Christianity — more than a list of rules. You’d think that would be obvious, but it is amazing how many Christians actually enjoy rules, regulations, laws. As much as they complain about feel “tied down” many people actually like being told what to do, or think that if they follow a simple set of “how to” rules their lives will be better. I see it all the time in the latest self-help titles that remain so popular in secular publishing. “Follow these ten principles and you will have happiness and joy like you’ve never known before!”

Concordia Publishing House offers a Biblical antidote to all that thinking. We like to help out the losers, the sinners, the failures, people who feel trapped and guilty and beaten down by expectations placed upon them. We are publishing a fresh new translation of one of Martin Luther’s key Reformation writings, titled, “Christian Freedom” and it is … well … it is fantastic. Here are more details about this new translation:

• A new translation using the longer official version. Includes a nine paragraph “addition” on ceremonies, the Latin version only runs 73 paragraphs in the Weimar edition [the scholarly Latin edition of Luther's works].
• Offers an understanding of Christian freedom based on the Bible, as Luther intended.
• Connects the challenges of Christian life with Scripture, with salvation in Christ, with freedom in the Gospel, and with the way a Christian can make God-pleasing choices in life.
• Melanchthon’s summary on freedom.
• A forty-day reading plan that will guide the reader through Luther’s teaching on Christian freedom. This schedule may be followed at any time or during the forty days of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday, which makes an excellent plan for congregational reflection.
• Introductory notes, illustrations, and glossaries help these classic writings become meaningful in today’s world.

Pictured below are the materials being sent out to every Lutheran congregation: camera-ready promotional inserts, the 57 page sampler so you can take a closer look at the new translation, an explanatory letter, and a sign up sheet.

Here’s some great news…it is on sale for only $7.99 a copy if your congregation places an order for ten or more copies, otherwise they are $9.99 each. And because this book is part of our Spring Catalog, orders of $75 or more will receive free shipping.

Content of the Mailing

A friend recently sent me a old photo of me with Dr. Barry, President of The LCMS, sitting at his favorite round table during a morning staff meeting. It was my privilege to serve with Dr. Barry during the years of his presidency as his assistant. One of the projects he was most pleased with was the series of little tracts that we produced in the series known as “What About . . . ” The genesis of the project came from the years he served in Iowa as a district president. When I came into the district, I got to know Dr. Barry and served the district in a news and information capacity, with a title I can’t remember now. During that time we came across a little pamphlet one of the district’s pastors had written titled something like, “Pastor, I need to talk to you about…” and that gave us the idea of a series of pamphlets on various subjects. When Dr. Barry was elected president of the Missouri Synod, in 1992, he brought me and the “What About” idea with him to Saint Louis and over the years in St. Louis a series of pamphlets were developed and generously funded so that we were able to distribute them for free. They really became popular and we ended up distributing, literally, tens of millions of copies of these little pamphlets. When death cut short Dr. Barry’s service as president, his successor, Dr. Robert Kuhn, asked me to compile the What About pamphlets into a single paperback volume that could be used to easily photocopy the content. To this day, all the What About pamphlets are available as black/white PDF files from the Missouri Synod’s web site, and nicely printed full color copies are still for sale from Concordia Publishing House at very reasonable prices.

I was recently reading a Lutheran pastor’s comments about the Lord’s Supper and found them, frankly, shocking and woefully deficient, reflecting a view of fellowship at the altar that is quite contrary to the Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions and an understanding of the Supper that is not Lutheran, but basically Evangelical/Reformed.

So, I thought here I’d share the What About on fellowship and the Lord’s Supper, one of my favorite in the series.

What About Fellowship in the Lord’s Supper

Fellowship in the Lord’s Supper is the basis for the practice of “close” or “closed communion.” (The phrases “close communion” and “closed communion” refer to one and the same practice). This pamphlet will help you appreciate, understand and explain to others the practice of close communion.

What does God teach in His Word?

“Jesus took bread,gave thanks and broke it,and gave it to his disciples, saying,‘Take and eat; this is my body.’Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them,saying,‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant,which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’ ”(cf.Matt. 26:26–28;Mark 14:22–25;Luke 22:14–20; 1 Cor.11:17–29). “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Therefore,whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself”(1 Cor.11:26–29).

What does the Lutheran church believe about the Lord’s Supper?

The Lutheran church believes, teaches and confesses that the Lord’s Supper is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,under the bread and wine, given to us Christians to eat and to drink. We hold that the bread and the wine in the Supper are the true body and blood of Christ and that these are given and received into the mouths of all who commune. Those who believe the promise: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,”receive forgiveness of sins,life and salvation. This promise, along with the bodily eating and drinking, is the main thing in the Sacrament. The Lutheran church rejects and condemns incorrect understandings of the Lord’s Supper,such as the view that the sacrifice of the Mass delivers man from his sins,or that the substance of the consecrated bread and wine is actually changed into the body and blood of Christ.We also reject and condemn the view that in the Lord’s Supper the true body and blood of Christ is not received by the mouth of the communicants, under the bread and wine,but is received only spiritually in the heart by faith,or that the bread and wine are only symbols of the far-distant body and blood of our Lord.

How is the Lord’s Supper an expression of church fellowship?

While the Lord’s Supper is always a personal matter, it is never a private matter.That is an important truth that is often overlooked.Those who commune at the same altar are thereby declaring publicly that they are united in the doctrine of the Apostles (Acts 2:42). Therefore, fellowship in the Supper is church fellowship.This is what is taught by Holy Scripture in 1 Cor. 10 and 11. Here is how one of our church’s teachers explained this truth. “As there is but one bread,one loaf, from which we eat,so we who are eating of this loaf are one body.The eating of one and the same loaf of bread unifies us to one body.Our participation in the Lord’s Supper is a public profession on our part that we are not only in fellowship with Christ,but that we also are in fellowship with those with whom we commune at the Lord’s Table.We all eat the same bread, the body of Christ. Through that act we indicate that we belong together.All of us Christians who in the Lord’s Supper eat the body of Christ and drink His blood present ourselves as one spiritual family. What we eat and drink together, Christ’s body and blood, ties us together more closely than the bonds of blood. We declare ourselves to be brothers and sisters in Christ. Upon this Bible passage do we base the saying, ‘Altar Fellowship is Church Fellowship.’ “This passage in Corinthians strikes a crushing blow at unionism. To admit those who believe differently to our Communion,and so to our church fellowship, is a contradiction in itself. For those who approach the same altar together profess to be one—one in all points of Christian doctrine and practice—while in reality they disagree. It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord’s Altar”(Stoeckhardt,1 Corinthians, p.60–61).

Another teacher of our church had this to say about why the Lord’s Supper is an expression of church fellowship: “The Holy Supper is one of the marks,one of the banners of the church,one of the seals of the church’s doctrine and faith (Rom.4:11; see 1 Cor.10:21; Ex.12:48). In whichever church one receives the Holy Supper,one is confessing that church and its doctrine.There cannot be a more inward,brotherly fellowship than that into which one enters with those in whose fellowship he receives the holy Supper. . . . Even one who confesses the Real Presence cannot ordinarily, except in the case of death, be admitted if he is and wants to remain,not a member of our orthodox church,but rather a Roman Catholic, Reformed,so-called Evangelical or Unionist,Methodist, Baptist, in short,a member of an erring fellowship.For the Sacrament,as it is a seal of faith,is also the banner of the fellowship in which it is administered” (Walther, Pastoral Theology, p.110–111,149).

What is the Lutheran church’s motive for practicing close communion?

Our Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations offers the following helpful explanation of why we practice close communion: “Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is,in fact,disunity and disagreement. It would be neither faithful to the Scriptural requirements for admission to Holy Communion (1 Cor. 11:27ff; cf. 10:16–17) nor helpful to fallen humanity if the Christian Church welcomes to its altars those who deny or question clear Scriptural teachings. “The reasons for the practice of close Communion are often misunderstood by Christians who have been accustomed to an ‘open Communion’ policy. In a tract titled,Why Close Communion? the rationale for the practice of close communion is explained in this way: ‘So it is not that a Lutheran congregation wants to bar fellow- saints from the blessings of the Eucharist when they practice Close Communion. It is not that they want to be separatistic, or set themselves up as judges of other men.The practice of Close Communion is prompted by love and is born of the heartfelt conviction,on the basis of Scripture alone,that we must follow Christ’s command.This means refusing the Lord’s Supper to those whose belief is not known to us. It is not showing love to allow a person to do something harmful,even though he may think it is for his own good. It also means if they are members of a Christian body which departs from the full truth of the Scripture in some of its doctrines, that we must not minimize the evil of this false teaching by opening our fellowship to any and all Christians who err in the faith’ [Deffner,Why Close Communion?,p.14].

“In keeping with the principle that the celebration and reception of the Lord’s Supper is a confession of the unity of faith, while at the same time recognizing that there will be instances when sensitive pastoral care needs to be exercised, the Synod has established an official practice requiring,‘that pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod,except in situations of emergency and in special cases of pastoral care,commune individuals of only those synods that are now in fellowship with us.By following this practice whereby only those individuals who are members of the Synod or of a church body with which the Synod is in altar and pulpit fellowship are ordinarily communed,pastors and congregations preserve the integrity of their witness to the Gospel of Christ as it is revealed in the Scriptures and confessed in the Lutheran confessional writings.’”

“The Office of the Keys is less than faithfully exercised when admission to the Sacrament is granted to all who come to the altar regardless of their faith and congregational and/or denominational affiliation.The practice of open Communion renders it difficult,if not impossible, for church discipline to be exercised in a way that honors the ministrations being carried out by those to whom the responsibility of spiritual care for a member of God’s flock has been entrusted”(Heb. 13:17; cf. John 20:22–23; Acts 20:27–28; 1 Cor. 4:1–2). Theology and Practice of the Lord’s Supper, pp.21–23).

Conclusion

On the basis of God’s Holy Word,our Lutheran church continues to practice the ancient,Biblical and confessional practice of close communion as an opportunity to give joyful witness to our unity in the true faith.We practice close communion with the belief that this is what the Lord would have us do as we faithfully administer His body and blood in His holy Sacrament. Close communion is not a practice unique to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.It is also practiced by the majority of Christians in the world who are members of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions. Hopefully,this brief explanation will help you,or someone else,understand that our love for our Lord and His Sacrament, and our love for the individual, is the reason why we practice close communion.

— Dr.A.L.Barry
President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Please be sure to take a look at our Spring catalog, with free shipping on any order of $75 or more on items in the catalog. This offer is good through May 31. You’ll find lots of great gifts and resources for Easter, Confirmation, Graduations, Baptisms, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Music and a variety of ministry resources. The Lutheran Study Bible is back on sale again as well. Here is a link to the items in the catalog, so enjoy browing.

I’ve got a fantastic new book I want to tell you about: Bearing the Cross: Devotions on Albrecht Dürer’s Small Passion. I’ve got a couple pictures I took at my desk. What is it? Well, glad you asked.

Albrecht Dürer, 1471–1528, is said to be the greatest German artist of the Northern Renaissance. His works include woodcuts, engravings, sketches, and paintings of both oils and watercolors. Born into a Nuremburg family of goldsmiths, he learned the art of engraving at an early age.

Dürer’s genius in printmaking forever changed the world of art. Up until this time woodcuts had been merely combinations of black and white. His innovative technique of cross hatching brought new shades of grays making a pallet of contrasts between light and dark. This greatly enhanced the woodcuts of his Small Passion giving visual depth, dimension, and drama to the biblical narratives.The Small Passion contains the largest number of scenes, but is known as “small” due to the 3×5 inch size of the intricate woodcuts.

Bearing the Cross combines the great artwork of Albrecht Dürer’s Small Passion, gems of hymnody, and Holy Scripture into faith enriching devotional vignettes. The reader is escorted from Genesis to Revelation in a personal, intimate journey with Christ.

Foreword by Matthew Harrison.

You can take a look at a sample from the book.

You can buy a copy online. Please note this item qualifies for free shipping, when ordered in combination with other items totaling at least $75 from our Spring Catalog.

Apple released their new publishing tool called iBooks Author and it is designed to allow for the production of iBook textbooks. We thought about it and quickly realized that we should put our number one best selling “textbook” of all time, the Small Catechism, into an iBook edition. This edition will feature all of Luther’s catechism hymns, a complete audio recording of the Catechism and a complete sung version of the text of the Catechism. Pretty awesome. Here’s an early proof of how it will look, a screenshot from my iPad. Enjoy.

I expect this to be out in a couple months. And, no, there is no Android version of the Catechism like this. Somebody tell Google to get cracking on their own iBooks software! Click on the image to see the 1080 version.

Concordia Publishing House recently published Dr. Scott Murray’s book A Year with the Church Fathers. You can read more about it here and see a sample from the book. At the recently concluded theological symposium in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mayes made a formal presentation of the book to Dr. Murray, with these words. I thought you would appreciate them.

“Christianity is a historical religion. And we know from the fourth commandment that we have the obligation to honor not only our physical fathers and mothers, but also our fathers in the faith, and our mother the Church. Thus, we should hear the voice of our church fathers, those who have taught Holy Scripture in the history of the Church. These church fathers, of course, are not infallible oracles, but fathers and teachers.

“Dr. Scott Murray’s A Year With the Church Fathers shows that among these fathers and teachers, the Gospel was alive and well. This book is:

• Much more than a devotional book.
• It’s a garden of sweet spices having the aroma of Jesus Christ.
• It is a liturgical book, following the daily lectionary of Lutheran Service Book and the Treasury of Daily Prayer.
• It is well suited for daily personal use, and daily use amid a worshipping community.
• It is a patristic commentary on nearly the whole Bible, offering thoughts and comments for preaching, teaching, and devotions.

“Dr. Murray sums up what we can gain from the fathers when he writes:

“I am continually amazed by the courage and true leadership displayed by the ancient Fathers. Upon reading the work of these saints, bishops, presbyters, and theologians, I have often prayed for leaders like them who, conversant with Scripture as their meat and drink, would write sublimely Gospel-centered sermons, letters, and courageous defenses of the faith of the Church. Upon reading their words, I repent of my arrogant modernism that presumes that what was written before I was born is unimportant, stuffy, and faded. Upon studying them, I grieve for the lack of immediacy in my own expression and my inability to paint a picture of Christ crucified with sufficiently compelling colors (Galatians 3:1). Their speech is full of the Gospel. They are clear that salvation comes not from us but from God. John Chrysostom, the great preacher and bishop, testified that “Nothing is from ourselves” (John Chrysostom, Homilies on 2 Corinthians, 11.4). Everything comes from God. No wonder then that the Fathers often exhibit powerful insights into the Word of God.

“Dr. Murray, Concordia Publishing House congratulates you on the occasion of the publication of your new book, the best treasury of the fathers that the English language has yet seen. Thank you.”

Just a quick reminder/note and word of encouragement. Lent begins in less than a month and I simply wanted to remind you pastor-types out there that Concordia Publishing House has a great Lenten package for you, including all you need to sermons, midweek services, bulletins and so forth. Please take a look here. Our comprehensive Lent preaching and worship resource is titled God’s Gift of Forgiveness. Complete details available here.

“God intends that the one He has declared righteous by grace through faith may enjoy freedom in his conscience and that the righteous man may, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, bear the fruit of the Spirit to the praise of God’s surpassing grace.  In view of this, Luther taught that God’s people may daily take up the commandments of God’s Law, sing them on the way to their work, and actually use them to the benefit of their neighbors.”

Quote from: Friends of the Law. Order a copy here.

This was how a recent unsolicited review of Rev. Edward Engelbrecht’s spectacular book concluded on the  with Angels and Archangels blog. Here is the rest of the review.

Engelbrecht does an amazing job of putting Luther’s 3rd use of the law in context, yea imagine that… a Lutheran concerned about context!  Engelbrecht does a great job of succinctly illustrating for the reader how the Fathers talked about the Law.  He puts the Father’s thoughts in chronological order leading up to Luther and then shows how Luther built off what they had already laid down.  It is really quite simple & beautiful.

When he finally gets to Luther’s writings he makes a rather brilliant move.  He looks at ALL the different writings of Luther.  Engelbrecht doesn’t just look in the doctrinal writings of Luther but he also looks at Luther’s sermons.  He looked to Luther’s proclamation!  What a logical place to look.  Hmmmm, is Luther preaching 3rd use? Yes… but he doesn’t believe in it!?! Anyways, Engelbrecht also points out that these postils were actually some of the most widely used of all the writings of Luther.

As Engelbrecht critics other scholars he is fair but also willing to call a thing what it is.  I am not a researcher or professor but it seemed to me like these other researchers simply did a word search for “third use” and based their conclusions on those results.  Engelbrecht also took into account when Luther was “doing” the third use to his readers while not using the exact terminology, which also tended to fluctuate within Luther’s writings.

In my humble opinion, this book belongs in the library of every Lutheran Pastor.  This book is meant for PROCLAMATION.  Every. Sunday.

In his conclusion Engelbrecht states:

+soli deo gloria+

“One of the great rewards of biblical study is an increased awareness of the historical and cultural setting in which the Scriptures were written.  In The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes, Editor Engelbrecht and his team of contributors have provided an attractive and accessible overview of one of the most interesting periods in the Bible’s history, namely, the Intertestamental or Second Temple Period.  It was during this time that the Old Testament was completed and the New Testament was on the threshold of emerging.  Succinct introductions with helpful maps and diagrams enrich the presentation.  A distinctive strength is the churchly and confessional assessment from a Lutheran perspective that provides a framework for the historical material—a significant contribution that lifts the reader beyond the merely academic.”

The words of encouragement, praise and endorsement keep rolling in from a broad range of scholars who have had a chance to review an unedited proof copy of The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes. It will be out by the end of October 2012.

I recommend this edition of the Apocrypha as a timely and useful addition to The Lutheran Study Bible. The Apocrypha have been considered as a part of the biblical canon for most of the church’s history, and while the Reformers may have had good reasons for thinking differently, they still had a high regard for them. This edition enables both scholars and lay readers to understand why.
Knut Alfsvåg
Professor of Systematic Theology
School of Mission and Theology
Stavanger, Norway

The books of the Apocrypha are absolutely essential for understanding the Jewish context of early Christianity. The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes is an outstanding work of scholarship that provides a welcome service to Lutherans and, indeed, to Christians of other traditions interested in reading and studying these fascinating and often entertaining writings, which the great Luther himself deemed “useful and good to read.” A thoughtfully edited and attractively produced volume, it includes many unique features and has the fullest annotations of any comparable study edition. In all, this is a monumental achievement and valuable resource for scholars, students, and lay people alike.
Daniel C. Harlow
Professor of Religion, Calvin College
Editor, The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism

Coming October 2012.

I’m pleased to share with you the proof of the cover for the third edition of Women Pastors? The Ordination of Women in Biblical Lutheran Perspective. Yes, the third edition, with added content, new essays, etc. This book has proven to be very popular worldwide wherever this issue is being encountered, which is basically everywhere the Lutheran World Federation is trying to push through its liberal agenda on various Lutheran church bodies. The third edition will be out in March. Stay tuned.

I’m happy to tell you that we are running a special offer on this wonderful little tract written by Martin Luther on how to meditate on the passion of Christ. It comes in packs of ten and from now, until Easter, when you use the promotional code LMP when you check out, you will receive as many “ten packs” as you want, for 50% off.

Please note carefully: you must enter LMP on the checkout page where it says “Do You Have a Promotional Code?” and click update cart.

Click here to place your order, or call 800-325-3040 to order, and be sure to mention promotional code LMP to receive the 50% discount.

I strongly encourage that you consider obtaining enough copies of this pamphlet to distribute to the members of your congregation.

What is this document all about?

Topics include:

• Wrong Ways to Meditate on Christ’s Passion
• The Right Way to Think about Christ’s Passion
• The Comfort of Christ’s Suffering

On April 5, 1519, Martin Luther sent a copy of his essay titled “A Sermon Concerning Meditation on the Holy Sufferings of Christ” to his friend George Spalatin. Within five years it had been published in 24 editions. It was enormously popular. It was translated into Latin in 1521. Later, when Luther put together helps and sermons for preachers, it was included as the sermon for Good Friday in the Church Postil of 1525. This translation is based on the English translation that appeared in a 1906 collection of Luther’s writings titled Lutherans in All Lands. It was prepared by Rev. Paul McCain.

Would you pass the word on this great offer?

Once the busy schedule of Advent and Christmas services, along with all the special activities in a typical parish that swirl around and about during the Christmas season, many pastors get past New Years and begin thinking about Lent, which this year starts on Feb. 22. And as they consider what they will be doing this year for their Lenten services, Concordia Publishing House would like to wave a big flag that says, simply, “Look here!” We have a complete Lenten series for you, yet another, in our line of Lenten programs.

This year’s new program is called: God’s Gift of Forgiveness. You can see a sample and an overview of this year’s program, here, on the CPH web site.

God’s Gift of Forgiveness is a complete resource for Lent and Easter preaching and worship, delivered on CD-ROM designed to quickly and easily assist with planning the many aspects of Lent and Easter worship. The CD offers complete text of sermons that work together with worship services, children’s messages, Bible studies, and daily devotions, all conveniently structured and fully customizable.

The theme of this series is God’s gift of forgiveness, especially as we find this forgiveness in the seven penitential psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143) and in the practice of Confession and Absolution. The sermons and devotions in this series expound on the nature of sin as seen in the Psalms, the devastating effects sin has on the soul and the conscience, and what we receive through God’s gift of the forgiveness of sin in Jesus.

Additional coordinating products include:

• God’s Gift of Forgiveness Devotional Booklet
• God’s Gift of Forgiveness coordinating Bulletin
  

  ---

  This CD includes

  • Ten Sermons- (6 midweek, Holy Week, Easter)
  • Seven Bible Studies- (6 midweek plus Easter)
  • Ten children’s messages
  • Ten Worship services- for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
  • BONUS – The Passion of Our Lord (St. Mark) Congregational Reading
    (Sermon and Bible Study on the Office of the Keys for the Second Sunday of Easter)

  ---

  Overview of the program

  	Sermons	Bible Studies	Children’s Messages
  Ash Wednesday	Psalm 6 – Save Me Because of Your Unfailing Love	Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of Your steadfast love. (Psalm 6:4)	The baptismal life is one of confessing our sins and hearing God forgive us.
  Lent 1 Midweek	Psalm 32 – Hiding from God or Hiding in God?	You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance. (Psalm 32)	God can either be the one we hide from or He can be the one we hide in.
  Lent 2 Midweek	Psalm 38 – Come Quickly to Help Me	Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. (Psalm 38:22)	God always helps us just when we need it most, and He sends special people to help us.
  Lent 3 Midweek	Psalm 51 – Against You and For Me	Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice. (Psalm 51:8)	Confession means telling the truth. First we tell the truth of what we have done (sin), and then God forgives us by telling us the truth about Jesus.
  Lent 4 Midweek	Psalm 102 – God’s enduring presence for you	But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever. (Psalm 102:12)	Sometimes when we do something wrong, we feel sad and lonely, like God even hates us. But God loves us, and is always there for us, forgiving and loving us to the end.
  Lent 5 Midweek	Psalm 143 – Teach Me to do Your Will, For You Are My God	If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. (Psalm 130:3-4)	When we learn about our sins through the Law, it frees us because these sins no longer control us.
  Holy Thursday	Psalm 116 – Delivered		God gives us heavenly food for our journey in life so that we will have the strength to make the trip.
  Good Friday	Psalm 130 – Divine Forgetfulness		If God kept score, we would lose every time. But God doesn’t keep score. He forgives because of Jesus’ death on the cross.
  Easter Vigil	Psalm 118; Exodus 14 – Destroying the Enemy		It is easy to become afraid when you are going somewhere you don’t know in the dark. But Jesus went there first so that He can tell us what happens, and that everything will be fine.
  Easter Sunday	Psalm 16; Mark 16:1-8 – You Are the Path of Life	You make known to me the path of life. (Psalm 16:11)	Jesus’ trip into the grave seems like a terrible trip, but that trip actually leads us to everlasting life in the forgiveness of sins.

The short answer is PrayNow and PastoralCare do not support 4.0+. This was a change we made during the release process to contend with early complaints from users.

The long answer: Our developer arrangement was to cover versions 2.2, 2.3.3, and 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2, the versions of the SDK that existed when we bid and began development on the project. In perspective, the Galaxy Nexus came out less than a week ago, shipping a drastic change in their OS, 4.0.

You may have read some of the headlines about Google’s “iPhone/iPad killing” OS Ice Cream Sandwich–this is version 4.0. While Google advertises this as the magic platform that will solve every ones problems–as it allows phones and tablets running Android to have the same OS finally (something iOS has had from the beginning)–from a development perspective, it is simply another slice of the pie to contend with. Note, as of Dec 1, the apps we just released support 88.21% of platforms. See below, click on the image to see the original full-size image:

Google advertises that all new platforms they introduce are backwards compatible; but this is really a fabrication. Hence, when we had a couple users install PrayNow on 4.0, we had one user complain that they couldn’t get the app to come up without crashing. I then attempted to load the app on the 4.0 desktop simulator and all of the UI elements were misshaped overlaying controls on text, etc., but we couldn’t reproduce the crash. My solution to the problem for the time-being was to disallow installs on Android 4.0+ until we can adequately test/fix the product for those platforms.

Hope this helps explain the situation. It’s changing everyday…

We will continue to monitor and if the usage of Android 4.0+ increases significantly, we will be supporting it. But for now, for the reasons mentioned above, we won’t.

Overstatement, you say? Me? Would I do that? Never!

Seriously though, I’ve spent a lot of time looking through, and at, a lot of daily prayer Apps and I will simply say it, without fear of contradiction, PrayNow for iOS and Android is, far and away, the most complete, well designed and useful daily prayer and devotional app available. Period. Why do I say this? Because it offers you an entirely self-contained resource that provides you an orderly, daily opportunity to pray through Scriptures and meditate on them, with supporting resources, like….orders of daily prayer, using the classic, historic orders of the Church: Matins, Vespers  and Compline, and more recent versions of these services. There are additional prayers available, and…can also buy the companion musical recording, load it up on your device, and you can use PrayNow and chant and sing along with the prayer offices. That recording is called “Evening and Morning” and it is available from Concordia Publishing House.

There are other daily prayer apps out and about on the Interwebs, but none this well done, this complete, or this easy to use. This app does not require an Internet connection to use, once it is installed on your particular device.

Note to Kindle Fire owners: Amazon informed us they are working on getting PrayNow into the Fire store. Somebody can tell me why Amazon just didn’t design the Fire to use any/all Android apps.

Here are more details about PrayNow.

As I said, it is now available for the Apple iOS and for Android, get the Apple version here. Get the Android version here, or here.

PrayNow is the daily prayer app that places the Scriptures at the center of daily meditation and prayer.

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Daily prayer should be central to what we do as Christians. Yet it is so easy for the pressures and stresses of daily life to crowd out the time for meaningful prayer.

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