Customer Reviews (7)

It could have been so much better, if not for the political correctness...
Perhaps I shouldn't even review this, since I have left the ELCA for the LCMS, but while still a member of the ELCA, I was given a copy of ELW.

Disclaimer: I am not a church musician and will not attempt to review the melodies, meters, etc.

First of all, the good points:

It is attractively laid out.
Luther's Small Catechism is essential and a welcome inclusion.
The daily lectionary is an excellent resource.
The prayers from throughout Church history are very good.

BUT...

ELW has fallen prey to the political correctness that badly mars the Augsburg Fortress Lutheran Study Bible and the ELCA in general.

There is a dogged insistence throughout ELW to emasculate God the Father; i.e., refusal to assign a male pronoun to the First Person of the Godhead.While theologically distressing (of course), it is also just awkward.A rough paraphrase would be "God loves the world so God sent God's only Son..."The Psalter goes even further than the already-questionable NRSV in this regard, and in the liturgy "It is right to give Him thanks and praise" is changed to "It is right to give OUR thanks and praise."

I commend the ELCA congregations who are staying with the LBW.It may be old, but it's worlds better.

Great for church and home use
Because my parents are both Lutheran ministers who received a small sample copy including some of the changes they were planning on making from the LBW in updating it, I got to see a copy.Neither my parents, boyfriend, or I were at all impressed.In that sample, they had changed the melody of some well-known and loved hymns to ones that were more difficult to sing, they changed words spuriously on well-beloved hymns that were difficult to sing, not very musically fitting with the melody, and downright awkward.

Thankfully, most of the problems with that sample have been addressed, and overall this book is very good.Often when they have changed a melody to a well-known hymn, they still include the old melody that everyone loves, an example of this being "I heard the Voice of Jesus Say."Also, most of the terribly awkward rewording went away too, not all of it, but at least some.

The biggest benefit of this book, and the reason why this book is much more useful to individual and home use, as opposed to solely church purchase and pew use, is its inclusion of a whole slew of prayers for different subjects, a listing of Luther's small catechism--I do not remember whether the LBW included this, but I don't think it did--a listing of the church seasons, two versions of the Revised Common Lectionary, one for Sundays only and the other a list of the daily scriptures.Also, as with the Lutheran Book of Worship, the ELW includes the psalms.

For church use, it mostly preserves the two most well-known and beloved communion settings, and adds several more contemporary settings in different styles, on the assumption that most churches weekly provide the creed in the bulletin, the full text of them only appears in a couple of the first settings.It preserves the hymns from the LBW while adding many great contemporary hymns that actually have some actual theological content, "You are Holy," "You are Mine"and "The Feast is Ready to Begin" are just a few examples. As with the LBW, it includes some of the daily offices, such as morning prayer, evening prayer, and Compline.

I do have a few gripes with it.At Lutheran Summer Music, a month-long music camp for which you do not have to be Lutheran to attend (or really even Christian, though you will be required to attend evening prayer), I fell in love with the LBW's arrangement of the Evening Prayer service music.For whatever reason, they decided to alter some of the chanting, and change the beautiful melody of the Magnificat, as presented in the LBW.Thankfully, at least, they preserved the melody in, "Let My Prayer Rise before you as incense,"

I especially dislike the way that they arbitrarily chose to include the accompaniments and harmonizations on some hymns and not others.Those of us who are musically inclined but not quite quick enough to get the chordal structure to harmonize without guide, especially while trying to sing the words, and to pay attention to the message of the hymn--even more especially when the melody exceeds our tolerable sounding vocal range-- like to be able to see the harmonies, so that we can switch to one of the lower ones.

This also presents a difficulty to Church accompanists such as I who prefer to practice at home, because it means that we also have to purchase both the liturgy book and the accompaniment edition, both of which are much more expensive than the pew hymnal, since we have no reliable access to all the hymn accompaniments.Formerly, the only thing we had to buy was the liturgy accompaniment if we were willing to put up with the tendency for the pages to refuse to lie flat and to flip themselves occasionally.

This books improvements, greater worship setting options, greater usefulness in personal devotion at home, continuance of the great hymn classics, inclusion of much theologically sound and musically beautiful contemporary music truly outweighs the few gripes I have against it.

I highly recommend this, not only to churches who haven't yet switched over from the LBW, but also for dedicated Christians who would like a rich source of daily devotional material.

Useful Sundays and Every Day
The newest official hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is not just for congregational worship.True, it has ten communion settings, vernacular arrangements of the Divine Office, the complete Book of Psalms with sixteen tones for singing, and the complete Revised Common Lectionary.So it's more than useful for performing the Sunday service.

But if you flip to the back, you'll find a complete daily lectionary for private Bible study, as well as Luther's Small Catechism.The settings of the worship contain thorough introductions for those who want to learn more about how and why we Lutherans perform service in certain ways.So it's also valuable for self-guided study, private worship, and lay leadership in outreach to shut-ins and others.

This book isn't without controversy.A few cherished hymns were squeezed from new edition to make room for hip, poppy praise tunes.There isn't very much plainchant, for those of us who like the old ways.And though I mostly applaud the effort to utilize more gender-inclusive language, a few hymns (#207 springs to mind) have been tortured to fit the new mold.

Still, this worship hymnal is portable, inexpensive, and provides instruction that many pew editions haven't offered.Service hymns are laid out seasonally for ultimate clarity, and the prayers are brief but wide-ranging.Don't leave this hymnal in the pew.Get yourself a copy and use it to guide your personal prayer and study.That's what they made it for.

Wonderfl resource for private or congregational worship
The new Lutheran worship book is a wonderful resource, both for congregational worship and private devotions.

The 10 settings of the Eucharist provide a rich variety of musical styles and liturgies. I've been involved with two congregations who have adopted ELW, to almost universal praise.

The prayers and daily lectionary make it a valuable tool for private devotions.

Great Resource, Bad Pew Hymnal
As a student at an ELCA seminary, I've been exposed to the ELW from a variety of angles.I've spent time studying it as a pastor-to-be, I've studied it from being a theology student, I've studied it from being a worshipper.What strikes me is how this resource is one breath a great resource for worship planning and in the next breath a terrible pew-version.

I've enjoyed the flexibility of choices that I have in liturgies, prayers, and song selection.Though, I do have to question the use of the term "contemporary" when talking about some of the hymns (I guess they were written in the last 30 years), I also question any idea that these liturgies can be used by a band ... I've played in worship bands for as long as I can remember and I can't say any of these liturgies are "band" friendly (and by band I'm thinking about a couple of guitars, drums, bass, maybe keys and a horn section).

What irks me most about this book is that it's not something that the average worshipper will find "easy" to use in the pew.There's a lot of "flipping" that must go on to follow a given service.I don't really care for the fact that only the first two (of 10) liturgies have complete liturgical elements ... for the remaining liturgies if you want to find the text for the Lord's Prayer or one of the Creeds you have to page back to one of the first two settings.I realize this was done to save pages, but it makes it difficult to use in worship.

I do encourage this book to be on the shelves of any pastor or worship leader who is planning worship, but beware of it's limited use ... and don't go buying copies to fill your pews, your congregation will be disappointed. ... Read more

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960 pages ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great Hymnal
The church that I belong to has been using this book since the early 1980's.It was our only hymnal until we got a hymnal supplement in 1991 and then the With One Voice hymnal in the late 1990's.If you enjoy traditional service settings, organ music, and old hymns that most know, then this hymnal is a great choice for you!

Decent hymnal, but a step down from the previous edition
I agree with the other reviewer that claims that the older hymnal is a better choice.

Much of the language has been simplified in this book, and in my opinion, the simplification is completely pointless.It doesn't make the songs any more relevant to our life, it just makes them less poetic and spiritual.I do believe that hymnals should change and evolve over time, but I think this change should be in the form of including new music with the same level of poetic and harmonic sophistication, instead of just watering down the old music or including new, simpler music.

One thing I like about the sections of this book used for worship is that they are structured in a way that makes it very easy to integrate musical chanting into the service instead of just reading text.This is in contrast to some other protestant hymnals, which don't really have this option, or don't make it as easy.

This is a pretty good hymnal.I give three stars instead of four only because I feel the music has been substantially watered-down from previous editions, and, much like my criticisms of textbooks nowadays, I think that when a newer edition is inferior to an earlier one, the newer edition never deserves 4 or more stars.

Buy the Red Hymnal.Its 100 times better.
This bad revision is a put together from odds and ends of synods that do not fit together.Get the real thing, the red hymnal of 1985.The liturgy in the red hymnal (as opposed to this shoddy book is beautiful.Our congregation switched from green (the new one) to red (the old hymnal) a few years ago and I was surprised at the difference!The bolderizations are gone, the liturgy is lighter and the excellent old music is brought to life.While the green hymnal is much much better than the dull and lifeless With One Voice (WOV) - or With One Vice as I like to call it - it simply can't compare to the red hymnal in excellent music.I would give the green hymal one star, but that shd be reserved for WOV.

Former Evangelical
We can't rewrite this book! I just became a Lutheran after leaving a nondenominational evangelical church! Pop-Christianity gets old, anyway, no matter how new it stays.

It's a Worship Hymnal, What Do You Expect?
I am finally ordering my own copy of the LBW after nearly 30 years because I want to have the lyrics and music for some of my favorite hymns.As for the guy who said the book should be rewritten...

Are you going to help pay for the hymnals for all those churches?And since when are Lutherans all that hip anyway (I was born Lutheran and quite active in my church)?If you're looking for an exciting worship book, look for something more contemporary.The LBW was written in 1978 and is not updated very often because it is a launching point, not the endpoint for worship.Most Lutheran churches use their own personal supplements anyway to fit their congregations - and even nearly 25 years after the LBW was printed it is still a very valuable reference (for the wedding and burial and baptismal services, for example).

I think this book is good for what it is - a book containing hymns and service material. ... Read more

Product Description
It appears to me that the ELCA is quietly accomplishing a mini-revolution in Lutheran practice. They are counting on the general reluctance of the clergy to address any potentially divisive issue with their members, and the sleepy confidence of members that everything is going to be all right in the end. One day we'll wake up and it will be a done deal. Yet there is enough coverage of the issues in The Lutheran magazine and other media that the ELCA cannot be accused of maintaining a blackout. Our congregation has not subscribed to The Lutheran for a long time. It caused too many telephone calls to the church office every time an issue hit the mailboxes, which tells you something. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

How Sad
Yes, we are Lutheran.We subscribe to the basic doctrines of Martin Luther and his core for reformation.This book seemed to completely ignore what these doctrine are, as outlined in Luther's writings.I wonder if the author has even picked up a copy of the the 95 Theses.And more importantly, we are Christian.We just tend to show it with our love for our fellow human being.We are not quick to jump on the bandwagons of the day, as some of the other reviews would have us do.And we certainly withhold judgment.

Martin Luther was about getting closer to the meaning of the Word.That has not changed. And this sort of ant-Christian attack on the good people who seek to show the love of Christ in this world is unfortunate.

: ( --This is my unhappy face
The whole premiss of this book is rather sad (as well as most of the comments made praising it). I urge all prospective buyers to not form your opinions on such propaganda, but rather by actually visiting different congregations and seeing things as they are. Lutherans should not be attacking each other - bring back the peaceful discussion.

MISSED THE BULLET
This book was written before the decisive defeat of the move to permit practicing homosexual into the clergy and allow "blessings" on same-sex couples.Since the individual synods rejected such moves and the national assembly confirmed those rejections, much of the rancor has dissipated within the ELCA.It is also fair to say the "pro-reform" bishops lost their nerve with the unexpected strength of the opposition and the serious prospect of schism within the American Episcopal Church.Naturally, the "pro-reform" party still seeks more "prayer and dialogue" in order that the door would not be definitely closed; but only time will tell.Frankly, the average ELCA Lutheran is tired of the issue and feels the Church "missed the bullet" which would have precipitated in a civil war.They are not interested in introducing anything which could prove to be cataclysmic.

While there is a kind of peace for now, what all the disagreements point to is a basic conflict in how Scripture is read and explained.Truth be known:there are actually very few "literalists" within whatever variety of Lutheran Church you look into. Almost all Lutherans are open to one school of Biblical scholarship or another. Instead, it is more useful to speak of a continuum of "high" to "low" views of Scripture.Those of the "high" view tend to be respectful of academic Biblical scholarship--even the historical/critical school--but ultimately believe that Scripture is inspired.Those of the "low" view tend to view Scripture as human-made and not divinely inspired--or inspired only in the loosest sense.Naturally, there are degrees along each side of the continuum; but the description holds up pretty well.The ramifications come out in the question of how seriously to take the actual written text of Scripture and what weight to give individual experience in discovering the "truth". Those of the "low" view tend to speak of discovering what Scripture has to say in light of the "modern context".More to the point, what was true at the time a particular passage was written may not be true today.Instead, the focus should not be on the particulars within the passage, but with the underlying theme as we understand it today.Such a theme may in fact overrule the apparent lesson of the passage.Those of a more radical bent will hold that there is no objective truth in Scripture except that which is discovered to be "true for me". Those of a "high" view accept the human origins of Scripture; but also believe that Scripture came about by the intentionality of God.Thus the written text is taken seriously.Not every piece of Scripture is of equal value and this is where the proper division of Law and Gospel is helpful.In this view, scholarship is respected when it helps explain the meaning of Scripture.Scholarship which destroys meaning and is hostile to the devotional use of Scripture is viewed with critical suspicion.As opposed to those of the radical "low" view, "high" view folk hold the God's truth is true whether it is experienced or not.While there is rarely a Lutheran who is a "pure" high or low, there is actually very little middle ground between the two sides. What is at stake is not just how to interpret any particular passage of Scripture; it is a conflict on what meanings will be assigned to the world around us.Taken on a national scale, it is easy to see why the ELCA finds it so difficult to achieve real consensus on any particular issue.

All this is compounded by the real world disconnect between the national leadership and the local congregation.This is hardly a situation unique to Lutherans but it results in different visions of what the Lutheran Church is supposed to be.The national offices tend to be of the more progressive bent.More important than that the milieu the leadership moves in is that of the university and the upper leadership of other Christian denominations. Thus many of the enthusiasms which animate the national leadership proceed directly from the current social vapors of higher education.This at times results in a vision of the Church as a university writ large with all the features of multi-culturalism, a wide variety and number of points-of-view, and a one-sided initiative for social advocacy.Local congregations, however, are more customarily Lutheran--in a word:conservative. While the local ELCA congregation's frequency will have women for Pastors and will have "open" communion for other Christians, in many ways there are little practical differences between an ELCA Lutheran and other Lutherans belonging to the more strict Missouri or Wisconsin Synods.Life of the congregation centers around
Word and Sacrament as it has for the last 500 years.Preaching the Gospel and the spread of the Faith are the primary concerns.As a rule, most congregations do not engage in direct political activities; on the other hand, most do engage in charitable measures. While in practice there are Lutherans of many different stripes, most do not see diversity of viewpoints as a virtue in and of itself. Indeed, there are boundaries beyond which one can no longer meaningfully call oneself a Lutheran.

And this is really the final unanswered question:will the ELCA continue on until it is not longer Lutheran in essence? All Churches must change in order to be the Church for each succeeding generation.The reality is for most Churches the question isn't "what shall we change?' but rather "what shall we keep?" In this regard, the passing of time is ruthless and thousands of valuable treasures are lost along the way.So it is and so it always has been. For all our worries and gnashing of teeth, the Lord will decide what his Church will look like and will rescue her when all looks dark--as He always has.

ELCA has abandoned Lutheranism
I found this book interesting; furthermore, I no longer felt alone.When the LCA (Lutheran Church in America) made the decision to merge with the ALC, I noticed a change in the doctrines I had studied and agreed with.When I asked my pastor about them, his response was, "The Bible was written a long time ago, and times have changed.Some of those things are no longer applicable."This statement to me is blasphemous.I can honestly say, I didn't leave the ELCA, it left me.Faith alone, Grace alone, Scripture alone.I still believe it's true.The ELCA doesn't.

Bigotry at its best!
This book is not worthy of publication. It distorts the truth, it is biased towards liberal religiosity, it is homophobic to its core, it is affraid of pluralism, and it does not really understand the theology of the ELCA or Lutheranism for that matter. If you want to gripe about a denomination that is really making a difference in people's life; then by all means read this nonsense. You would think that in this day and age we would be past the name calling and hate ladden rhetoric. Oh, and by the way Luther was neither a fundamentalist nor a literalist. As you read history you will understand that reading the Bible literally is a recent phenomena. It is blasphemous to consider the Bible inerrent; that designation belongs to God alone. Here I stand... those who take it upon themselves to determine if any group is Christian or Lutheran or orthodox or anything for that matter is deluded. Our task is to spread the word of God and not judge others. ... Read more

Product Description
Discernment is decision-making that begins and ends with God, according to Braun, and following God's will is a gift from God worked through the Holy Spirit, as is faith itself. So it makes sense that the Lord's Prayer, introduced at a time of transition in Jesus' life and that of his disciples, provides a means for Christians of every age to faithfully work through challenging and confusing times in their lives.
Using the petitions of the Lord's Prayeras her framework and offering insights from her own experience of praying at life' s crossroads and being privy to the prayer lives of others, the author leads readers into deeper awareness of God's will in their lives - a will that propels Christians to service. ... Read more

Product Description
In Matthew's Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount inaugurates Jesus' public ministry, and the first word out of Jesus' mouth is 'blessed'. He repeats this word throughout his first sermon. Jesus calls his disciples by blessing them, and as he speaks, Jesus introduces himself to us but also introduces disciples to themselves, for the Beatitudes offer a character sketch of who disciples will become if they follow him.

The Beatitudes, says Martha Stortz, function as a compass for the journey of Christian discipleship. The first group of Beatitudes target people in situations of suffering. The second group of Beatitudes target people who help those who suffer. Each chapter in Blessed to Follow is structured around a similar pattern: appeal to experience; biblical stories; Jesus: the one blessing and the one blessed; disciples: blessed to be a blessing; practice: the blessing made real. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Profound Insight into the Topic of Discipleship
By using the Beatitudes as a guide, she shows what true discipleship is really all about.Good for personal faith growth or to use in an adult Bible study group on the subject.If you sometimes have trouble forgiving, she reminds us that Jesus did too.While on the cross, He didn't say, "I forgive you", He said, "Father forgive them".
We are called to discipleship not church membership.This little book would make a good gift for new members to start them on that journey. ... Read more

Product Description
Commissioned in 1993, this new translation of The Book of Concord brings a new generation of scholarship and sensitivities to bear on the foundational texts of Lutheran identity. The fifth English translation since 1851, this edition succeeds that edited by Theodore Tappert published in 1959 by Muhlenburg Press.

A review of the text in light of a mountain of new scholarship and other factors dictated the new translation and apparatus, including changes in the English language over the past forty years, differences in the training and preparation of seminarians and pastors, limitations in the introductions and annotations to the various parts of the book, new knowledge of the history and theology of these very documents, and the occasional error in Tappert's translation.

Kolb and Wengert's team of leading Reformation historians was augmented by consultation with one hundred other scholars and teachers who use The Book of Concord continually, and two other teams of scholars who have reviewed the translations. In coming years, two volumes of related documents will follow.

Benefits of this new translation: Expanded introductions and annotations offer richer historical context New translation aims at accessible but accurate translation Format is easier to read and use Leading American scholars have been involved or consulted ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Great
This book has proven to be useful for the class I am using for. It was delivered in a very timely matter and I find that I am very satisfied by the service provided by Amazon

Book of Concord.
Good value for a book to be used as a college textbook my grqanddaughter.Could not let my "marked up" copy go.

why didn't my Pastor suggest I buy this sooner?
A must have for any Lutheran, or anyone interested in theology.Explains why there should be little separation between the church (clergy)and it's people & how truly liberal Luther really was! A true eye opener.

As Expected
A review of a doctrinal work first published in 1580 by someone such as myself must of necessity confine itself to format.
The Book of Concord is the doctrinal basis of Lutheranism.The content is self explanatory.This edition compares most favorably with the Tappert edition of 1959.Differences in translation are noted.The typeset is clear and good size.I believe this edition is preferable to the Tappert.

Outstanding
Excellent reading for serious students of Lutheran theology/doctrine.

Layout is excellent, with translation of German text opposite that of the Latin.Footnoted material provides additional historical material.

A great read! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

great review of the teachings of God's word
This book provides an overview of the teachings of the whole Bible, and follows the catechism of Dr. Martin Luther.You study the meanings of the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, The Lord's Prayer, the Lord's Supper, Baptism, and many more things.All of these topics are presented with Bible verses that show this is what the Bible teaches.

Excellent for Lutheran youth and adults
The "old" Small Catechism was getting a little stale in the opinion of this experienced youth ministry leader and Christian educator, and this translation is fresh and seems to be more engaging to Lutherans of all ages.

Decidely WELSian, but Very Good
The explanations and diagrams are helpful and first rate; no other catechism is as in depth with the explanations or has as many diagrams to illustrate theological points.Only the Lutheran Church of Australia'sSmall Catechism even comes close, with very distant second when it comes touseful diagrams.This Small Catechism with explanation is right up therein overall quality with the LCMS's and the ELS' (Evangelical LutheranSynod) Small Catechism.

Some of the explanations, however, decidedlysupport Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) positions.Forexample, any prayer, even grace before a meal, is taught as an "act ofworship" and, thus, one should not pray with others with whom he is not infellowship.This of course is one of the more "extreme" WELSpositions being espoused.But then again, this is a WELS catechism!So areader should be aware of the doctrinal positions being taught when usingthis catechism.

Only two negatives, however, mar this fine production. First, this Catechism uses the NIV translation exclusively as its Bibletext.The LCMS's catechism uses the NIV, but favors the NKJV where the NIVstrayed from the original text.The ELS catechism uses the NKJVexclusively.Second, the translation of Luther's Small Catechism is a bitbreezy and slightly paraphrastic.For this reason I must give this valianteffort 4 stars instead of 5. ... Read more

Product Description
The only English translation of a series of sermons by Lutheran theologian, Jacob Andreae, that proved to be critical in the development of the Lutheran Confessions, particularly the Formula of Concord. Jackob Andreae worked tirelessly to unite Lutherans after the death of Martin Luther in 1546. Dr. Robert Kolb offers the historical background for these sermons, the offers an English translation of these six sermons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Scriptural Disputes Settled According to Catechism
This is marvelous background to the Formula of Concord and applying it to today's polarity over equally sounding Scriptural proofs.

Having purchased this early on in seminary, and never reading all of it, was inspired just recently by study group on Formula.Background had this as major contributor, however, Chemnitz and gang resolved that sermon format was not the best, so rewritten.

What is attractive and solid about these six sermons on controverted doctrine is his reference to Luther's Small Catechism for the answer to finding out how to discern equally sounding controverted positions.Before someone objects to Catechism being over Scripture, one must realize what Catecism is: Asks question, then answers from Scripture.This is solid and enlighenting and pertinent to today's controverted issues. ... Read more

Product Description
Barbara A. Glanz knows grief from personal experience. Her son died at a very young age and her husband of many years died recently. Although the ideas in the book come primarily from people who have lost a loved one, most of the ideas are applicable to any kind of loss: the loss of a job, a divorce, the loss of a relationship, the loss of a pet, the loss of health, a move, or desertion.

Written for the person who wants to help the one who is grieving, this book is filled with immediately practical ideas as well as long term, specific ways to help someone move from grieving to growth, and eventually to cherishing good memories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

What Can I Do?
I read this book after my 29-year old daughter's husband died suddenly from a heart attack after 7 1/2 months of marriage.Our entire family was hurting.In an effort to be as much help as possible, I ordered a copy of What Can I Do? for each of my other three children to read.We found it extremely helpful.I would highly recommend it to anyone who truly wants to make a difference.

Excellent source of ideas and stories behind the ideas
So often we want to reach out and do something to help those we care about get through a difficult time, but we don't know what to do. As author of Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend (Conquering the Confusions of Chronic Illness) (Conquering the Confusions of Chronic Illness) I tried to put these into a simple list format for people to flip to a page and get an idea.

Barbara Glanz has done a wonderful job of explaining the process behind some of these ideas and also sharing stories that show why such a small action can have an amazing impact on a person's life.

Since it's nearly Christmas as I write this, I flipped to the Christmas section and enjoyed reading about the unique ideas such as a Christmas box of gifts that people can open leading up to the holiday. When it comes to serving the chronically ill, just feeling like you are remembered is an amazing gift in itself.

Despite the fact that I wrote a book on the same topic, this book, "What Can I Do?" is one that I will always have on my own bookshelf to refer to. Thanks, Barbara, for an excellent resource that will always be needed and that everyone should own!

Lisa Copen
Director, Rest Ministries, Inc.
A Christian organization serving the chronically ill

An inclusive, highly recommended guide
Written by certified speaking professional Barabara A. Glanz, What Can I Do?: Ideas to Help Those Who Have Experienced Loss is a guide to comforting friends, family members, acquaintances, and anyone else in one's life who has experienced the crushing loss of a loved one. Chapters offer practical advice and heartfelt recommendations, from ways to celebrate the life of the person who passed on to creating traditions that keep memories of loved ones alive. "When someone is grieving, they have no thought of themselves; they are simply in survival mode, so doing something that brings them joy and focuses simply on them is a precious gift. Present them with a gift certificate for a massage, facial, manicure, or pedicure to help soothe their soul and brighten their spirits." Though there are occasional religious references, What Can I Do? is an inclusive, highly recommended guide intended for readers of all Christian denominations and all backgrounds.

A great resource for anyone who knows someone who is grieving
Lots of specific ideas, stories, poems and inspiration for those of us who don't know what to say or do when someone we care about is suffering a loss. ... Read more

Product Description
Given for You offers an eleven-point summary of key teachings/ understandings of the Lord's Supper and is an eloquent call for true communion among all Christians around this simple meal given by Jesus for the Church and for the sake of the world. Includes a glossary of key terms, a list of additional resources and questions for reflection and discussion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Complete and Well-researched
Deaconess Cheryl D. Naumann has carefully researched and recorded the history of the deaconess movement in American Lutheranism (specifically the branches of Lutheranism that became the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod).Although "In the Footsteps of Phoebe" is a very scholarly work, it reads like a novel.Readers will feel as if they personally know the major figures in the deaconess movement.After reading this book, you will be wondering why your congregation or institution does not have a deaconess of its own! ... Read more

Product Description

In Palatines, Liberty, and Property A. G. Roeber explains why so many Germans, when they faced critical choices in 1776, became active supporters of the patriot cause. Employing a variety of German-language sources and and following all the major German migration streams, Roeber explores German conceptions of personal and public property in the context of cultural and religious beliefs, village life, and family concerns. Co-winner of the John H. Dunning Prize from the American Historical Association, Roeber's study of German-American settlements and their ideas about liberty and property provides an unprecedented view of how non-English culture and beliefs made their way from Europe to America.

"The most thoughtful and comprehensive study ever attempted of the German migration to eighteenth-century America and how it affected and was affected by the Revolution. Roeber's research on German law and patterns of landholding has no parallel in English-language scholarship. This is the one book that everyone should read who wishes to understand the scope and significance of the first massive voluntary migration of non-English speaking settlers to British North America." -- John M. Murrin, Princeton University

Customer Reviews (1)

Palatines, Liberty and Property
This book was very interested; I read it and then donated it to the Genealogical Society of Bergen County. Thank you. ... Read more

Product Description
In this third book in the best-selling reclaiming series, Kelly A. Fryer asks and answers such important questions as:
· What does the word evangelical actually mean?
· Why do so many Christians, including those who appeared to have been left behind by theologically conservative and fundamentalist Christian churches over the past two decades, think this word is so important that they are stubbornly attempting to reclaim it for themselves?
· What is the biblical message that these new evangelicals have to share?
· What does a truly evangelical life and evangelical congregation look like?
· What kinds of things do evangelical people and an evangelical church do?
· What would happen if we who believe the Christian message really and truly is good news for the whole world without exception woke up to our evangelical identity? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Well written and helpful research!
This is probably Kelly's best book so far for content. It is filled with research that is helpful and written in her usual lively voice to engage the reader with meaningful facts and illuminating stories. A must read for people who want to know what makes healthy and missional congregations come to life!

energizing
If you have ever heard Kelly speak, you can hear her voice as you read this book. One can not help but be energized by this book. Excellent discussion starters at the end of each chapter makes this book ideal for group conversation and stimulation within a congregation. Must reading in my opinion for every church leader.

Reclaiming the "E" Word
The book came very quickly.I'm enjoying reading it.This fits very well with the other books written by Kelly Fryer.Thanks ... Read more