We are pleased to announce that The Conduct of the Service is currently in the process of being reprinted. We’ll have more information soon on an expected release date. In the meantime, pre-order now to save 10% and be among the first to receive a copy from the new print run.

Gathering together works from Dr. Arthur C. Piepkorn and Rev. Charles McClean, this book is an invaluable resource for conducting the liturgy of the Church as it serves to teach reverence and encourage uniformity and beauty in worship.

The following is an excerpt from the first section, entitled “Notes on Reverence”:
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There is really only one basic rule of good form: “Be courteous!” And similarly there is really only one basic rule of altar decorum: “Be reverent!” Every other rule is simply a practical amplification of this basic charge.

To be reverent we must first of all be humble. We are ministers — ministers of Christ, serving Christ in the room and in the name of fellow-sinners. We minister not because of any virtue in ourselves. Our sufficiency is of God. We minister as temples of the Holy Ghost, as being bound in sacramental union to the Lord of the Church, as kings and priests living in mystic communion with the Most Holy Trinity, as those whom Christ has chosen that we might be with Him and that He might send us forth to preach (St. Mark 3, 13). We minister under the aspect of eternity and in the Presence of the Divine Majesty. Wherever we stand, we are on holy ground. In such a ministry there is no room for pride, only for all-pervading humility.

To be reverent we must be prepared. We must know what we are doing, and why we are doing it. The physical preparations, as far as may be, should be taken care of well in advance. There should be no last-minute running to and fro, no hasty final preparation, no distressed paging about. A meditation, brief if need be, but as long as the time permits, ought never to be overlooked; spiritual preparation is more essential to reverence than the proper ordering of the physical adjuncts.

To be reverent we must be calm. The unforeseen, the accidental, the disturbing must not be permitted to distract us. We are God’s ambassadors and God’s servants. We are speaking for and to God. Our entire lives ought to be, and our public ministry must be en Christo – in Christ! So must the calm peace of the changeless Christ in our souls be reflected in our outward demeanor.

-Dr. Arthur C. Piepkorn, p. iii

Share the good news of our Savior’s birth with Christmas cards that combine stunning imagery with words of Scripture and beloved hymns.

Savior (left) shows the infant Christ standing on the lap of the Virgin Mary, who gently receives her child’s embrace. We see St. Joseph through the archway. This 17th-century painting by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato is a tender portrayal of the bond between mother and son. Yet this Son is the Savior of the world, as is echoed in the inside greeting: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Glory to God depicts an oil on canvas painting, “Seeing Shepherds” by Daniel Bonnell. The inside text echoes the cover with a stanza from “O Come, All Ye Faithful”:

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God in the highest; O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

As Mr. Bonnell explains, “This is the nativity from the perspective of the viewer. The viewer becomes one of the shepherds as you witness an army of angels leading to the nativity.” The angels appear to the humble shepherds standing among their herd of sheep, filling the sky with brilliant light and pointing to the manger in Bethlehem.

As with all of our Christmas cards, this design is exclusive to Emmanuel Press.

Share the good news of our Savior’s birth with Christmas cards that combine stunning imagery with words of Scripture and beloved hymns.

Messiah (right) features an acrylic painting on canvas by Meghan Schultz, a Lutheran artist with whom we often collaborate (see biography below). The three-rayed nimbus around the Christ Child’s head represents His deity. Swaddling cloths weave through a crown of thorns and a king’s crown, confessing that Jesus was born to die that we may live, and He reigns eternally as King. Ever with an eye to symbolism, Meghan notes that the dark blue hues around the manger below transform to purple above to signify royalty. Well-known words from Handel’s Messiah echo the meaningful imagery of the art on the cover while the inside text proclaims, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

Puer Natus (left) is a 16th-century illuminated manuscript from a Latin Divine Service book in Italy. The inside text is Isaiah 9:6, which also appears on the cover: “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.”

As you’ll read on our Christmas cards page, you can create a custom assortment of Christmas cards, whether it is one design or a mixture of all thirteen. Choose from a variety of styles, including stained glass, illumination, triptych, classic art, and original commissioned pieces.

*Meghan Schultz’s background is in graphic design and advertising with a special interest in fine art and calligraphy. In the past few years she has completed countless freelance projects for churches, schools, and Christian organizations and has created a body of liturgical artwork which can be found in her Etsy shop (redletterartdesign.etsy.com). Meghan hopes that her artwork serves as a tool for Christians in centering their life around the Church Year as they serve their neighbor through their vocations. She is a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.