A Study of Lutheran Hymnody
Series: Bible Insights
This Bible study in the NPH Bible Insights series works through various hymns from Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal. These seven lessons deal with Lutheran hymns in roughly chronological order, with some information on the periods in which they were written, plus one additional lesson on hymns from from the new Christian Worship: Supplement.Author Kieta leads class members through many of the great hymns that express the truths of Scripture in beautiful language set to timeless melodies which make the best tools for Christians to confess their faith and sing praises to God.
Class members leave this class with a renewed appreciation for their Lutheran hymns and the ability to sing them with greater understanding and enthusiasm.
Lessons include:
Sing Praises to God
Hymns of the Early Church
Martin Luther's Hymns
Hymns of the Reformation Era
Hymns from the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy
Lutheran Hymnody During the Age of Opposition
Lutheran Hymns in the Awakening and Beyondd
(Optional Lesson) Lutheran Hymns in Christian Worship: Supplement
Leader's Guide 54 pages, Student Lessons 45 pages. Teaching index 6. Published 2009. Teaching Index
View Sample Pages
Catalog Item Number: OL-221158
Price: $41.50
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GJ - I didn't get my free review copy, but I thought this was worth listing anyway. This kind of study will go a long way to encourage congregations to sing good hymns with Biblical content.
PS
My jocular comment, above, got me a PDF of the book, so I was able to read through it. I like the way the various eras of hymn-writing are discussed, with Biblical passages throughout the study, illustrating Biblical hymns.We tend to read and sing hymns by season, and overlook biographical information. This is a good study for making people aware of their Lutheran heritage. They will also find out more about theological movements influencing hymns. The Pietistic hymnal collected under Francke's son-in-law profoundly affected Lutheran worship.
When unionistic Lutherans want to be more like the Reformed, they mock Lutheran hymns, liturgy, and sermons. Lutheran is not a brand, where we need a new, improved version to market to the masses. A Lutheran hymn is faithful to God's Word, emphasizing justification by faith and the Means of Grace.
People like to sing familiar hymns, so congregations should always keep the great Lutheran hymns in rotation rather than relying on the Methodist-Babtist hymns favored by default. There are many ways to educate a congregation about hymns:
- Featuring a hymn of the month.
- Writing up hymns, authors, and composers in the bulletin.
- Discussing hymns in the service.
- Using a hymn as a doctrinal lesson.
- Following Luther in replacing parts of the liturgy with hymns.
- Copying the embed code of a You Tube hymn into the congregation's website or blog, so people can sing along at home. Ichabod has a long list of great hymns to sing, including German ones.
4 comments:
People are comforted that the WELS Synodical Council has to provide a balanced budget, but that budget is based on anticipated giving matching anticipated expenses. There's the rub. When expenses rise and/or giving drops, the WELS has to take out loans. That's how the synod got $21 million into debt all the while it is supposed to have a balanced budget.
This summer WELS cut their synodical budget from $38 to $30 million per year. Also, President Schoeder said that the budget will be based partly on what's in the bank already when it comes to foundational funds tied to the bond and stock market. That maneuver only helps starting in 2011? What about between now and then?!
I think the $30 million budget is based on the idea that the Schwan Fund and other foundations' investments will recover, and dividends will be paid same as in the past. However, Burgdorf already warned that the Schwan gift might have to be cut 50 to 70 percent next year. So if he's right, I bet the WELS will either have to go into further debt or have more layoffs, or a mix of the two.
The synod's $22 million debt was not an operating debt. The majority of it (about $15 million) was incurred as a result capital building projects at the time the schools were algamated in 1995 and in several construction projects after that time. The remainder was incurred as a result of the accounting "oops" that took place in 2001 when unintentional double spending of savings accounts occurred. So none of this is really operating debt as the previous post indicated.
The convention adopted a strategy to keep ministry programs in line with available funding. The financial stabilization fund does indeed begin to be used in 2011. In the meantime, transition dollars were made available from many different special funds that were on hand and are now being used for ministry.
The $30 million budget adopted by the convention does not (contrary to the previous post) assume that the Schwan funding will recover. In fact, it anticipates the very reduction that was mentioned and which Schwan has warned about.
The plans in place have taken all this into account; further reductions in ministry would happen only if congregational mission offerings decrease signficantly (and so far they have not done that) or if Schwan funding were reduced even more than what has been indicated. In either case, borrowing to create an operational debt is not permitted by the synod's constitution.
All of this information is available in the Book of Reports and Memorials and in the Proceedings of the convention, in case you are wondering about its accuracy.
Geoff Kieta is a friend and a breath of fresh air within WELS and a no B.S. kind of guy. He is well thought out and well spoken and is consistant in his Lutheran Doctrine. Too bad we can't have more like him. The Michigan district is fortunate.
Come visit Wisconsin sometime Geoff.
church of the future.
Bob Smith September 17 at 4:31pm
Well,
I guess I want to steer clear of what's some call a genetic fallacy. I can get behind what you said regarding his insults etc. But what about his central gripe with modern Lutheranism?
I don't suppose you have enough time to read his stuff, being busy busy and all. I'll give you the super-abbreviated "Cliff Notes" edition. Jackson says that Scripture (and Luther) does not teach what modern people call Objective Justification. Jackson claims that the "reconciliation" that 1 Cor. 5:19 talks about is not Justification. Jackson argues with most modern Lutheran sects by asserting that God didn't justify the entire world on Easter morning, but rather He Atoned for the worlds sin. Justification (i.e. being declared innocent) only happens to those with faith because of the renewal that happens as a result of faith.
Jackson says the Bible teaches: No faith, no perfection. Jackson also insists that many theological problems can (and have, according to him) arisen because of Objective Justification: namely, a uniquely American brand of Synergism. I just don't see it, myself.
But I have to acknowledge, put that way, Jackson's argument makes perfect Biblical sense, however much his methods might detract from what he says.
So my question for you is: Objective Justification? What do you make of Jackson's opinion? If the vinegar were honey :) does his position hold water? I really would like to hear your perspective about this because I'm trying to wade through. Personally, I'm kind of at a crossroads and I'm trying to figure out some stuff.
I'd appreciate any insight.
Thanks a bunch
Mark Jeske September 17 at 9:33pm
Hi--
Sorry that I don't have time to do a thorough presentation. Here are just some quick thoughts. I haven't read Jackson's writing on the subject, so I can't respond to his particular points.
I am very comfortable with the term and concepts of objective justification, as long as it is not considered in isolation. It could lead to universalism and a downplaying of the need for faith and the means of grace.
I think the passage you are referring to is from II Corinthians, ne c'est pas?
Grace is shocking and exists before faith ever happens. In fact, grace is the cause of faith. It produces faith. For a passage that means a lot to me and illustrates the shocking nature of grace, consider Romans 4:5 which says that God justifies the wicked. If that beautiful grace results in faith in a person, all that justification is credited to him by faith. If he rejects that beautiful grace, he loses the value of Christ's substitution for him.
Hope this helps.
In haste,
MAJ
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