He Restores My Soul: A new book about God’s promises amidst suffering

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

Image result for katie schuermannAuthor Katie Schuermann is known for giving voice to the shame of barrenness and Christ’s sure comfort amidst suffering in her book, He Remembers the Barren. Readers often comment in person and in reviews that her compassionate, honest insight into suffering and stress resonated with them, even beyond the subject of barrenness:

“[Schuermann] encourages her readers to lament without falling into self-pity, to be honest with God about their pain, and to look to the promises that He has given in His Son.” 

“This book has opened my eyes to the suffering many women experience and how the grace of God answers their pain, not with explanations, but with hope.”

Now, Katie Schuermann is collaborating with Emmanuel Press and a host of experienced female writers to broaden the discussion of suffering in the Church and apply the theology of the cross to a wider range of topics in He Restores My Soul, a new book set to release in October of 2018.

Utilizing the timeless, rich comfort permeating Psalm 23, He Restores My Soul offers empathy and encouragement to the cross-bearing Christian woman. Never indulging in contemporary self-help rhetoric, Schuermann and friends persist in pointing the reader to a firm trust in God’s promises found in His Word and a resounding joy in God’s mysterious work of conforming us “to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).

Various topics addressed within the pages of He Restores My Soul include living the Christian faith in the public arena, carrying a child in the womb who is not expected to live, mothering while working, regretting an abortion, struggling against same-sex attraction, caring for aging parents, children leaving the faith, living with mental illness, suffering from depression and chronic diseases, and raising children apart from one’s own upbringing.

Follow along as we release more information about the book’s topics, participating authors, and excerpts by signing up for email updates on the right sidebar or by liking Emmanuel Press and Katie Schuermann on Facebook.

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Excerpt for Holy Saturday

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

thykingdom-grid

“This Jesus, who was crucified, who went as weak as a kitten to the cross, has sapped the devil of all his strength. The trickster has been tricked. He ate the fruit that hung from the tree on Calvary, tempted and beguiled like Eve in the garden. He ate, and now his belly bursts. His jaws are seared shut. He can take no more. He is done, finished, over. He has no accusations left. He hurled every last one of them at the Christ, and the Christ has answered for all of them, and there are none left for us or for anyone. Jesus died to take them away.”

-David H. Petersen in Thy Kingdom Come

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Thy Kingdom Come: An Excerpt from Maundy Thursday

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

“The fruit of the tree is on the paten and in the chalice. The angel of death passes over. He has no claim upon us. We belong to God. We bear His watery name. We eat at His table. We are His people and more. We are not merely guests, sojourners in His house for but an hour, but we are members of the royal family raised up from stones. We are not Gentile dogs hoping for crumbs, worshiping what we do not know. We, by grace, are the Lord’s own beloved and immaculate bride. We belong to God. We are baptized. We eat at His table. We are gathered under the protecting shadow of the cross.”

-David H. Petersen in Thy Kingdom Come

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Scratch & Dent Sale – Save up to 35%

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

It’s time for another Scratch & Dent sale! We have several books with minor cosmetic flaws that we’re offering at up to 35% off. Flaws include a fold or scratch on the cover, dented spine or corner, or a cover discoloration; inside material isn’t affected. Standard shipping rates apply.

Contact us with your mailing address to purchase any of these books at the prices listed. We’ll then email you a customized Paypal invoice with payment required in 24 hours. But hurry – we expect these items to go quickly!


*As a reminder, you can also save 10% on our Resurrection greeting cards (pictured right).

 

 

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Excerpts from He Remembers the Barren, Second Edition

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

“Perhaps the matter would be clearer if we hadn’t abandoned the use of gift language in the body of Christ. Rarely do we talk about children as God defines them in the Bible, using His words of ‘gift, heritage, fruit, blessing, reward.’ Instead, we refer to children as the world does, adopting cultural phrases like ‘birth control, family planning, baby machine, reproduction, fertility science.’ By our language alone, we suggest to each other that children are a commodity to be planned for and controlled. This control language is a waste of breath in the church because it isn’t true. It isn’t God’s language. It doesn’t come from His Word. It is something we humans have made up in an attempt to explain and define and harness that which remains mysterious and untamed, and control language falls short every time.”

“Sisters, we can waste such precious time in this life staring into a mirror. We can study our flesh until we have our faults and flaws memorized, but we end up learning nothing and going nowhere. Instead, we wander aimlessly down a long, winding path of navel-gazing where even the best and strongest of navigators can get lost. When you spend the whole of your journey looking at yourself, you miss the road signs that clearly mark your way. Are you a baptized child of God? Then you have put on Christ, and your Savior is perfect and holy for you. When God looks at you, He sees the redemptive work of His Son, and there lies your worth. We must pull our gaze from ourselves and look to the cross. In Christ’s suffering and glory, we will find the answers, though the questions we ask will be different.”

-excerpts from Katie Schuermann’s He Remembers the Barren: Second Edition

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Eastertide Card: Limited Edition

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

This theologically-rich, beautiful Eastertide card with artwork by Edward Riojas depicts Jesus’ victory over the grave, for Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The inside verse proclaims:

For the sheep the Lamb has bled,
Sinless in the sinner’s stead.
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high;
Now He lives, no more to die.
Alleluia!

This was one of the first cards that we debuted back in 2011, and we have decided to resurrect it this year with a limited quantity available. Since this is a smaller print-run, we won’t be adding it to our website, so you’ll need to contact us with the details of your order. Prices are as follows (shipping included): 5 cards for $10.95; 15 cards for $20.95; 40 cards for $45.95. Once you email us with your order, we’ll send you a customized Paypal invoice, which will need to be paid within 24 hours to ensure your order.
*Not available for international shipment. Card dimensions are 6.25″ x 4.5″.

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New free download: Starck’s Motherhood Prayers

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

Starck’s Motherhood Prayers offers comforting prayers for expectant and new mothers. Written in German in the 18th century by Lutheran pastor Johann Friedrich Starck (as part of the larger volume, Starck’s Prayer Book), this book is now available as a free download here on our website.

As Rebekah Curtis describes in her thoughtful review, “The book is set up as a series of exhortations, prayers, and hymns. It begins with a general devotion and goes on to cover different angles on parturition such as The Woman With Child Reflects on Her God-Pleasing State; Commends Herself and Her Child To God; Thanks God For Her Fruitfulness; Takes Comfort in the Thought That God Will Help Her; etc. Next is a long section of Meditations for Labor, including Scripture, prayers and ‘sighings.’ Then there are meditations for confinement, including prayers for the child at its baptism, the woman’s churching, the weaning of the child, etc.” As Curtis further explains in the Introduction to Emmanuel Press’s edition, the Motherhood Prayers “will teach you how to speak God’s own Word back to Him, which is the truest, most edifying prayer. They will comfort you as you pray them because they are saturated with that Word, which is God’s gift to us.”

It is inevitable that one may question the relevance of such prayers, written in antiquated language for a woman many generations before. Yet through the beauty of carefully-crafted meditations interwoven with Scripture and hymns, Starck reminds all of us –not only expectant mothers – that children are not merely a product of nature but are a gift from God Himself. All who believe that life begins at conception will benefit from these prayers, marvel at the miracle of life, and be strengthened to support and encourage other women, whether they be our daughters, sisters, friends, or family. What a treasure for an expectant mother during her time of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the enigmatic haze of the weeks to follow.

These prayers help give voice to a mother’s faith when her own words falter, when she needs to hear that God will grant her peace and perseverance and will not abandon her in her hour of pain and sleeplessness. It is no coincidence that the longest portion of prayers in this book is for women in labor, an especially trying time when words of comfort and mercy are most needed. Starck reminds us that it is God in His mercy and grace who permits a mother to rise in good health in the morning, to keep her mind upon Him throughout the day, and to commend herself and the fruit of her womb to God at every hour of the day.

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Four-Day Pre-Lent Sale – up to 30% off

Posted on February 10, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

All books are up to 30% off through Tuesday, February 13!

*Prof. John Pless’s Didache uses the Bible, Luther’s Small Catechism, and the hymnal to instruct in a basic pattern of catechesis which expounds upon doctrine, liturgy, and vocation. Many pastors find it to be a helpful guide for Bible Class, while other customers use it for individual or group study.

*He Remembers the Barren by Katie Schuermann offers comfort not only to those who struggle with the painful experience of barrenness, but also to anyone who knows the grief and shame of suffering. It is a valuable resource for family members, friends, pastors, or anyone seeking to better understand and empathize with the barren experience of a loved one.

*Liber Hymnorum: The Latin Hymns of the Lutheran Church is a collection of hymns taken exclusively from Lutheran hymnals and chant-books of the Reformation and post-Reformation era. It is two hymnals in one, the first half being English, the second Latin, exactly mirroring the first half in contents and numbering. Edited and translated by Matthew Carver.

*Thy Kingdom Come and God With Us by Pr. David Petersen offer daily sermons for Lent/Easter and Advent/Christmas. These books are invaluable for homiletical ideas and for the devotional reading of good Law & Gospel sermons.

*The Brotherhood Prayer Book (and CD) includes services for the day (Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vepsers, and Compline), the entire Psalter, daily and seasonal propers, and a Beichtspiegel unique to the BPB.

*What an Altar Guild Should Know gives details about church services, rubrics, altar care, sacred vessels, and other topics related to liturgical worship. However, anyone who is interested in liturgical worship will appreciate Lang’s keen theological insight into why reverence and beauty and the externals of worship matter.

*In The Word Remains, Wilhelm Löhe gives insight into the confessional Lutheran understanding of the church year, the Word of God, and matters related to the Christian life.

*The Conduct of the Service describes what to do in the chancel, such as where to stand and how to move so that the emphasis remains on Christ and not on the liturgist.

*The prayers in Wilhelm Loehe’s Seed Grains of Prayer contain collects for all occasions and are particularly good for personal devotion.

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Thy Kingdom Come: An Excerpt from Sexagesima

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

“[The Lord] sows where no reasonable sower would sow: on the trodden path, in rocky and thorny ground. And His Word does what no ordinary sower could expect of his seed. It transforms the ground. It bears fruit in the unlikely hearts of rebellious men. He sows because He is good and His seed is good and we need it.

“He is no respecter or persons and does not discriminate. He sows His seed lavishly, inviting all those with ears to hear. No one comes to this kingdom worthily. There are no good people, no plowed and ready ground. There are only sinners. Some are stubborn and deny that they are sinners or deny that Jesus is the Lord’s Christ. But some – by grace, not because they are good or smart, but because He is good – are transformed and acknowledge their need for grace and the lordship of Jesus Christ. He who has gets more. The kingdom is not built on justice, but on grace.”

-David H. Petersen in Thy Kingdom Come, now 20% off

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Thy Kingdom Come: Now 20% off!

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Emmanuel Press

An excerpt from Septuagesima: “God isn’t like you. He doesn’t think the way you think. His ways are not your ways. And He doesn’t owe you, or anyone, anything. For reasons all His own, however, He loves and welcomes you into His kingdom—not for free, but for the bloody, torturous death of His beloved Son. This is the essence of the Gospel: The Lord rewards those who don’t deserve it. He loves those who hate and abuse Him. He gives gifts to those who steal from Him. He is generous, merciful, and good despite you. If that doesn’t send a tingle down your spine, and you haven’t just lost a baby or your mother, shame on you. The Gospel doesn’t promise an emotional reaction, but it almost always gives it. The Bible calls that emotion joy.”

-David H. Petersen in Thy Kingdom Come, now 20% off

Pre-Lent begins with Septuagesima, which is only 4 days away! With over sixty sermons spanning Pre-Lent, all forty days of Lent, and the Sundays after Easter, this book serves as an excellent daily devotion for both pastors and parishioners. Use the word cloud in the right sidebar to find more excerpts and also have a look at our reviews.

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