Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Books!


I've been trying to get my hands on one of these books for a couple of weeks now, but circumstances prevented it. Either something came up and I couldn't go to the store, or the store I went to didn't carry it, or the Lutheran bookstore was closed that day.

Today, I succeeded! I have my very own copy of Concordia | The Lutheran Concessions. (Reader's 2nd Edition of the Book of Concord edited by all of English speaking Lutherandom's most beloved Mouthy McCain™.) *giggle*

I also picked up The Fire and the Staff today. I'm pretty sure the Lutheran bookstore loves me because I keep going in there and spending money. In the last couple of months I've bought the books you see pictured. My church uses TLH, but I bought LSB for the personal daily lectionary. I bought The Spirituality of the Cross at the store that didn't carry Concordia. The top two were actually my Christmas gift from my husband.

I haven't looked at On Being Lutheran yet. *gulp* When I added to my amazon wish list, I didn't realize it was an ELCA book. If it looks bad, I'll return it. Anyone care to offer a review?

I'm more than halfway through Why I am a Lutheran and I'm really enjoying it. The first to chapters were stellar. The 3rd chapter was a little concerning to me, but I can't recall why. Now I'm reading about baptism and communion. I don't feel as jazzed about this section, but only because none of it is news to me after watching the AIC classes for these topics (which are awesome btw).

We like books in this house. I'm sure we have well over 600 books, 90% or more of which are non-fiction. At least 50% are faith related. I shall now go enjoy my new books. :D

Question of the day: What does Vatican II have to do with the Lutheran church? Anyone?

10 comments:

Brian P Westgate said...

Another hymnal you should get, Jenn, is the ELS's Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary. It has more of the so-called "core" chorales of the Reformation than any other present day hymnal, plus a ton of good Scandinavian hymnody not found in TLH, or LSB, or CW . . .
The correct answer to your question is that Vatican II has no effect on Lutherans, since we're not under the pope. The received answer is this quip you'll hear from many: "When Rome sneizes, Lutherans catch a cold." This explains the 3-year lectionary sadly used in most places, among other things. Then again, if Fr. Ratzinger and our friends at Ignatius Press are to be believed, and they may be rite (notice the pun), Vatican II never meant for the reforms that happened under Paul VI. They only intended the 1965 revision. Me, I'll take my TLH, supplement it, like Zion, with SBH's OT lessons, and then use the Sarum Missal to fill in the gaps, since our lectionary is often closer to Sarum than to Rome pre-1970 (something I'm not sure Zion has always understood). I can give examples, but this is getting long. The liturgy does evolve however, another thing Zion may not always understand (Nunc Dimittis, Aaronic Benediction). I can hear Kantor Kerkes lecturing me on my stupidity even now. . . .

X said...

Brian,

Pastor L gave me that very quip. Why does the LCMS change things when Rome changes things? I don't understand that.

Why do you call him Kantor when he doesn't chant? lol

William Weedon said...

Good books! You will have much joy in reading, I'm sure. My favorite bumper sticker: "So many books, so little time..."

Brian P Westgate said...

He's always been Kantor. That's the old German title for the person in charge of choir and music (it's so much better than "Minister of Music" in so many ways: shorter, he's not a minister, it's German . . .). He used to sing I think, but chooses not to these days. So also at Redeemer, Fort Wayne. Rev. Dr. Reuning is Kantor Reuning, being organist and choir director. So also Bach was Kantor Bach, and I'm not sure how much singing on his own he actually did. The list goes on and on.

It's not just LCMS that changes things. Other synods (ELCA and WELS, not so much ELS) have changed as well. It all has to do with the view that the liturgy is the people's work (not to mention Rome looked like she was becoming more Protestant with Vatican II, so the easily duped Protestants, who weren't well trained in the Mass, decided to ape her.) We confess however that the liturgy is God's work, God's Service, Gottesdienst. And that's why the Church Growth Movement, and WELS's "teaching" on "ministry" (since the noun seems to have lost its article and morphed into some wierd type of verb recently), and dare I say Rome and Constantinople . . . , are heretical and sectarian.

Rev. Paul T. McCain said...

You have excellent taste!

Hey, by the way, how did you get that fantastic customer header on your blog page?

I've been noodling around with Blogger trying to do it but all it lets me do is place a photo, and I can' size it.

Augustinian Successor said...

"Then again, if Fr. Ratzinger and our friends at Ignatius Press are to be believed"

It's kinda hard to call Ratzinger Father when he is the identified with Antichrist ... No way, he is no Father. Pope (papa) is unavoidable since it has ossified into popular and official usage. But us leave Father title out ...

ihs4hpe said...

Beautiful blog site! I'm so happy to see there are enthusiastic Lutharans out there--online no less. :) And--the chausable fetish, well, "guilty!"

Brian P Westgate said...

Just being somewhat respectful. Plus, it is a confession that the papacy is heretical, and thus the seat of the Bishop of Rome is vacant, sede vacantes. Notice I didn't call him by his throne name.

Mary Ellyn said...

Books -- you have the same set of books I do and you got them at the same Lutheran Bookstore. I go there often with a friend. I was just thinking that I need a hymnal too. And I'm at that moderate LCMS church that you were at for a season, but probably not for much longer.

Mary Ellyn

Brian P Westgate said...

We'd love to have you at Zion, Mary Ellyn!