin Mary at top, the Annunciation on the lower left, and the Birth of Christ on the lower right.

View article...