I am very happy to tell you about a great new resource coming soon from Concordia Publishing House. It’s titled My First Hymnal. Now children have a hymnal all their own . . . a treasured book as they grow and learn in faith. Specially designed for children up to age ten. It offers a good basic core group of solid, faithful hymns, with rich devotional resources throughout, and beautifully unique illustrations. You are going to love it. Here’s another one of my fabulously high-quality iPod videos for your viewing pleasure:

This is a letter from Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani written from prison in Iran earlier this year. Pastor Youcef currently faces the death sentence for apostasy – conversion from Islam to Christianity – and is waiting for the court’s final verdict. Please continue to pray.

This message has been translated from Farsi to English.

Dear brothers and sisters, Salam

In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am continuously seeking grace and mercy to you, that you remember me and those who are bearing efforts for his name in your prayers. Your loyalty to God is the cause of my strength and encouragement.
For I know well that you will be rewarded; as it’s stated: blessed is the one who has faith, for what has been said to him by God, will be carried out. As we believe, heaven and earth will fade but his word will still remain.

Dear beloved ones, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of a few verses, although you might know them, So that in everything, you give more effort than the past, both to prove your election, and for the sake of Gospel that is to be preached to the entire world as well.

I know that not all of us are granted to keep this word, but to those who are granted this power and this revelation, I announce the same as Jude, earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.

We are passing by special and sensitive days.They are days that for an alert and awake believer can be days of spiritual growth and progress. Because for him, more than any other time there is the possibility to compare his faith with the word of God, have God’s promises in mind, and survey his faith.

Therefore he (the true believer) does not need to wonder for the fiery trial that has been set on for him as though it were something unusual, but it pleases him to participate in Christ’s suffering. Because the believer knows he will rejoice in his glory.

Dears, the “ judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

Therefore those who are enduring burdens by the will of God, commit their souls to the faithful Creator. Promises that he has given us, are unique and precious. As we’ve heard he has said: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”

How can it be possible for a believer to understand these words?
Not only when he is focusing on Jesus Christ with adapting his life according to the life Jesus lived when he was on earth? As it is said ” O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”

Have we not read and heard: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Many attempt to flee from their spiritual tests, and they have to face those same tests in a more difficult manner, because no one will be victorious by escaping from them, but with patience and humility he will be able to overcome all the tests, and gain victory.

Therefore in the place of Christ’s followers, we must not feel desperate, but we have to pray to God in supplication with more passion to help us with any assistance we may need.

According to what Paul has said: In every temptation, God himself will make a way for us to tolerate it.

O beloved ones, difficulties do not weaken mankind, but they reveal the true human nature.

It will be good for us to occasionally face persecutions and abnormalities, since these abnormalities will persuade us to search our hearts, and to survey ourselves. So as a result, we conclude that troubles are difficult, but usually good and useful to build us.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must be more careful than any other time. Because in these days, the hearts and thoughts of many are revealed, so that the faith is tested. May your treasure be where there is no moth and rust.

I would like to remind you of some verses that we nearly discuss everyday, (Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.) but as long as our human will has priority over God’s will, his will will not be done.

As we have learned from him in Gethsemane, he surrendered his will to the father, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

What we are bearing today, is a difficult but not unbearable situation, because neither he has tested us more than our faith and our endurance, nor does he do as such. And as we have known from before, we must beware not to fail, but to advance in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, And consider these bumps and prisons as opportunities to testify to his name. He said: If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

As a small servant, necessarily in prison to carry out what I must do, I say with faith in the word of God that he will come soon.”However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Discipline yourself with faith in the word of God. Retain your souls with patience. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly.
May you are granted grace and blessings increasingly in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.

Yusef Nadarkhani
Lakan Prison in Rasht
2/June/2010

We pray:

We pray: O Lord, God of truth, Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light on our path. You gave Your servant Jerome delight in his study of Holy Scripture. May those who continue to read, mark, and inwardly digest Your Word find in in it the food of salvation and the fountain of life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Jerome was born in a little village on the Adriatic Sea around the year A.D. 345. At a young age he went to study in Rome, where he was baptized. After extensive travels, he chose the life of a monk and spent five years in the Syrian desert. There he learned Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament . After ordination at Antioch and visits to Rome and Constantinople, Jerome settled in Bethlehem. From the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, he used his ability with languages to translate the Bible into Latin, the common language of his time. This translation, called the Vulgate, was the authoritative version of the Bible in the western Church world for over 1,000 years. Considered one of the great scholars of the early church, Jerome died on September 30, 420. He was originally interred at Bethlehem but his remains were eventually taken to Rome.

Here is a beautiful quote from one of his works:

“I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: Search the Scriptures, and Seek and you shall find. Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews: You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God. For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

Therefore, I will imitate the head of a household who brings out of his storehouse things both new and old, and says to his spouse in the Song of Songs: I have kept for you things new and old, my beloved. In this way permit me to explain Isaiah, showing that he was not only a prophet, but an evangelist and an apostle as well. For he says about himself and the other evangelists: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news, of those who announce peace. And God speaks to him as if he were an apostle: Whom shall I send, who will go to my people? And he answers: Here I am; send me.

No one should think that I mean to explain the entire subject matter of this great book of Scripture in one brief sermon, since it contains all the mysteries of the Lord. It prophesies that Emmanuel is to be born of a virgin and accomplish marvellous works and signs. It predicts his death, burial and resurrection from the dead as the Savior of all men. I need say nothing about the natural sciences, ethics and logic. Whatever is proper to holy Scripture, whatever can be expressed in human language and understood by the human mind, is contained in the book of Isaiah. Of these mysteries the author himself testifies when he writes: You will be given a vision of all things, like words in a sealed scroll. When they give the writings to a wise man, they will say: Read this. And he will reply: I cannot, for it is sealed. And when the scroll is given to an uneducated man and he is told: Read this, he will reply: I do not know how to read.

Should this argument appear weak to anyone, let him listen to the Apostle: Let two or three prophets speak, and let others interpret; if, however, a revelation should come to one of those who are seated there, let the first one be quiet. How can they be silent, since it depends on the Spirit who speaks through his prophets whether they remain silent or speak? If they understood what they were saying, all things would be full of wisdom and knowledge. But it was not the air vibrating with the human voice that reached their ears , but rather it was God speaking within the soul of the prophets, just as another prophet says: It is an angel who spoke in me; and again, Crying out in our hearts, Abba, Father’, and I shall listen to what the Lord God says within me.” — Jerome’s Commentary on Isaiah (Nn. 1.2: CCL 73, 1-3)

Translated by Beatriz Hoppe (Spanish Version)

Wow, so, I was kind of counting on people being interested in answering some questions about what kind of resources they’d like to have as we approach the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. I thought a few thousand people might respond to our Reformation Resource survey.

But look what happened…..as of today, nearly 16,000 people participated in the survey. I have the results printed and comb-bound into a book that is nearly the size of a full ream of photocopy paper, with all the responses printed on both back and front of the paper, top to bottom, edge to edge!!

I’ve definitely go me some reading to do.

Thanks everyone for your great participation. The ideas and suggestions are awesome. You will be very happy with what we provide to worldwide Christendom to honor, thank God for and celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation.

Here we stand! Ah…er…well, in my case, I’m going to be sitting a long time reading survey results, but you get the idea.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Fall of the Rebel Angels 1562, Oil on oak, cm 117 x 162, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels

We pray:

Everlasting God, You have ordained and constituted the service of angels and men in a wonderful order. Mercifully grant that, as Your holy angels always serve and worship You in heaven, so by Your appointment they may also help and defend us here on earth; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

We meditate on Holy Scripture:
Old Testament: Dan. 10:10-14; Dan. 12:1-3
Epistle: Rev. 12:7-12
Gospel: Matt. 18:1-11

The festival of St. Michael and All Angels is an opportunity to reflect on the blessing of God in the form of His angels, who serve Him, by serving His “little ones” — all believers in our Lord Christ Jesus.

The great theologian Johann Gerhard is quoted in the Treasury of Daily Prayer and offers four reasons why the angels serve believers, and the last and final one particularly caught my eye. Gerhard writes: “Because we shall someday be with them in heaven and join their choir in praising God, the angels are happy to serve us here on earth.” Here is a helpful pamphlet on angels that offers a good summary of what angels are, and what they do.

Here is a nice devotional comment on this festival, from The LCMS Commission on Worship:

No one can dispute that angels are a hot topic these days. There’s the popular television show, “Touched by an Angel.” Bookstores have several shelves filled with books about angels. People are simply fascinated about the subject of angels.

Unfortunately, much of the talk about angels strays from what the Scriptures have to say on the subject. The Church, however, has always held angels in high regard and has acknowledged their unique status in God’s creation. In fact, there’s a day on the Church’s calendar that is devoted specifically to angels: September 29–St. Michael and All Angels. Let’s take a look at some of the changeable parts of the liturgy for that day (these are called the “propers”) and see what they teach us about the angels.

In the Introit these words from Psalm 103 are prayed:

Praise the Lord, you His angels,
you mighty ones who do His bidding,
who obey His word.
Praise the Lord, all His heavenly hosts,
you His servants who do His will. (Psalm 103:20-21)

In just a few words, we learn a lot about the angels. They’re mighty, possessing great power given them by God. More importantly, however, they serve God. They do His bidding and obey His will.

Of course, it’s important to remember that there are certain angels who don’t do God’s bidding, namely, those who have fallen away (2 Pet.2:4). Satan leads that band of rebels. Though Jesus has defeated Satan and all his evil hosts, we should never take the devil for granted, for he too possesses great power and can quickly lead us astray.

The Collect of the Day for St. Michael’s beautifully sums up the work that the angels perform on our behalf:

O everlasting God, whose wise planning has ordained and constituted the ministry of men and angels in a wonderful order, mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so by your appointment they may also help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

In the Gradual, a single verse (Ps. 91:11) points to the reason why we can ask God to continue to send His angels to protect us:

God will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

That promise doesn’t give us the license to tempt God, as Jesus made very clear during His temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:5-7). Yet, it is a great comfort to hear God’s promise that He does send His angels to guard and keep us. Is it any wonder that Luther concluded his morning and evening prayer in the Small Catechism with these words: “Let Your holy angels be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.”

There are several sets of readings assigned for St. Michael and All Angels, and they would require another article to comment on them sufficiently. They are offered here with the encouragement that you read them for your own edification:

• Joshua 5:13-15 or Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3
• Revelation 12:7-12
• Matthew 18:1-11 or Luke 10:17-20

Finally there are hymns that sing about the angels. The following stanzas are from a hymn written by Philipp Melanchthon, Luther’s colleague at Wittenberg:

They never rest nor sleep as we;
Their whole delight is but to be
With You, Lord Jesus, and to keep
Your little flock, Your lambs and sheep.

Increase, we plead, our song of praise
For angel hosts that guard our days;
Teach us to ceaselessly adore,
To serve as they do evermore.

(LW 189, st. 3 & 4; public domain)

Some of you have, in varying degrees, expressed a bit of angst over the fact that I’m a huge advocate of the Amazon Kindle, as oppose to…ah….well, anything else. I still am, and my reasons for being an advocate for the Kindle over other choices just became even stronger reasons. Simply put, Amazon is, in my opinion, the best choice due to its huge selection of titles, it’s extensive infrastructure supporting their e-book sales and offerings and the fact that Kindle device itself has just become even lighter and less expensive.

Amazon shattered the $100 price point for an e-reader with its announcement of the latest version of the Kindle, which, if you choose to get the model that displays some advertising, you will only pay $79. The advertisements are entirely non-obtrusive. You never see them when actually reading a book. The basic model is basic, but if you are looking, as I am, for the lightest, simplest, smallest and best e-book reading experience out there today, you will choose an Amazon Kindle.

Here’s a video on the latest least-expensive Kindle.

But wait a minute, buried in all the other information is the announcement that for $99 bucks, you can get a Kindle with touch technology on the screen, with the same great e-ink technology. This is precisely what I’ve been looking for and I think it is going to make the e-book reading experience on a Kindle much better. More information here.

For a full, all-in-on place, everything you need to know story on Amazon’s announcements about their new tablet, the Fire along with Kindle information, here is a good story to read.

Today is the festival of St. Michael and All Angels. St. Michael is mentioned in the Book of Revelations, 12:7: “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon The dragon and his angels waged war and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Angels are the subject of considerable speculation and no little mythology and popular misconception. The best way to think of what is going on all around us is to consider what happens when an infant’s father goes off to war. All about there is raging conflict, yet the child innocently and happily remains unaware of it. And so with us, while we certainly do have glimpses of the ongoing struggle between good and evil angels, for the most part, we too are unaware of the cosmic struggle that is ongoing until the end of days, when Christ returns. And so, on this festival day, we praise and thank God, joining with all the angels, in adoring Him and giving Him glory. Here is a brief Q/A on angels that you might find useful, and which you can download as a PDF file and print out and share with others. Download wa_angels.pdf

What About Angels?
Angels capture the imagination of people everywhere, and they always have. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about angels, along with superstitions and unscriptural understandings. This pamphlet will provide a Biblical perspective on angels.

Do angels exist?
The Word of God—not popular television shows or magazine articles—is our only reliable source for knowing what angels are, and what they do. The Bible teaches us that God made angels during the six days of creation. Before creation there was only God (John 1:1-3), and after creation, we are told that on the seventh day God” rested from all the work of creating he had done”(Gen. 2:3b). The Bible does not indicate on which day of creation God made angels. But angels are very real.  What does the word “angel” mean? The word “angel” comes from a Greek word that means “messenger. ”Angels are God’s messengers. Elsewhere in the Bible,angels are described as spirits (cf. Acts 23:9;Heb. 1:14). The word “angel” is actually a description of what they do.

What are angels?
Angels are spirits. They are beings who do not have a physical body. Jesus Himself said, “a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). Evil angels too are described as not having” flesh and blood”(Eph. 6:12). In the Scriptures, when angels do appear in human form, this is only a momentary appearance for those who need to see them. Angels are not gods. They are God’s creation and serve His holy and perfect will. The good angels are said to be” ministering spirits”(Heb. 1:14), sent by God to serve us, His people.

Are angels human?
Human beings are the crown of God’s creation. Only of human beings, and no other creature, did God say, “Let us make man in our own image”(Gen. 1:26). Furthermore, the Scriptures reveal that only into human beings did God breathe the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). Also, God did not give angels rule over His creation. This privilege He gave only to mankind (Gen. 1:26-28). Angels are not human beings. They exist as spirits who serve God and His people.  Do human beings become angels when they die? No, human beings do not become angels when they die. The Scriptures are clear on this point. Until the last day, the souls of the dead are before the Lord, enjoying peace and rest in His presence, awaiting the final day when they will receive glorified bodies for all eternity (see 1 Cor. 15; 1 Thess. 5:17; Rev. 7).

Are angels intelligent beings?
The Bible describes angels as having both intelligence and a will. The good angels know and follow the wisdom of God, which He has revealed through Christ to His church (Eph. 3:10). They gladly serve us, who are the heirs of the salvation Christ has won for us (Heb. 1:14). However, angels do not know all things. For instance, they do not know the thoughts of our hearts (1 Kings 8:39).   Angels are extremely powerful beings. They are described as “mighty ones”(Ps. 103:20; 2 Thess. 1:7). The good angels guard and protect God’s children (Ps. 91:11-13). The power of the angels is never unlimited, but is always subject to the will and authority of God.  Evil angels too are powerful beings. The Bible tells us that they hold captive all unbelievers (Luke 11:21-22; Eph. 2:2). Believers in Christ are able to withstand the temptation of evil angels through the power of God (Eph. 6:10-17).

Where are angels?
Angels, like God, do not inhabit the same physical dimension that human beings inhabit. From time to time, they are ordered by God to appear in our physical dimension. Thus, while there are times when angels will make an appearance at a distinct place (cf. Acts 12:7), they remain beings that inhabit no physical space.

How many angels are there?
The Bible does not give us an exact number, but does clearly teach that there are incredibly large numbers of angels who serve God. Scripture speaks of “ten thousand times ten thousand angels”(Dan. 7:10). Elsewhere Scripture speaks of “a great company of the heavenly host”(Luke2: 13).  From every indication in the Bible, there are an unimaginably large number of angels, of whom we are totally unaware most of the time. There is a fixed and limited number of angels, never increasing or decreasing. Unlike human beings, angels do not marry and have children (Mark 12:25). They are immortal.

Are all angels the same?
Within the large numbers of angels there are apparently certain orders or classes of angels. Scripture speaks of “cherubim” (Gen. 3:24; Ps. 80:1),“seraphim”(Is. 6:2),“thrones or powers or rulers or authorities”(Col. 1:16),“archangel”(1 Thess. 4:16).  Also among the evil angels there are ranks and classes of angels(Matt. 25:41). Satan is described as the “prince of the devils”(Luke 11:15). It is pointless, however, to try to invent complicated divisions and ranks of angels, since Scripture itself does not provide us with this information.

What are evil angels, and what do they do?
Originally, all angels God created were good and did His will perfectly. At some point after God created them, some angels chose to rebel against Him. They fell away from God and into great sin and evil. At that point, they were confirmed in their evil condition. There is no hope for them. In Matt. 8:29, they recognize that there will be a time when they must suffer eternal torment and punishment for their rebellion against God.  Satan is the chief evil angel, the “prince of demons”(Luke 11:15). Here is how our Lord Jesus Christ describes Satan: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies”(John8: 44). When precisely the evil angels rebelled and fell away from God we cannot say for sure, but we do know it was some time at the very beginning of the world. Most Christian church fathers believe that the evil angels’ original sin was pride, based on the fact that Satan’s temptation of Adam and Eve was an appeal to their pride. Also, 1 Tim. 3:6 indicates that pride was the cause of the devil’s condemnation.  The devil is our great enemy, who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”(1 Pet. 5:8). The Bible tells us that the devil is the cause of unbelief in the world (Eph. 2:1-2). Every person who does not believe the good news of Christ Jesus is thinking and doing what the devil wants. Unbelievers are described in the Bible as being in the devil’s kingdom and under his power (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). The very fact that people do not realize this, and even deny it, is the devil’s greatest deception. The devil is so deceptive; at times he will even disguise himself as an “angel of light”(2 Cor. 11:14). In fact, the Old Testament once refers to Satan as “Lucifer,” which means, “light bearer”(Isa. 14:12; KJV).  We need to keep in mind that all the Bible says about evil angels, and their eternal punishment, is for the purpose of making us recognize the need to repent and to believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who has ransomed mankind by His death, and saved us for eternal life, not in hell, but in heaven.

What do good angels do?
Good angels enjoy the blessing of being able to see God. They are in the immediate presence of God, always beholding His great glory, majesty and power (Matt. 18:10). This is called the “beatific vision,” which all Christians will enjoy one day when they are in heaven.  God’s Word reveals the following things about the activity of good angels: They praise God (Is. 6:3; Luke 2:13), and they are the Lord’s servants in the world and in the Church (Ps. 103:20-21; Heb. 1:14).  God sends angels to serve and to protect Christian believers in their work and their callings in life (Ps. 91:11-12). They attend to the dying (Luke 16:22). They care for children (Matt. 18:10). Angels are deeply interested in all that occurs in the Church. They adore and take great joy in the work of Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world (Luke 2:13; Eph. 3:10). They rejoice over every sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).  Scripture mentions the presence of angels at every great event in the Kingdom of God. Angels were present when God gave His law on Mount Sinai (Deut. 33:2; Gal. 3:19). Angels were present at the conception, birth, resurrection and ascension of our Lord (Luke 1:26; 2:11; Mark 1:13; 24:5ff; Acts 1:10ff). Angels will come with Jesus when He returns on the last day (Matt. 13:41ff. ; 24:31).  The Bible tells us that angels are present in the public worship of Christians (1 Cor. 11:10). God also uses angels to help the family and to preserve law and order (Gen. 24:7; Matt. 18:10; Dan. 10:13).  How are we to treat angels? We need to praise and thank God for good angels. We are told that we are to take care not to offend them through sin and unbelief (1 Cor. 11:10; 1 Tim. 5:21). But the Scriptures are also clear that we must not pray to angels, nor offer them our worship. The angels themselves protest any worship given to them (Rev. 22:8-9).  As believers, we have the privilege of having angels surrounding us and protecting us and working to do God’s good and perfect will in our lives. Our hope and trust is always in God, whom we know sends His angels to watch over us and to see us through whatever difficulty in life may come our way.  Because of our Lord Jesus Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial death for the sins of the world, we have the assurance of the complete and total forgiveness of all our sins. We know that God loves and cares for us as His own dear children. Furthermore, we know that the Lord sends His angels to care for us in order that some day we may join them, and all the company of heaven, in seeing God and singing His praises for all eternity.

A.L. Barry

Here is my colleague, Rev. Edward Engelbrecht, the General Editor of The Lutheran Study Bible and The Story Bible. I sometimes like to call him General Ed. And when the General speaks, it is always worth listening!

Check out the CPH.ORG web site…we’ve redesigned it to make it easier to find things in more logical/natural categories, and made a few other changes. I think you will like it. Be sure to clear the cache in your browser, before linking to it. Your computer may try to bring up the cached/old site.

I know that a person can go back in time and show me that the most common practice in the Lutheran Church, historically, is to offer people present in Church on Sunday the opportunity to participate in the offering, but I am troubled by the fact that we are offering this opportunity too often. It is obviously no longer something special for people. They are just going through the motions and it won’t mean as much if we keep offering it every Sunday. It is time to stop taking up the offering every Sunday. Once a month, or maybe once a quarter would be best, but surely not more than two times a month. I don’t really care that some people really want to participate in the collection of the offering, every Sunday. They should not impose their personal opinions on others, like me. Too often is a bad thing. It will lead to bad attitudes and a lack of preparation for participating in the offering.

And for that matter, saying the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday is a bit much too. It just doesn’t seem special anymore. And listening to a sermon, we do that way too often. And singing hymns, that’s too much of a good thing too. And, for that matter, when I really think through what I’m suggesting here, I’m also going to have to say that I think reading the Bible too often is bad, and in fact, I really don’t think we should be expected to attend church every Sunday. That’s just making it way too common an experience, and again, it won’t be special and won’t be as meaningful. Besides, the Roman Catholics attend church every Sunday, pray the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday, and they take up an offering every Sunday. The last thing we Lutherans want to be accused of is being like the Roman Catholics. Taking the offering every Sunday is just too Catholic and doesn’t belong in a real Lutheran Church.

Less is more, that’s what I say.

One of you kind readers passed this article along to me and thought I’d find it interesting. As a member of the baby-boom generation, though I’m always quick to point out, I’m on the very trailing edge of said generation, I can’t be accused of bashing boomers simply because I’m not one, so…well, read this article and let me know what you think. I think this is pretty much spot-on accurate. Here’s the whole article. I’ll post a snippet below.

Behaving well, behaving responsibly, learning the norms of politeness and refusing to abandon them without good reason tend to make you a more self-controlled, successful, and finally better person. This is precisely the wisdom my generation threw away. Their promiscuity, adolescent foul-mouthedness, bad manners, and disregard for tradition — all of which they claimed were a new kind of freedom — were in fact the precursors to the very oldest kind of slavery:  slavery to one’s own impulses and desires. This slavery, packaged in the Sixties, as “identity” or “culture” or “the right to be yourself,” ultimately leads to enslavement by others as it makes you indolent and irresponsible and in need of protection and restraint by the powers that be. A poor black man’s journey from hip hop culture to prison is a perfect example. So is a middle class white man’s journey from moral license and unwarranted praise to his sniveling need for an all-providing — oh, and by the way, all-powerful — state.

The proud father of Jacob Loesch, pictured below, sent this shot he took of little Jacob enjoying the Luther graphic novel: Echoes of the Hammer. Said his father: “I thought it was neat to see him laying on the couch engrossed in the book. . . . There are Hardy Boys graphic novels and he said to me, ‘This Luther book is just like the Hardy Boys!’ ” Jacob is just about to turn seven years old.

Yes, you read that right. LOGOS is testing interest in a collection of classic Greek and Roman literature, some in English translation. If they achieve “critical mass” they will release it to LOGOS users, in their words, “for free” with “no strings attached.” So, visit LOGOS and sign up to indicate your interest. Link here.

Here’s a video about how this collection would be useful.

More information from LOGOS:

The Perseus Classics Collection (1,114 vols.) contains works from classical Greek and Roman authors. This massive collection includes important Greek and Latin classics in their original languages; some works have an English translation. Greek and Latin grammars and commentaries are also included.

Best of all, this entire collection is free. There’s no catch. No strings attached.

It’s rare that classic works like these are made available for free to as many people who want them. It’s even more amazing when you consider that these aren’t just PDFs or text files. They’re Logos books, and they take advantage of many of the features and tools built into Logos Bible Software. So it’s hard to put into words how phenomenal this opportunity really is.

Please note that this collection requires the latest version of Logos Bible Software 4.3.

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Check out the other collections included by going to the main Perseus page.

The download size of this resource is 822 MB.

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