Now Available from Emmanuel Press: The Conduct of the Service
In 2003, Redeemer Press published The Conduct of the Service, an invaluable resource for conducting the liturgy of the Church. After the first two print-runs quickly sold out, it was republished in 2006 after various aspects of the book were improved and reformatted, with pictures added and diagrams cleaned up. Now Redeemer Press has passed the torch to us, asking us to manage the distribution of this fine book. This excerpt from the Preface explains its origin:
“Most of Piepkorn’s students had little experience with the ceremony, reverence, and decor that flowed from him so naturally. They recognized in his liturgical actions something of the Church that they wanted to imitate. Fortunately for us they continued to press him, until finally he relented and produced The Conduct of the Service, revised in 1965. It was printed by the Concordia Seminary print shop in St. Louis and sold in the seminary bookstore. He wrote it for his students, at their insistence. He never promoted it. And thus, it never enjoyed widespread dissemination and was quickly lost to the Church. Over the years it has been much sought after and much photocopied, but the copies that still exist are mostly torn and dog-eared.
When he finally acquiesced to their demands, his training and preference for
systematics showed itself. He came at the description of ceremonies in a unique and
systematic way. He went after the rules. The rules he used are the rubrics prescribed in The Lutheran Hymnal of 1941 and in the companion volume for that Hymnal, The Lutheran Liturgy. We have reproduced the latter in an appendix for easy reference. Incidentally, those rubrics have never been replaced by the LCMS. Unless they are explicitly contradicted, replaced, or restated in new Rites provided by the Commission on Worship, they are STILL the guide for the conduct of the Services in our churches. Where they have been updated and revised, Piepkorn´s descriptions and explanations tend to make even more sense. Thus, this is the best work up to our day on the practical execution of liturgy in the LCMS…
It is our prayer that these words would again serve the Church and help unclutter Her
Services from things that hinder and distract God’s people from His gifts.”
Be sure to read the full prefaces and take a look at the Table of Contents here.
Thy Kingdom Come: An Excerpt from Thursday of Invocabit (1st Week of Lent)
“He provides for the soul through the body. You can’t wash a soul. So you wash the body with water in the Triune name of God, and the soul is thereby washed. We call that baptism. You can’t touch the soul or feed it apart from the body. So Jesus feeds our bodies with spiritual food, with what the soul needs to be strengthened and cleansed. He does not sit in heaven and think nice things toward us. He actually enters into creation. He speaks through human words, in a human voice. He feeds us when bread and wine become His body and blood, even as He washes us with water.”
-David H. Petersen, author of Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come: An Excerpt from Invocabit (1st Sunday in Lent)
“Eve fell by eating. Jesus resisted taking food from the devil in the desert. And He redeems us by feeding. The same action that plunged the world back to near chaos, that which He denied Himself, now unites and reconciles God’s children to God. His body and His blood are better than manna in the desert. Here is balm for your wounds, courage for your fight, peace for your soul, and the strength you need to face temptation. Here is the Word of God written in stone in the flesh of Mary, hidden in bread, that you would not stand against the accuser but would live as God’s own holy child.”
–David H. Petersen, author of Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come: Lent and Easter Sermons by David H. Petersen
Thy Kingdom Come
by David H. Petersen
This collection of sermons arises from the culture of an active parish life as a part of its usual worship routine. With over sixty sermons spanning Pre-Lent, all forty days of Lent, and the Sundays after Easter, this book now serves as an excellent daily devotion for both pastors and parishioners. Distinctive in his preaching style, Pr. Petersen fluidly interweaves the words of Holy Scripture with his own, immersing us in the text and applying Law and Gospel with sharp insight. As Luther explains in his catechisms, preaching the Word brings the kingdom of heaven from Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to the individual, always pointing us to Christ and Him crucified, died, and risen.
“Every one of Pr. Petersen’s sermons is a bloody mess of Law and Gospel. The mess of your sin and the mess of Jesus’ cross are on display in every sermon. No matter the occasion, no matter the readings, every sermon is about Jesus in His saving work, Jesus crucified for you.” -From the Forward, Rev. Todd Wilken
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Rev. David H. Petersen has been pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, since August of 2000. In addition to his pastoral duties, he is also a prolific writer and magazine editor, serving as editor of the Lutheran journal Gottesdienst, for which he writes on the life and liturgy of the Church. Rev. Petersen has been published in many other journals as well—both scholarly and popular—and is much in demand as a speaker and retreat leader. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 1996.
Symbolism in the Adoremus Christmas Card
When Ed Riojas created “Adoremus” for ArtPrize 2012 in Grand Rapids, he did more than produce a beautiful work of art. He gave us a masterpiece with incredible theological depth, with subtle, intentional allusions to Messianic symbolism. We asked him to describe the symbolism for us, for it is in the details that we find a greater appreciation for the work as a whole.
Starting with the peak of the frame, then moving to the side windows, and finally to the Holy Family:
- Tripartite construction of the stable and its triangular peak, a subtle nod to the Holy Trinity
- The crown of thorns that literally hangs over Jesus’ head
- A laurel wreath entwined with crown of thorns, to show ultimate victory over death
- Two turtle doves (to the left of the crown of thorns), referring to humility and the 8th-day sacrifice
- The eight-pointed Bethlehem star which announces Christ’s birth but also alludes to His death by its cross shape
- The crucifix in a road-side shrine
- A ram caught in a thicket, just as Abraham’s substitute sacrifice was given to him
- The Rose of Sharon blooming, as the Messiah is now revealed
- The ram and bull are untouched, for now is come down the ultimate sacrifice
- The inn with smoke intentionally excluded from the chimney, showing a lack of hospitality
- The open tomb in front of the inn
- Circular halos, or nimbii, showing figures to be among the saints
- Mary’s blue and white clothing, traditional colors that point to her virginity (purity)
- The lily, which is a symbol of the Virgin Mary
- The draw knife (carpenter’s tool), symbol for Joseph
- The lantern next to the draw knife with a single burning light, representing Christ as the light of the world
- Jesus, the “sign” (Luke 2:12), wrapped in swaddling cloths (in a similar way as a body for burial) and lying in a manger (a typical stone manger of the Middle East, similar to a sarcophagus)
- The Latin included in the piece (Venite Adoremus Dominum) is reflected in the card’s inside text: Word of the Father Now in flesh appearing. O come, let us adore Him.
Find Adoremus and our other Christmas cards here.
Pr. David Petersen, on thanksgiving
“We pray for daily bread not to remind God that we need it, but that He would lead us to realize that He is the giver and that we would receive it with thanksgiving. That word ‘thanksgiving’ happens to be the English translation of the Greek word ‘eucharist.’ Apart from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there would be no mercy and no providence, no bread for hungry people. It is only because the Father has reconciled us to Himself in the Son and declared us righteous that He loves us and that anyone, believer or not, has anything close to what is necessary for this body and life.”
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Pr. David H. Petersen — excerpt from his sermon on Laetare (John 6:1-15), included in his upcoming sermon book.
New Download: Solid Declaration Readings According to the Church Year
Just in time for the beginning of the church year on Advent 1, we are pleased to offer a new free download of Solid Declaration readings for major feasts and Sundays of the one-year series. Reading the Lutheran Confessions is important to both pastor and parishioner. When done weekly, it is a helpful and salutary discipline. Pr. Craig Meissner of Immanuel Lutheran Church, U.A.C., Steger, Illinois, has provided the following reading schedule, linking sections of the Solid Declaration to the church year themes in the historic one-year series.
*Find it in our Downloads tab or click here to go directly to the pdf
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Pr. Meissner writes:
The Solid Declaration is a document of utmost importance for confessional Lutherans. Like other books contained in the Book of Concord, it teaches key distinctions and doctrines essential for understanding and abiding in the true faith in the face of errors that American Lutherans still confront today. The Solid Declaration usually does this with less-detailed discussions of people, places, histories, etc., of those involved in the various controversies compared to other confessional documents, except the creeds and catechisms. Parishioners may therefore find these selections less cumbersome, though still very much edifying, making it appropriate for printing in a church bulletin or newsletter and perhaps inspiring further study of the Lutheran Confessions.
The vast majority of the Solid Declaration is covered in this reading schedule. My goal was to apply nearly all of the Solid Declaration to each of the church year Sundays and most major festivals commonly observed in our congregations. Keeping in mind the limited space of church bulletins and newsletters, I omitted only those paragraphs where a controversy or heretical position was introduced without a sufficient conclusion or rebuttal as well as those that contained extraneous personal or local details.
Some days of the church year have multiple options from the Solid Declaration provided; others have just one. You will note that the selections tend to be shorter during the “school year” and longer in the Trinity season, when there would likely be more space in a church bulletin. The pastor may alter these as he deems fit. One more suggestion before beginning this exercise: the pastor may wish to first present “The Comprehensive Summary, Foundation, Rule, and Norm” as an introduction to the readings.
May this chart be a useful and edifying tool for you and those you serve in the Lord’s Name.
Pr. Craig Meissner, S.T.M.
Immanuel Lutheran Church, U.A.C., Steger, Illinois
New Christmas Cards with Art by Edward Riojas are Now Available!
Since the debut of our first Christmas cards almost one year ago, we have been pleased and humbled by the fantastic response to cards which combine beautiful, unique works of art with a clear confession of our Savior’s birth.
This year we are thrilled to offer two new Christmas cards with artwork by Edward Riojas, an artist whose work is also included in The Brotherhood Prayer Book and on several of our greeting cards and book covers. His sacred work can also be found in private collections and sanctuaries throughout the U.S. and Canada and in numerous Lutheran publications.
The first card, Adoremus, features a seven foot tall oil painting on wood originally created as an entry for ArtPrize 2012. There is much symbolism in the details: the lily, which is a symbol of the Virgin Mary; the carpenter’s tool next to the lantern with a single burning light, representing Christ as the Light of the world; the eight-pointed Bethlehem star which announces Christ’s birth but also alludes to His death by its cross shape; the crown of thorns that literally hangs over Jesus’ head; and the inn with smoke intentionally excluded from the chimney, showing a lack of hospitality. The inside text reflects the Latin included in the piece (Venite Adoremus Dominum): Word of the Father Now in flesh appearing. O come, let us adore Him.
The second card, Virgin and Child, features an oil painting on wood in the artist’s personal collection. Riojas used his daughter as a model for the Virgin Mary, depicting the solemn and holy night of our Lord’s birth. The inside text proclaims Isaiah’s words of prophesy: For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given…and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Like our other Christmas cards, these cards are 5″ x 7″ with classic gold foil-lined envelopes. Also be sure to take a look at our other ecclesiastical greeting cards, including gorgeous fresco and stained glass cards as well as Baptism, Easter, and other Christmas cards.
Art as Confession: Student from Saudi Arabia learns about Christ through Riojas’ Adoremus
“‘Adoremus’ is hanging in the barn. After spending seemingly endless hours painting it, hauling it to ArtPrize, babysitting it for the duration, hauling it back home and not selling it, one would think the labor of my hands was not blessed.
But there was that one college student assigned to ask questions of the ArtPrize artists. He chose to ask me questions, because I was standing there by my piece. I began explaining the symbolism and its deeper meaning, and ended by explaining the very basics, which we too often take for granted.
I will never know what happened to that young man. I do know he could be killed for asking the questions which weren’t part of his assignment; for asking why the man in my painting had to die; for asking how they killed this man. That student was an exchange student from Saudi Arabia, and he had never heard of Jesus Christ.
Being reminded that the work of my hands is a blessing sometimes comes in very profound ways. I pray that it will continue to be so blessed.”
-excerpted from Ed Riojas’ Facebook page, originally posted October 28, 2012
Seed-Grains of Prayer: Sunday Evening Prayer
“I render thanks unto Thee, O true and everlasting Light, that Thou hast this day protected me by Thy light and Spirit against every grievous sin. And now, during the night which Thou hast ordained for the rest of my poor body, O Lord, grant unto my weary soul to find rest and peace in Thee against all the wiles and onslaughts of the evil one. Cause my mind and my thoughts, together with my hands and my feet, to glorify Thee and be silent before Thee, Who art present and mindful of Thine own, when deep slumbers embrace them. O, let not this wicked flesh overmaster my poor soul, lest I forget Thee in the night watches. Into Thy hands I commit my spirit, O gentle Shepherd, into Thy faithful hands. Thou hast redeemed my soul, O Lord God, most faithful; permit me not to fall away from Thee. Watch by me and cover me with the protection of Thy wings. When the night is past, awaken me and grant me the light by which I may walk and dwell safely with Thee in yonder eternity. Hear my prayer and answer me, O Thou Who slumberest not nor sleepest; through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Wilhelm Loehe, Seed-Grains of Prayer, #103.