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An Excerpt from Quinquagesima Sunday
“We mourn for our sins. We have been selfish, greedy, impatient, angry, lustful, and full of pride. We have hurt ourselves and our loved ones. We have failed to serve and love our neighbors. Let us repent and set our faces toward Jerusalem. Ash Wednesday looms close. We prepare for the journey. For we know that we have been too attached to this world, too afraid to leave behind the pleasures of the flesh. We are desperately in need of a Savior.
But for all that, let us not sorrow for the love of God that has sent the Son to be handed over to the Gentiles, to be mocked, shamefully treated, spit upon, flogged, and crucified. In that, rather, let us give thanks and rejoice. Let us be like the cured blind man, following to
Jerusalem, glorifying God, knowing that leaving behind our sins is like leaving behind blindness. What do you want? To be free of sin, O Lord.”
-David H. Petersen in Thy Kingdom Come: Lent and Easter Sermons
Emmanuel Press to release second edition of Katie Schuermann’s He Remembers the Barren
We are excited to announce a partnership with Katie Schuermann to publish the second edition of her breakthrough debut, He Remembers the Barren. First published in 2011, He Remembers the Barren is a tender conversation with women in the church who wrestle with the issue of barrenness in marriage. Schuermann offers encouragement and support to those struggling with infertility, gently addressing issues such as control of our bodies, family planning, adoption, and the source of conception, all while reminding the reader of her clear vocation in Christ and pointing her to the ultimate source of fruitfulness, vitality, and comfort: our Triune God. This book is not only for barren women but also for anyone seeking insight into suffering and hope; Schuermann focuses on our identity in Christ, told through the lens of barrenness.
As the author notes, “Eight years have passed since I first began writing He Remembers the Barren, and the time is ripe for a second edition. I have grown in my knowledge and understanding of the topic of barrenness, both through personal experience and study, and I would like my confession of the theology of the cross in the book to proclaim more clearly how our heavenly Father disciplines us, His dear children, through the gift of suffering in this life. I also feel compelled to better and further address the topics of adoption and the ethical issues surrounding in vitro fertilization and other such procedures utilized in the field of infertility medicine.”
While much of the original book’s content will remain, the reader can expect revisions throughout as well as new chapters and a Q & A appendix helpful for those who desire children and for their loved ones who wish to serve and comfort them. The second edition will also contain questions for discussion and contemplation, providing for both individual and group study. New cover artwork will capture the grief and suffering of barrenness but also the hope and comfort found in Christ.
We anticipate the release date to be early this summer. More details to come!
To learn more about the author, visit www.katieschuermann.com.
Lang on Traditional Rites and Ceremonies
“The danger of the traditional rites and ceremonies degenerating into formalism and even superstition has shown itself here and there in all ages. But the same danger is manifested in the use of nontraditional rites and ceremonies of the so-called informal churches. Because of that danger, some people have denounced all rites and ceremonies. But such denunciations solve nothing. First of all, it is impossible to live without some kind of rites and ceremonies, and secondly, the history of the church shows that the solution is not in trying to discard the traditional ceremonies, but in revitalizing them by constantly teaching their meaning and value.”
-Paul H.D. Lang in Ceremony and Celebration
Symposia Sale: All books up to 25% off
In honor of the annual Symposia at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne next week, all of our books are on sale through Saturday, January 21! And if you’re planning to come, please note that there will not be an Emmanuel Press table at the Symposia next week, but you can place your order online and pick it up while you’re in town. (We’ll reimburse shipping.)
Explore our website by using the tabs above or the “word cloud” on the right sidebar. In addition, here are brief descriptions of each book:
*The Brotherhood Prayer Book (and CD) includes services for the day (Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vepsers, and Compline), the entire Psalter, daily and seasonal propers, and a Beichtspiegel unique to the BPB.
*Paul H.D. Lang’s Ceremony & Celebration gives a confessional apology for why the Lutheran Church is a liturgical church. It instructs in every aspect of the service, such as liturgical actions, liturgical space, and the church year. It explains why we do what we do.
*The Conduct of the Service describes what to do in the chancel, such as where to stand and how to move so that the emphasis remains on Christ and not on the liturgist.
*Prof. John Pless’s Didache uses the Bible, Luther’s Small Catechism, and the hymnal to instruct in a basic pattern of catechesis which expounds upon doctrine, liturgy, and vocation.
*An Explanation of the Common Service is an excellent supplement to Ceremony & Celebration in that it explains the actual words, or the rite, of the Divine Service. Read a review here.
*Liber Hymnorum: The Latin Hymns of the Lutheran Church is a collection of hymns taken exclusively from Lutheran hymnals and chant-books of the Reformation and post-Reformation era. It is two hymnals in one, the first half being English, the second Latin, exactly mirroring the first half in contents and numbering.
*The prayers in Wilhelm Loehe’s Seed Grains of Prayer contain collects for all occasions and are particularly good for personal devotion.
*Thy Kingdom Come and God With Us by Pr. David Petersen are books of sermons which are invaluable for homiletical ideas and for the devotional reading of good Law & Gospel sermons. In particular, Thy Kingdom Come offers over sixty sermons spanning Pre-Lent, all forty days of Lent, and the Sundays after Easter. Many customers find it to be an excellent daily devotion during Lent.
*What an Altar Guild Should Know gives details about church services, rubrics, altar care, sacred vessels, and other topics related to liturgical worship. However, anyone who is interested in liturgical worship will appreciate Lang’s keen theological insight into why reverence and beauty and the externals of worship matter.
In The Word Remains, Wilhelm Löhe gives insight into the confessional Lutheran understanding of the church year, the Word of God, and matters related to the Christian life.
Our newest Christmas card
The Adoration of the Shepherds is an 18th-century oil painting by German artist C.W.E. Dietrich. Originally painted in color, our black and white version allows the light emanating from the infant Christ to shine within the darkness of the stable. The inside text proclaims: “Shepherds in the field abiding, watching o’er your flocks by night, God with us is now residing, yonder shines the infant light: Come and worship Christ, the newborn King!” (a verse from “Angels from the Realms of Glory”)
Visit our Christmas cards page to have a closer look at all 10 designs! New this year: you can now create a custom assortment of our unique Christmas cards to joyously confess our Savior’s birth.
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