Looking for a Confirmation Gift?
Our Six Chief Parts artwork (left), created by Lutheran artist Edward Riojas, features the six chief parts of The Small Catechism in a cruciform shape. It is available as a greeting card or as an 8″ x 10″ print, ready for framing.
The following description of the symbolism is printed on the back of each card and is provided in sticker form with each print for affixing to the back of the frame:
Symbols for each of the six chief parts are arranged in a cruciform shape: tablets of the Law represent the Ten Commandments; chalice and host, the Lord’s Supper; scallop shell with three water drops, Holy Baptism; thurible with incense rising to heaven, the Lord’s Prayer; and crossed keys, the Office of the Keys. Central to all is a triangle interwoven with a circle, symbolizing the Holy Trinity confessed in the Apostle’s Creed. These symbols are charged on a red Latin cross pointing to Christ’s all-atoning sacrifice, which in turn gives life and produces fruit in the life of the Church and her saints.
Seed Grains of Prayer: A Prayer for Holy Thursday
“Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast given us the joy of Thy bread to eat and Thy cup to drink in remembrance of Thy sufferings, we pray Thee, enlighten us that by true self-examination we may worthily receive that Sacrament, in true discernment of Thy presence. Amen.”
-W. Loehe in Seed Grains of Prayer, 20% off through Saturday
*If you’re looking for a helpful tool for reflection and self-examination, consider the Beichtspiegel (“confession mirror”) available in our free Downloads.
Get a Signed Copy of Didache
In between international trips and teaching at Concordia Theological Seminary, Prof. John Pless graciously agreed to sign 30 copies of Didache for us to offer to our customers. In Didache, Pless brings together the Holy Scriptures, Luther’s Small Catechism, and the hymnal to teach what Lutherans confess (doctrine), how we receive Christ’s gifts in the Divine Service (liturgy), and how we pray and live under the cross of Jesus Christ (vocation).
These won’t last long…and they’re also 15% off!
Excerpts from Didache
“The fact that God is our Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, shapes how we pray. The Small Catechism’s explanation of the Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer picks up on two words from Ephesians 3:12 — boldness and confidence. Christian prayer is anchored in the truth of the Father’s love given us in His Son. Therefore, we may approach our Father with all boldness and confidence just ‘as dear children ask their dear father.'” (p. 31)
“As the Scriptures carry the Lord’s own authority, they are powerful for accomplishing His own purpose, namely, creating in our hearts saving faith in Jesus Christ. That is what Paul means when he says that the Scriptures are ‘able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Tim. 3:15). Here we see the gracious and effective power that God has invested in His Word. The Word of God creates faith. This is a miracle on par with the creation of the universe; even as God created the heavens and the earth by His mighty Word, by that same Word He creates faith. His Word accomplishes His purpose.” (p. 3)
-John T. Pless in Didache, 15% off during Lent (see sale details below)
God With Us: The Eighth Day of Christmas
“Baptism is greater than circumcision. It is not just for boys. It is not bloody and does not hurt, but don’t fail to notice this is: it is deadly. It drowns the old man even as it raises up the new man, and it attaches us to God. See how it fulfills circumcision? It places God’s name upon us. Baptism is Baptism because Jesus was baptized, because He was anointed for the sacrifice. As His circumcision ended and fulfilled circumcision and counted for us, so also His baptism began Baptism and counts for us. And since He was born under the Law, we are born above it.”
-Pr. David H. Petersen in God With Us, from the sermon for The Eighth Day of Christmas: The Circumcision of our Lord
The Brotherhood Prayer Book: A Hymn for the Holy Innocents
Audio: Listen to A Hymn for the Holy Innocents chanted
Sweet flowerets of the martyr band,
Plucked by the tyrant’s ruthless hand
Upon the threshold of the morn,
Like rosebuds by a tempest torn;
First victims for the incarnate Lord,
A tender flock to feel the sword;
Beside the very altar, gay,
With palm and crown, ye seemed to play.
Ah, what availed King Herod’s wrath?
He could not stop the Savior’s path.
Alone, while others murdered lay,
In safety Christ is borne away.
O Lord, the Virgin-born, to Thee
Eternal praise and glory be,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Ghost forevermore. Amen.
Salvete, flores martyrum by Aurelius C. Prudentius, d. 413, trans. by H.W. Baker, alt.
From The Brotherhood Prayer Book
__________
Collect: O God, whose martyred innocents showed forth Thy praise not by speaking but by dying: mortify all vices within us, that our lives may in deed confess Thy faith which our tongue uttereth; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
The picture a 19th-century fresco from the Imperial Cathedral of Speyer, Germany. Find similiar pictures here. Many thanks to Pr. Sean Daenzer for chanting.
New: A review of An Explanation of the Common Service
“The answer, ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it,’ to the question of, ‘why do we do what we do in worship?’ is not only unhelpful, but it’s also false. We do know ‘why we do what we do in worship.’ Sometimes we just don’t know where to find the answer to the question. An Explanation of the Common Service helps give concrete answers to questions that would otherwise be left in abstract thought and speculation. What would seem to be a daunting number of questions and answers (250) is eased by the reality that the book is just 120 pages in length, which includes a history of Christian hymnody; liturgical colors and their significance; and index and glossary.”
Many thanks to Pr. Mike Grieve for an excellent and thorough review. It is well worth reading in its entirety at Lutheran Treasures of the Old Missouri Synod.
Today Only! Spend $25, Earn $5.
Today is Small Business Saturday, which started several years ago as a sort of counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The idea is to encourage people across the country to shop at local, small businesses. Well, Fort Wayne may not be local for you, but we are definitely a small business, and we greatly appreciate all of our customers! To show our appreciation, we are offering a special one-day promotion. Until midnight tonight, you will earn $5 for every $25 you spend.*
Maybe you’ve had your eye on Ceremony and Celebration as a resource on Lutheran liturgical worship, or Didache, which teaches doctrine using the Holy Scriptures, Luther’s Small Catechism, and the hymnal. Or perhaps you’re looking for Christmas cards that combine beauty with substance.
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or for a gift, browse around our selection of books and greeting cards, and earn $5 for every $25 you spend.
*Total used to figure gift certificate excludes shipping. Gift certificate may only be used in a future order.
Three days: Get a signed copy of God With Us
Starting today and ending Friday, November 20, all purchases of God With Us by David H. Petersen will be signed by the author. With Advent just 11 days away, now is the time to pick up a copy just in time for the start of the season.
Many customers tell us that they’ve given God With Us in bulk to family members and friends, since these 59 brief sermons serve well for daily devotions. As Pr. Larry Beane writes, “This book is a treasure trove for private or family devotions, as well as a solid source of homiletical material for daily chapel or Divine Services. 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!”
Read the reviews, learn how we developed the lectionary for this book, take a look at the Table of Contents and Scripture Index, and find excerpts throughout the site. Better yet, sign up for occasional emails on the right sidebar or follow us on Facebook, where we post more frequent excerpts.
*Be sure to peruse our Christmas cards while you’re here. Reasonably priced, unique, gorgeous artwork…combined with a clear confession of our Savior’s birth.
Our new Christmas cards are now available!
This year we collaborated with local artist Meghan Schultz to create three beautiful new designs. Meghan’s background is in graphic design and advertising with a special interest in fine art and calligraphy. While busy as a homeschooling mother, she finds time to pursue art as a personal hobby and also to create liturgical artwork for her home congregation, Redeemer Lutheran Church – Fort Wayne. Meghan recently designed a coat of arms for Redeemer, which was then rendered in hand-carved wood, and she’s currently working on several custom projects.
Working with such a versatile artist led to some unique details in “Magnificat” (left). We paired the depiction of Mary and Jesus (from “The Virgin of the Lilies” by 19th-century artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau) with hand-lettered words from the Song of Mary. We also added hand-drawn fleur-de-lis in the corners as a nod to Bouguereau’s French heritage and the lilies in his original piece, symbolic of Mary. The text inside features a verse from the beloved hymn, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” 
The illuminated artwork for “A Child is Born” (right) is from a 14th-century choir book from a monastery in Italy. The words on the manuscript in Latin are from Isaiah 9:6, which is also quoted in the inside greeting: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” You can view the inside text in its entirety on our Christmas cards page.
Finally, we decided to redesign one of the very first Christmas cards that we introduced back in 2011. The 
artwork for “Nativity” (left) is a fresco from the Imperial Cathedral in Speyer, Germany. This Nazarene-style fresco was painted in the cathedral’s interior walls in the mid-1800s by Johann von Schraudolph at the behest of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The city of Speyer is significant in Reformation history; adherents of the Reformation were first called Protestants when they protested the Holy Roman Empire’s ban against Martin Luther and his teachings at an Imperial Diet in Speyer in 1529. This year, we updated the card to give it a beautiful linen-textured background and words proclaiming Christ’s birth.
Visit our Christmas cards page to have a closer look at the covers and view the inside greetings. If you send out a lot of Christmas cards or want to stock up for future years, take advantage of our bulk discount, which begins with orders of 15 sets. Contact us for more details before placing your order so that we can create a customized invoice.