New free download: Starck’s Motherhood Prayers
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.
Thy Kingdom Come: Now 20% off!
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.
New: TLH Module for Lutheran Service Builder
The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH) contains 312 hymns that are not found in Lutheran Service Book (LSB). Now, the TLH hymns that are in the public domain (282) are available as a free download to be used within Lutheran Service Builder to create your worship bulletin.
If you already use Builder to produce your bulletins, then simply download the TLH Module below. If you are not familiar with Lutheran Service Builder by Concordia Publishing House, visit their website to learn more.
This new download was created by Pastor Evan Scamman. Find his contact information in the following PDF if you have any questions.
TLH Module –Installation Instructions-new
TLH Module for Lutheran Service Builder New Zip File
Get a Giclée Print of “Barren”
Looking for a Christmas gift idea? There’s still time to get a giclée print of Ed Riojas’ cover artwork from He Remembers the Barren. Giclée prints are the archival standard used by museums and 
galleries to reproduce fine art. Images are printed on Hahnemuehle fine art paper and are signed by the artist. The sizes listed below are image sizes, and there is extra white space all around to aid in framing. Once you place an order here on our website, we’ll forward the details to Ed, who works with a local printer to produce these beautiful prints. Read all about the symbolism here, including what the cruciform shoot represents and how the bird’s nest is tied to vocation.
14.7″ x 18″ giclée print: $80 (shipping included)
Shipping and handling included in the price for domestic orders only. International customers: please contact us for a custom shipping quote. Prints are mailed via insured Priority mail. Estimated arrival time is 7 days.
Advent Gregorian Chant Vespers – December 10
Join us for a Gregorian Chant Vespers from The Brotherhood Prayer Book on Sunday, December 10, 2017. It will take place at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and we’re planning to live-stream it for those of you who want to follow along at home.
The evening will begin at 4:00 pm with a presentation on “The Liturgy of the Hours in Advent and Christmastide” by Dr. Benjamin Mayes. Vespers will follow at 5:00 pm. Afterwards, we plan to head to a local restaurant for dinner to round out the evening.
The Brotherhood Prayer Book: Hymn for Advent 1
Audio: Listen to Hymn for Advent 1 chanted.
Creator of the stars of night,
Thy people’s everlasting light,
Jesus, Redeemer, save us all,
Hear Thou Thy servants when they call.
Thou, sorrowing at the helpless cry
Of all creation doomed to die,
Didst save our lost and guilty race
By healing gifts of heavenly grace.
Thou cam’st, the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew the world to eventide;
Proceeding from a virgin shrine,
The spotless Victim all divine.
At Thy great Name, exalted now,
All knees in lowly homage bow;
All things in heaven and earth adore,
And own Thee King for evermore.
To Thee, O Holy One, we pray,
Our Judge in that tremendous day,
Ward off, while yet we dwell below,
The weapons of our crafty foe.
To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Laud, honor, might and glory be
From age to age eternally. Amen.
________________
Conditor alme siderum. 7th cent., trans. by J.M. Neale
An excerpt from The Brotherhood Prayer Book
Pre-Advent sale on The Brotherhood Prayer Book and other titles
From now through Saturday, December 2, several of our titles are 15% off!
God With Us by David H. Petersen contains fifty-nine sermons spanning Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, including daily sermons for all of Advent. Many customers tell us that they’ve given God With Us in bulk to family and friends, since these brief sermons serve well for daily devotions. As one reviewer notes, “If you are looking for some additional spiritual refreshment this Advent through Epiphany seasons, this is a perfect combination of brevity and potency, of meditation and instruction, but most of all, of our Lord Jesus Christ who has come to save us from our sins!”
In The Word Remains: Selected Writings on the Church Year and the Christian Life, Wilhelm Löhe gives insight into the confessional Lutheran understanding of the church year, the Word of God, and matters related to the Christian life: faith, prayer, fellowship, worship, creation, and hope. Especially appropriate for this time of the church year are the readings for Advent, Christmas, the New Year (the circumcision of Christ), and Epiphany.
The Brotherhood Prayer Book and its accompanying CD are also on sale. The Brotherhood Prayer Book includes services for the day (Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vepsers, and Compline), the entire Psalter, daily and seasonal propers, and a Beichtspiegel.
A Beichtspiegel (confession mirror) is a tool used for reflection and self-examination in preparation for private confession and absolution or for the general confession and absolution in the Divine Service. The Beichtspiegel offered free in our Downloads tab is published in The Brotherhood Prayer Book. The text was compiled in 2003 by Rev. Michael Frese and Dr. Benjamin Mayes, using resources from confessional pastors in both the LCMS and the SELK in Germany.
The season of Advent is a particular time of preparation for Christians. In baptism, our Lord Jesus Christ began in us a living faith, and we return to its promise every time we confess our sins and receive forgiveness. Thus, the purpose of a Beichtspiegel is to help us reflect upon our individual sins and lead us to the soothing balm of the absolution. True repentance is both sorrow over sin and faith in Christ’s forgiveness.
A Beichtspiegel helps us to consider our sins according to the Ten Commandments. It is forgiveness that we Christians seek, not a perfect and exhaustive confession, yet it is salutary to be able to better understand and articulate in what ways and how often we sin. Examining ourselves is not merely for the purpose of causing shame over our wretched sinfulness, but to focus us on the only source of comfort: Jesus.
A greeting card to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation
This “Mighty Fortress” card features stained glass from a village church in Zwingenberg, Germany. The cover proclaims “Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott” (A mighty fortress is our God). Luther’s hymn of the same name is based on Psalm 46, which is referenced in the inside text: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1.
“We preach Christ crucified”
“We do not put a statue of a baby in the manger because we think that Jesus is still in the manger. We put a statue in the manger to remember that Jesus was a baby, that He took up our flesh and our burden. An empty manger just won’t do. The fact that God has a body, was born of a woman, for us, is not a tiny detail in the story or somehow not the important part. It is the essence of the story. In the same way, we do not put a statue of Jesus on the cross because we think that He is not risen. We know and we rejoice that He is risen. But an empty cross just won’t do. The fact that He was crucified in His body is not just a detail or somehow the prelude to the more significant event. It is the essence of the story. We preach Christ crucified.” -David H. Petersen in God With Us
*All books are up to 25% off during our Fall Sale
Custom Imprinting on Christmas Cards
Emmanuel Press offers custom imprinting for bulk orders of Christmas cards, including customized inside greetings and return addresses on envelopes. With Christmas only three months away, now is the time to get started on your personal or business order. Contact us for more information!