Emmanuel Press

“Rev. Hamer is an unpretentious guide to open our ears to Bach’s music, our minds to John’s Gospel and the Passion’s libretto, and our hearts to the evangelical faith. Thoughtfully divided among the days of Lent, these devotions will help anyone turn a recording of the St. John Passion into a 40-day meditation on Christ’s glorious sacrifice. The musician will benefit from these theological insights into Bach’s famous work, as will the modern Lutheran preacher.”

Rev. Sean Daenzer, Director of LCMS Worship
and Chaplain at the LCMS International Center

O Perfect Life of Love is suitable not only for individual devotions but also for the entire family. Find for more details, purchasing information, and an excerpt here.

We are pleased to release our newest title: O Perfect Life of Love: Daily Lenten Meditations on J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion. Author Brian J. Hamer is a pastor of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and an active-duty Navy Chaplain. In addition to his experience in conducting and singing in choirs on both coasts, he writes and edits for a wide variety of publishers on theology, culture, and the arts.

As Hamer states in the Introduction, “It is probably just a coincidence that the New Bach Edition of the St. John
Passion by J. S. Bach (1685–1750) divides Bach’s masterwork into the same number of movements as there are days in Lent. This book of meditations places those forty movements of the St. John Passion as a literary and musical stencil over the forty weekdays of Lent—Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, excluding Sundays in Lent—to create a daily listening lectionary. I pray that this careful and deliberate approach to Bach’s masterwork—forty movements in forty days—will assist you, the reader/listener, in your Lenten piety as you behold the life-giving cross, on which was hung the salvation of the world.”

Both the German and English texts are provided to aid in listening, followed by a devotional meditation in which Hamer offers historical, musical, and theological commentary. Enrich your Lenten days by becoming acquainted with or ever more familiar with the St. John Passion through the lens of a Lutheran pastor and musician. Visit the book’s page to find more details, purchasing information, and an excerpt.

Doing year-end inventory has the added benefit of setting aside titles for our Scratch & Dent sale. The content isn’t affected, yet you can save up to 30% on books with minor cosmetic flaws. Flaws include a fold or scratch on the cover, dented spine or corner, or a cover discoloration. (A Scratch & Dent sticker is placed on the inside cover.) A limited number of the following books are offered at reduced prices:

• Liber Hymnorum – now $26.25
• What an Altar Guild Should Know – now $9.00
• He Restores My Soul – now $13.50 (there are enough copies available for a small book group)
• He Remembers the Barren – now $11.25
• Apostolic Agenda – now $18.00
• God With Us – now $11.20
• Thy Kingdom Come – now $12.80
• Liturgical Forms – now $28.00
• Ceremony and Celebration – now $20.00

These prices will not be reflected each book’s page. Instead, you will need to contact us with your mailing address and order details to purchase any of these books. You are welcome to add any full-price items to your order. Standard shipping rates apply. After we receive your email, we’ll send you customized Paypal invoice with payment required within 24 hours.

We are delighted to collaborate with Lutheran artist Kelly Klages for this year’s new Christmas card, “Incarnation,” bringing the total to
15 designs exclusive to Emmanuel Press. Kelly’s original acrylic on canvas painting is an illuminated manuscript based on a page from a 15th-century prayer book by Jean Poyet and his workshop.

The text follows a liturgical format, opening with “Deus in adiutorium meum intende,” with the response “Domine ad adiuvandum me festina,” — “Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.” Next is “Gloria Patri” (or, “Glory be the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit”), then “Sicut erat” (“as it was” in the beginning, is now, etc), and “Alleluia.”

A devotional hymn verse starts on the 9th line with the word “Memento,” translated as follows:

Be mindful, author of our health,
That thou sometime didst take on thee
Of a pure virgin being born,
The form of our humanity.
Glory be unto thee, O Lord,
That born was of the virgin pure,
With the Father and the Holy Ghost,
All ages ever to endure. Amen.

Finally, after the red “Psalmus” are the first six verses of Psalm 54 (Psalm 53 in the Vulgate). On the back of the card is an encouragement to visit our website for a translation and description of the artwork, for the sake of the recipient.

The inside text of the card is Galatians 4:4-5:

But when the fullness of time had come,
God sent forth His Son, born of woman,
born under the law, to redeem those
who were under the law,
so that we might receive
adoption as sons.

Visit our Christmas cards page to see our 15 Christmas cards, all unique to Emmanuel Press and always focused on Christ.

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Kelly Klages is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. She earned a degree in Studio Art from Goucher College in 2003 and interned at Beaumont Pottery in Phoenix, Maryland. In 2004, Kelly married Alex Klages and moved to Winkler, Manitoba, where Alex was called to serve as pastor to two congregations in the Lutheran Church-Canada. Kelly’s work has been on display in various galleries and locations throughout southern Manitoba, including the Pembina Hills Art Gallery, the Tiger Hills Art Gallery, and the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg.

Over the years, Kelly has taken a special interest in detailed portraiture, liturgical artworks, and miniature painting. Her primary medium is acrylics, but she enjoys experimenting with many forms of art and crafting. In 2011, she created a book of illustrated hymns for children called Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, using colored pencil. She has also illustrated a couple of board books for Kloria Publishing, created magazine covers for The Canadian Lutheran, and is currently a regular artist/supplier for Ad Crucem.

Kelly Klages currently lives in Morden, Manitoba, Canada, with her husband and three children: Anastasia, Micah, and Timothy.

We are delighted to announce the release of The Great Works of God, Part Seven: The Mysteries of Christ in the Book of Leviticus, written by Valerius Herberger, translated by Matthew Carver. Find a description of the book, purchasing information, endorsements, and excerpts here.

In addition, we offer you the following review from Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Boyle, Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana: “Consolation in the name of Jesus—that’s what Valerius Herberger delivers in Part Seven of his meditations on Scripture. Much like Augustine’s Confessions, this devotional commentary teaches and exhorts, convicts and comforts the Christian through a running prayer to the Father, through the Son, with the Holy Spirit. Every page richly orders all of Leviticus towards Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for us. Yet, as Herberger sees Jesus in the covenant to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he’s never willing to leave us as the baptized out either. It’s always looking back and forward, and always from the cross of Christ.

“The breadth of Scriptural knowledge and citation, along with hymns and classical poems, makes this series of meditations through Leviticus a true nourishment of the soul, and Matthew Carver’s translation allows one to feed without interruption! That is, the book that causes most of us to stumble while reading through the Scriptures—Leviticus—comes to us, through Herberger’s insight and Carver’s translation, as a book of Christ. Herberger shows how profitably and clearly Leviticus ‘explains how the Lamb of God was slain from the beginning of the world (Rev. 13:8). From the beginning of the world, His bloody death was always seen in the sacrifices of the people of God; and from the beginning of the world, the power of His merit has also availed for all believing hearts’ (25). Everything points to Jesus: the sacrifice of cattle to His strength; the corners of the altar to the corners of His cross; the sheep to His gentleness and innocence; the goats and kids to His authority and boldness; the doves to His humility; and every burnt offering to Christ the crucified (31, 33). On and on it goes: Here in Leviticus the shadow, there in Christ the truth itself—’This is all full of mystery’ (72). With Herberger as your guide, the ‘Mosaic shell’ of Leviticus cracks and gives forth ‘the precious, delectable nut’ of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (79). And not just Leviticus alone, Herberger claims, but ‘how utterly the whole course of [Christ’s] life is wrapped up in the Old Testament!’ (165). So, ‘Rouse yourself, devout heart, and ponder this. You will discover it in truth’ (123).”

“Leviticus, with its prescribed rituals for God’s Old Testament people, is too easily passed over. After reading The Great Works of God by Valerius Herberger, skeptic readers will come to see Leviticus as valuable in coming to terms with what it means for Jesus to be the Christ. Within the detailed ceremonies required by God of the Israelites are aspects of Christ’s atonement. Laity will find Matthew Carver’s translation of the 70 devotions of a 17th-century German pastor easy reading. Pastors will find themes to be developed in sermons and Bible classes. Highly recommended.”

Dr. David P. Scaer
Professor of New Testament and                   Systematic Theological
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana