Writing Contest: He Remembers the Barren
Emmanuel Press is joining with Katie Schuermann and the hosts of He Remembers the Barren blog to sponsor a writing contest. To enter, submit a reflection (no more than 800 words) on the following prompt: “I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1) by Monday, March 25. While you can read all of the details here, we do want to point out that the prize is a 14.7″ x 18″ giclee print of the cover art (left) from the second edition of He Remembers the Barren. We commissioned this beautiful painting from Edward Riojas; learn more about him at edriojasartist.com.
In a recent interview on KFUO’s The Coffee Hour, Katie Schuermann discussed the symbolism in the painting, the theme for the writing contest, and why the season of Lent is an appropriate time for such a contest. And the scope of submissions is not limited to barrenness, as Katie explains in the interview. How has the Lord inclined to you and heard your cry? We look forward to your submissions, dear readers!
Bulk discounts for He Restores My Soul
As He Restores My Soul nears its six-month anniversary, we look back at this half year with much thankfulness. We are honored to have worked with such talented authors whose writing beautifully and continually points us to Jesus Christ. And we are humbled and grateful for the eager response from our customers and the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads (see excerpts below).
Did you know that we structured He Restores My Soul to work well for either individual reading or for groups to read together? Study questions accompany every chapter, and each of the 14 chapters functions independently from the others, making it easy to read straight through or in parts. We also offer bulk discounts for larger orders. Save 15% on orders of 10-19 books, 20% on 20-29 books, and 25% on 30+ books. To take advantage of the savings, contact us for a customized invoice.
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“How often do we look at the Christians around us, marveling at their “put-together” lives, and secretly tuck our own struggle and insufficiency away? This book reminds us that living in this world is hard, and the effects of sin and our brokenness is something that we all share….Their stories do not prescribe a formula for temporal victory. They do not leave us praising each writer for her courage, faith, and strength. They are not given as a self-help digest. They simply remind us that, in all things, as God’s children living under the cross, we must look to Jesus for help and rest and restoration.”
-St. Louis Lutheran on Amazon
“I read this book in a single sitting, staying up late into the evening to finish. Every woman’s chapter was beautifully written, and each one left me with a deeper appreciation of the human condition, and a greater awareness of the struggles in life we know nothing about.” -Rebekah Theilen on Goodreads
“They share their tragedies but there is always triumph through Jesus. They suffer and are yet rejoicing in the cross of Christ. This book is filled with encouragement for the daily Christian life but also hope and wisdom for those extra rough seasons of life. Well worth your time and a great gift for those who may need a word of encouragement.”
-Jamie Lynn on Goodreads
Thy Kingdom Come: An Excerpt from Ash Wednesday
“Your ashes are smeared today. There is no beauty in them. The world cannot see anything in them but an ugly smudge of dirt and death. But for those with the eyes of faith, they are in the form of a cross, that most lovely and dear of all symbols, that emblem of our hope.
“We set our faces toward Jerusalem today. We turn our backs on sin. We look through the gallows on Golgotha and see the glory of the cross enlightening the empty tomb. He has been lifted up from the earth to draw us to Him, to drain the Law’s accusing power, to empty hell’s claim, to crush the devil’s head, to bestow peace upon the meek.
“You are a holy people, anointed with ashes. You belong to the Lord. His mark and name are upon you. This is what it is to be sanctified, to be holy. You are forgiven, to be sure, but there is more than that. You are not only forgiven, or just made even with God, as though you never did anything wrong, and that is that. There is more. For not only has your debt been wiped out, but there is a credit to your account. You aren’t just even; you are holy. You belong to Him. You have the superabundance of His good works counting as your own, and the earth, indeed all of the universe, if your inheritance.
“So remember that you are dust and that you will return to dust. But remember also that God is a man, dust like you, joined to your temptations and sorrow, welded to your death, who was roasted to death in the Father’s wrath, reduced to ashes, and laid to rest in God’s good acre as a ransom, a whole burnt offering. That man is risen again from the dead and has come forth from the earth like a plant in the spring, that He would be your God. Turn your back on sin. Turn toward the Lord and His mercy. For here is peace and joy. Here is hope and faith.”
-David H. Petersen in Thy Kingdom Come – save 20% on this title during Lent
November 30: St. Andrew’s Day
The First Sunday in Advent is that Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s day (November 30). But who was St. Andrew? Even though he was one of the twelve apostles, he doesn’t seem very well known to us.
Pr. David Petersen writes in his sermon for this day in God With Us: “He was a fisherman, which is why they like him in Malta, and the brother of St. Peter, 
which is why they like him in Scotland. He was also something of a missionary, bringing Peter to Christ and bringing the Greeks to Christ.” Regarding the disciples, Petersen continues:
“Hearing John, they followed Jesus. By grace, they stayed with the Lamb. They stayed even unto their own martyrdoms, even if Andrew never gets much honor of his own. But such is the way of the Advent disciples of John. Such is the way of the kingdom: its honor belongs to Christ, even as does its righteousness, but both—the kingdom of Christ and His righteousness—are declared to belong to the saints.
“What Andrew gets, you get as well.
“Behold, the Lamb of God, the coming one, who has come into the world.”
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A blessed St. Andrew’s Day to you.
*God With Us is comprised of fifty-nine sermons, beginning with Thanksgiving and St. Andrew’s Day, then continuing on through Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany (including daily readings for all of Advent).
Reviews for He Restores My Soul
You’ve likely seen our own advertising for He Restores My Soul, but what are our readers saying? Here are some excerpts from the reviews coming in on Amazon and Goodreads. Visit these sites yourself for many more reviews.
“Essay after essay places us in the midst of lives interrupted by the cross or by mortal recognition. Each author has lived or is living something common to life but often airbrushed out of our glowing Facebook profiles. But what really makes these essays special is not just the emotional appeal, but the ends to which that emotion is directed and the character developed and revealed. They are witness stories not to magical relief from the thorns and crosses of life, but to how the Good Shepherd guides us through the valley.” -Mark P. Brown
“He Restores My Soul is not for everyone. It is only for those who, like the contributors to the book, have ever gone through or will experience any life difficulty in which hope, comfort, encouragement, and strength were needed…As other reviewers have indicated, this is not a sappy, feel-good look at the Christian life. The accounts are courageous, raw, and real and, because of that, the book will have a deep impact on the reader’s heart and mind.” -Kathie Winterstein
“Though I wasn’t able to personally relate to the unique struggles of each author, I found each chapter comforting for the struggles I face as each chapter was rich with the promises God offers to His people in Word and Sacrament. In addition to this, it also helped me to develop empathy for the suffering of others. It got me outside the echo chamber of my own mind and gave me a glimpse into the experiences of others.” -Hannah Fleming
Rev. Brian Kachelmeier endorses The Great Works of God: Exodus
“To see the great works of the LORD is to see Jesus (Exodus 14:13). Throughout the book of Exodus, Valerius Herberger helps the reader to see Jesus, the salvation of the LORD. This devotional commentary is a must-have for anyone who is interested in finding Christ in the Old Testament.”
-Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier, Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in Los Alamos, NM
The Great Works of God: The Mysteries of Christ in the Book of Exodus is 20% off TODAY during our Thanksgiving weekend sale.
Two new Christmas card designs for 2018
This year we are pleased to feature an acrylic painting by artist and graphic designer
Meghan Schultz for our card entitled Virgin and Child. A deep blue border highlights the beautiful and serene colors in the original art, where Mary gazes at this precious son that God has given her. The words of Isaiah 9:6 on the cover and inside remind us that this newborn child in the manger is, in fact, our “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Visit our Christmas cards page to have a look at the inside.
Our second new card for 2018, King of Kings, features artwork from the Imperial Cathedral of 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.
The inside greeting (see it here) is a stanza from the beloved hymn, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten“:
This is He whom seers of old time chanted of with one accord,
Whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the long-expected; let creation praise its Lord.
Evermore and evermore.
A skeptical reader gives her take on He Restores My Soul
I ordered 2 copies of He Restores My Soul, which arrived while I was away at a funeral. Last night, after returning home, I thought, “I’ll just read one story before bed.” I tend to be skeptical when it comes to reading religious books written for women by women. In fact, I usually avoid them and their “Christianity Light” emotive fluff.
I did not read one story. I read the entire book. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, I prayed…I was worn out by the time I reached the last page! So, yeah, it reached me emotionally, but it was not fluff.
Even though I have not had the same life experiences as all of these women, their honest and heart- wrenching essays elicited deep empathy within me. Why? Because their stories ARE my story. While the specifics of my life are different, we all ultimately have the same story: Jesus Christ, the Incarnate, Crucified, Resurrected, and Glorified Man-God is our Savior and it is He who unites us. Not the fact that we are women or that we have been hurt in this life, but that we are sinners and there is only one solution for this problem of sin, which is the root of all pain and suffering. Each of these women expressed this clearly and focused my eyes on Jesus.
Thank you so much for publishing this book. I will be ordering more!
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–from Cheryl Ann, a new Emmanuel Press customer
Radio interviews, book signings, and more!
If you follow us on Facebook, you’ve likely noticed a series of KFUO interviews with many of the authors from He Restores My Soul. There are currently eight 15-minute interviews posted, with two new interviews added each week through the end of October. Be sure to begin with the first in the series, where Katie Schuermann explains the purpose and structure of the book, specifically how each chapter ties into a verse from Psalm 23.
In this beautifully-written article in The Federalist, Cheryl Magness explains how He Restores My Soul refutes the common mantras of self-help and self-reliance, focusing instead on God’s promise that He will never leave nor forsake us. While society may tell us, “You’re strong! You can do this!” the Bible tells us the truth: “Christ is strong FOR you.”
Recently on Issues, Etc., Katie Schuermann spoke about post-abortion regret in a powerful interview. Her chapter entitled “I am Herod” in He Restores My Soul addresses post-abortion regret in the form of a narrative, based on conversations and interviews with Christian women who bear this cross. As Schuermann says in the interview, “For the woman who has aborted her child, the absence of her child in her life is with her every day…The Christian’s life is one of wrestling with that Old Adam who doesn’t want to trust in God’s promises, who wants to make us believe instead that we are unforgivable, but that’s not what God says in His Word. God says there is now no 
condemnation for us, that Jesus advocates on our behalf before the Father, that He has paid our debt.”
Finally, we are entering the season of book signings! Christina Roberts (left) recently spoke about hymnody to the Seminary Women’s Association of Concordia Theological Seminary, signing books over the lunch hour. And Katie Schuermann and
her husband turned up at the annual Oktoberfest in Kewanee, Illinois, this week. Here they are pictured (right) with Rev. Michael Frese of Emmanuel Press.
Future signings:
October 25 in St. Louis, MO
November 1 in Sherman, IL
November 3 in Fort Wayne, IN
Details at katieschuermann.com/events/
Now available: He Restores My Soul
