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A Saturday Evening Prayer
“Almighty God, holy and merciful Father, who in six days didst create heaven and earth, and all that is in them, and didst rest on the seventh day, grant Thy grace unto me, Thy servant, that in true faith I may partake of the rest which Jesus Christ, Thy Son, merited for me. Let my conscience be at peace from all painful, spiritual, and physical trials; and, when I have labored sufficiently in this vale of sorrow, release me according to Thy gracious will and lead me into Thy rest against the day when, with all Thy saints, I shall rejoice in one Sabbath of peace after another. Grant me this, O God and Father; through Thy Son Jesus Christ, in the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
-Saturday evening prayer from Wilhelm Loehe’s Seed Grains of Prayer
Unveiling the book cover: He Restores My Soul
For the cover of He Restores My Soul, Katie Schuermann and Emmanuel Press commissioned an original work of art from Rebecca Shewmaker. While we gathered together ideas and expressed our vision to Rebecca, it was her artistic talent and theological understanding that produced a painting even more beautiful and peaceful than we imagined. Amidst the suffering and stress of this life, the Good Shepherd guards and keeps us, for “we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:7).
The sky is streaked with pink to indicate dawn, showing the hopefulness of a new day and reminding us that we will be with our Shepherd on that final new day. Rebecca based the landscape on her memories of pastures near her childhood home, pastures which always have wide open fields with treed fence lines. Jesus faces the sheep and is attentive to them; the sheep are aware of His presence and are generally oriented toward Him. They are relaxed, however, feeling free and confident to do what sheep do – sit, eat, and wander around. Some of them are closer
to Him, some further away, but they (and we) are always well within His care.
To create this tranquil scene, Rebecca used watercolor paint, applying thin layers that build color and tone from lightest to darkest. The first step in this landscape painting was the sky with its soft wash of pink, blue, and yellow. The field and trees were painted next in several layers, followed by the shadows and details on the sheep and shepherd.
For more information about He Restores My Soul and a complete list of authors and topics, visit our pre-order page, where you can save 10% by ordering before the release date. We are also in the final days of our Christmas in July sale! Save 20% on Christmas cards available only at Emmanuel Press.
Special thanks to our graphic designer Meghan Schultz, who collaborated with Janet Frese to design the cover. Visit Meghan’s Etsy site for a wide variety of theologically-based artwork, greeting cards, and decor.
The Great Works of God: Exodus – “Exegetically Profound and Spiritually Enriching”
Luther once said, “Remove Christ from the Scriptures and what more will you find in them?” For Luther and his fellow confessors, the whole of Scripture pointed to Christ and found its meaning in Him. Valerius Herberger’s robust Christological and sacramental reading of the Book of Exodus in The Great Works of God exemplifies this tradition.
Herberger, a gifted pastor and preacher, guides the reader through the mysteries of Christ in a manner that is both exegetically profound and spiritually enriching. He helpfully incorporates insights from the Church’s great theologians and hymns and ends his meditations with brief prayers. Herberger’s unique commentary will be useful for pastors preparing to preach and for families gathering for daily devotions. All who wish to see Christ in Exodus and to find comfort in the saving work of the Trinity will want to buy this book.
Matthew Carver has rendered a wonderful service to the church with his elegant translation and insightful notes. I wholeheartedly commend this beautiful commentary to all.
-Dr. Carl Beckwith, Professor of History and Doctrine
Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
For excerpts and purchase information, visit The Great Works of God, Parts Five and Six: The Mysteries of Christ in the Book of Exodus.
A Hymn for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Audio: Listen to A Hymn for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist chanted.
1. Let the example of Saint John remind us,
Ere we can meetly sing his deeds of wonder,
Hearts must be chastened,
And the bonds that bind us broken asunder!
2. Lo! a swift angel, from the skies descending,
Tells to his father what shall be his naming;
All his life’s greatness to its bitter ending
Duly proclaiming.
3. But when he doubted what the angel told him,
Came to him dumbness to confirm the story;
At John’s appearing, healed again behold him,
Chanting John’s glory!
4. Oh! what a splendour and a revelation
Came to each mother, at his joyful leaping,
Greeting his Monarch, King of ev’ry nation,
In the womb sleeping.
5. E’en in his childhood, ‘mid the desert places,
He had a refuge from the city gained,
Far from all slander and its bitter traces,
Living unstained.
6. Often had prophets in the distant ages
Sung to announce the Daystar and to name Him;
But as the Savior, last of all the sages,
John did proclaim Him.
7. Than John the Baptist, none of all Eve’s daughters
E’er bore a greater, whether high or lowly:
He was thought worthy, washing in the waters
Jesus the holy.
8. Angels in orders everlasting praise Thee,
God in Thy triune Majesty tremendous;
Hark to the prayers we, penitents, upraise Thee:
Save and defend us. Amen.
__________
Antra deserti, Paulus Diaconus, 8th century, trans. by R.E. Roberts, alt.
*At Morning Prayer: stanzas 1-4, 8; at Vespers: stanzas 5-8.
*An excerpt from The Brotherhood Prayer Book
Weedon endorses The Great Works of God: Exodus
And just when you thought that the great works of God couldn’t get any greater after you’ve had the joy of Jesus all through his read of Genesis, Valerius Herberger marches into Exodus, and it’s more Jesus under every bush. Well, in every bush that burns and is not consumed!
What a tremendous blessing translator Matthew Carver has given us to enjoy the insights of Herberger’s iconic read of the Scriptures in English. Irenaeus famously wrote that the heretics take the stones of the mosaic that is Scripture and rearrange them, so that what emerges is a picture, not of the great King, but of a fox. Herberger is no heretic! He lets the stones be just where the Spirit plops them, but by that same Spirit he opens our eyes to see in them on every page the astounding image of the great King whose love embraced a world on His cross that it might live through Him.
There is no wonder this man was regarded as the Lutheran Chrysostom. His piety burns with the fire of the Spirit and his joy in Christ is unquenchable, nourished by the Sacred Scriptures. You will be so blessed by joining Herberger on your journey and letting him be your guide in the Word. The Church owes a debt of gratitude to Matthew Carver for this labor of love, to the Master of Divinity Class of 2018 of Concordia Theological Seminary for the foresight to fund such an endeavor, and to Emmanuel Press for publishing it!
-William Weedon, Chaplain, LCMS Director of Worship
For excerpts and purchase information, visit The Great Works of God, Parts Five and Six: The Mysteries of Christ in the Book of Exodus.
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