Resources from Lexham Press

Leithart, Peter J. The Ten Commandments: A Guide to the Perfect Law of Liberty. Ashland, OH: Lexham Press, 2020. 149 Pages. Cloth. $15.99. https://lexhampress.com/

Meyers, Ben. The Apostles' Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism. Ashland, OH: Lexham Press, 2018. 148 Pages. Cloth. $15.99. https://lexhampress.com/

Hill, Wesley. The Lord's Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father. Ashland, OH: Lexham Press, 2019. 123 Pages. Cloth. $15.99. https://lexhampress.com/

Schreiner, Patrick. Michael F. Bird, Series Editor. The Ascension of Christ: Recovering a Neglected Doctrine (Snapshots). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020. 127 Pages. Paper. $15.99. ebook available. https://lexhampress.com/product/189139/the-ascension-of-christ-recovering-a-neglected-doctrine

Senkbeil, Harold H.  Christ and Calamity: Grace and Gratitude in the Darkest Valley. Ashland, OH: Lexham Press, 2020. 151 Pages. Paper: $9.99. Cloth: $19.99. ebook available. https://lexhampress.com/

Senkbeil, Harold L. and Lucas V. Woodford. Foreword by Brian Croft. Church Leadership and Strategy: For the Care of Souls (Lexham Ministry Guides). Ashland, OH: Lexham Press, 2019. 84 Pages. Paper. $9.99. https://lexhampress.com/

Senkbeil, Harold H. Foreword by Michael Horton. The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart. Ashland, OH: Lexham Press, 2019. 290 Pages. Cloth. $21.99. https://lexhampress.com/product/169227/the-care-of-souls-cultivating-a-pastors-heart

One of the challenges of writing book reviews
is actually getting the review published after it is written.
The original version of the reviews of these books were 90% complete
when blogspot decided to misbehave.
I am at fault for not composing offline.
Sorry for the delay! We had to reconstruct everything...

We are thankful that Lexham Press discovered us at Lutheran Book Review. We are also grateful for review copies of the following books.

Lutheran Book Review presents critical reviews (by Lutheran pastors, educators and church musicians) of books and other resources for Christian use from a perspective rooted in Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and good common sense. 

We ask, "Is it worth the money to buy, the time to read and study, the shelf space to store, and the effort to teach?"

One of the additional questions I ask myself as I read a book for review is this: 

Who is the intended reader of this book? 

Martin Luther begins with the Ten Commandments, and so will this review.

Do You Believe?

You know them. But do you understand them?

The Ten Commandments have become so familiar to us that we don’t think about what they actually mean. They’ve been used by Christians throughout history as the basis for worship, confessions, prayer, even civil law.

Are these ancient words still relevant for us today? Their outward simplicity hides their inward complexity. Jesus himself sums up the entire law in a pair of commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Peter Leithart re-introduces the Ten Commandments. He shows us how they address every arena of human life, giving us a portrait of life under the lordship of Jesus, who is the heart and soul of the commandments. (Publisher’s website)

Leithart admits that Christians disagree. 

Pages 14 and 15 show a table of the three Christian numbering systems for the Ten Commandments. Everybody agrees that there are Ten, but we disagree about the numbering. The simple fact that the system adopted by the author is not my system is off-putting, but not so much to get me to stop reading or considering his thoughts. Yet, I yearned for Luther’s Large Catechism. I was distracted by another book while reading this one. Leithart is doing a service to the church with this book, yet I’m content with my own resource.

Dr. Luther now turns to the Apostles’ Creed.

Do You Believe?

You recite it. But do you understand it?

The Apostles’ Creed has united Christians from different times, places, and traditions. It proclaims eternal truths for life today. We believe them, we recite them, but do we build our lives on them?

The fact that so many in the early church died for their faith means they were caught up in something greater than themselves. What were those truths? How did they empower a revolution? How did early church pastors and theologians use the Apostles’ Creed as the essential guide to the basics of the Christian life?

Ben Myers re-introduces that creed. He shows us what about the Christian faith is so counter-cultural, and what truths embedded in the Apostles’ Creed we’ve come to assume, when really they should amaze us and earn our allegiance unto death. (Publisher’s website)

Myers has a different preaching audience than I do (xvi). He serves what my spiritual forefathers would call a congregation of mixed confession. That gives me pause as I consider his thoughts on the creed. There is a place for the hidden Church, one confessed by faith. The visible church has the faithful and unfaithful mixed together. In 1 Corinthians, Paul noted that there are divisions in order to show who the faithful are. Myers' illustration of a reverse ascension (89) fell flat for me, especially given another title in this review collection. I do thank the author for his "I" and "We" commentary from St. Augustine. I have that one marked for future teaching opportunities. (133ff).

The Medieval catechism included three elements. Luther orders the Lord’s Prayer third.

Do You Believe?

You pray it. But do you understand it?

The Lord’s Prayer has become so familiar to us that we don’t think about what we’re praying. It’s a portrait of Jesus’ heart. And in it Christians from different times, places, and traditions have been united. We pray it, but do we actually believe it?

When Jesus taught his followers how to pray, he emphasized how uncomplicated it should be. There’s no need for pretense or theatrics. Instead, simply ask for what you need as though you were speaking with your earthly father. This opens a window into Jesus’ prayer life and presents us with a portrait of his heart for his followers.

Wesley Hill re-introduces the Lord’s Prayer. He shows us a God who is delighted to hear prayer. Petition by petition, in conversation with the Christian tradition, he draws out the significance of Jesus’ words for prayer today. (Publisher’s website)

Hill's biography raised flags for me. I can have compassion for anyone struggling as a celibate gay Christian. Yet, Law and Gospel must be properly distinguished (26-27). I will respectfully disagree with Hill about the use of masculine pronouns for God, even as he tries to be very nuanced about this (5). His further comments (16-17) may be timely for some, even helpful to reclaim the Father-ness of God, yet they were a distraction to me from what Jesus was praying. Perhaps Hill's point is that the very masculine title involved here is a distraction to prayer for others. 

"Save us from the time of trial" is not a helpful chapter for me, though the confusion of the current Bishop of Rome led me to better educate my congregation about the various translations, interpretations, and misunderstandings of this petition.

Yes, I believe. Yes, I believe that I understand the three parts of the Medieval catechism. And I'm open to learning more. Yet, I didn't on this particular occasion. 

With regard to the first three books in this review post, I believe I am not the intended reader. 

Why? 

I was taught to catechize all ages in the Six Chief Parts of the Christian faith as found in the Small Catechism of Martin Luther. With regard to the Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, I am convinced that his Small Catechism and Large Catechism get the job done in a most excellent manner. 

Who is the intended reader of these three volumes? 

My working theory is that they will be welcomed by some Christian traditions and pastors, educators, and laypeople in church, school, and home that are actively working to create or recover a tradition of such teaching of young and old, as well as lifelong Christians and those new to the faith.

Lexham Press is to be commended for reminding Christians of their catechetical heritage!

I'm very pleased to introduce a very useful book to me, one on a neglected day of the Church Year.

The Ascension is essential to the gospel

The good news of Jesus includes his life, death, resurrection, and future return—but what about his ascension? Though often neglected or misunderstood, the ascension is integral to the gospel.

In The Ascension of Christ, Patrick Schreiner argues that Jesus’ work would be incomplete without his ascent to God’s right hand. Not only a key moment in the gospel story, Jesus’ ascension was necessary for his present ministry in and through the church. Schreiner argues that Jesus’ residence in heaven marks a turning point in his three-fold offices of prophet, priest, and king. As prophet, Jesus builds the church and its witness. As priest, he intercedes before the Father. As king, he rules over all.

A full appreciation of the ascension is essential for understanding the Bible, Christian doctrine, and Christ’s ongoing work in the world. (Publisher’s website)

For Christians that follow a liturgical year, the Ascension need not be neglected. 

For Christians that confess the ecumenical creeds, the Ascension need not be neglected. 

For Christians that read The Ascension of Christ by Patrick Schreiner, the Ascension need not be neglected anymore. 

Patrick Schreiner provides necessary catechesis about Jesus' ascension into heaven forty days after Easter and ten days before the first Christian Pentecost. He draws the Christian's attention to Christ's work in his death, resurrection, ascension and return. 

I must object to a reference to "rapture" in the index, if it is describing an event separate from the Second Coming. Consider Matthew 24.

Excursus:

40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Be prepared. Always be faithful. Those who teach the rapture would like us to think that the one “taken” from the field or the mill is the one the Lord rescues and that the one “left behind” will have a second chance to repent during the time of the Tribulation, one world government, currency, and religion, and the rise of a political antichrist. Complicated, huh? And equally untrue!

If anything, the verses about the two men and two women are ambiguous. We don’t know which is saved and which is left. What we can say for sure is that one stayed spiritually awake and was saved. The other did not have faith and faced judgment. Only eight human beings survived the Flood in the ark God commanded Noah to build. Every other human being perished. Why? Unbelief. God’s judgment is always, always upon unbelief—unfaith.

Therefore, stay awake. Don’t let the old evil foe break in and destroy your faith. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

We could also discuss the misuse of 1 Thessalonians 4. Read the whole chapter. This is not a secret nor silent coming. This is the Second Coming. 

Back to Schriener's The Ascension of Christ:

I recommend this title. I pray it gets a wide readership digitally and in paperback.

Calamity.

We recently faced more than one, both a virus and the response to it. 

Christ and Calamity had a perfectly timed release for an unscheduled calamity. 

We need Christ.

In Times of Turmoil, Seek the Prince of Peace

2021 Christianity Today Book Award of Merit for the Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year

Lord, do you not care if we perish?

That’s what the frightened disciples shouted to Jesus as he slept in the stern of a storm-tossed boat. In the midst of suffering and uncertainty, we’re all prone to think that God has forgotten us, he doesn’t care, or he’s powerless to do anything.

In Christ and Calamity, Harold L. Senkbeil speaks pastorally to our suffering and uncertainty. Senkbeil shows God’s constant and faithful grace to us. Calamities come in many different sizes, and God addresses them all in his word and by his Spirit. Even when we don’t see or feel it, God is always faithful.

“If I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (Ps 139:9–10).

The disciples’ faith in the midst of the storm may have been weak, but Jesus was mighty to save. And he will save you, too. No matter how small your faith, you can count on him to hear your anguished cry and to answer. (Publisher’s website)

Now available in digital, paperback, and hardcover editions, Christ and Calamity points the reader to God, even when we cannot see Him or feel Him, that we may trust His promises. From the beautifully designed cover, the Scriptural dedication page (Psalm 119:94; I am Yours, save me; a favorite of Luther's), and comforting chapter after comforting chapter, the whole book has an intentionality of true pastoral care. Scripture, prayer, and hymnody are taken up to deliver God's grace to the Christian, that the gratitude of faith may be demonstrated even in the darkest valley.

This book brought me comfort. It will continue to be a valuable (yet affordable) giveaway book to aid pastoral care in the parish, home, school, and beyond. We are blessed to have more than one title by Harold Senkbeil to present to you.

Our next title adds Lucas Woodford as a co-author.

Hands-on Church Leadership

Christ’s sheep need shepherding. That’s where you come in.

With more than 60 years of ministry between them, Harold Senkbeil and Lucas Woodford have come to understand that everything in ministry—even administration, leadership, and planning—revolves around the ancient tradition of the care of souls. Pastors are entrusted with the care of a flock by the Good Shepherd and are called to be faithful to this task. But pastoring seems to be getting more and more difficult.

Based on a sound theological framework, Senkbeil and Woodford present a set of practical tools for church leadership and strategy. Calling on their vast experience, they encourage pastors to protect, guide, and feed their flock as Jesus would, bridging the eternal wisdom of the word of God with the everyday practicality of hands-on leadership. (Publisher’s website)

This title is a companion to the one that follows in this set of reviews.

Note also that it is Vol. 1! More to come...

I'll limit my thoughts on the most helpful parts of this book to two, since I'll tell you already that I recommend it as a practical and substantive help for you. 

Page 39: develop your pastoral habitus as a sheepdog, and remember that the church is the Lord's church. 

49-50: "Keep a finely tuned balance of both informed administration and intentional ministry."

We at LBR look forward to the upcoming release of Pastoral Leadership: For the Care of Souls.

Our last title receives my highest recommendation. 

The Care of Souls is worth the money to buy, the time to read and study, the shelf space to store, and the effort to teach!

The Care of Souls

2020 ECPA Christian Book Award Winner for Ministry Resources.

2020 Christianity Today Book Award Winner for Church/Pastoral Leadership

2019 TGC Ministry Book of the Year Winner

Pastors care for a soul in the way a doctor cares for a body. In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful advice—born out of his five decades as a pastor—that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.

Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again. (Publisher’s website)

 

This is the kind of book I’ve been looking for since I began writing and publishing book reviews for Liturgy, Hymnody, and Pulpit Quarterly Book Review (and its successor, Lutheran Book Review,) in 2004. 

Every pastor should have and read this book. 

Every seminarian should be given a copy at seminary. 

It should be read and heeded.

I could note something significant from each major section of the book: Foreword, Preface, Introduction, each of the Twelve Chapters, and the Conclusion. Even the booklist at the end is significant!

Foreword: Learn what a habitus is. Learn why Lutherans and the Reformed are honestly different (xv).

Preface: Note the author's organization, DOXOLOGY, and learn why Oden and Kleinig are helpful when learning pastoral care.

One: Avoid false dichotomies between pastors and missionaries, faithfulness and mission, word and sacrament! (15)

Two: Never underestimate the Word of God, the power of the written word, or the danger of misusing "context." (47)

Three: "We are in our totality souls" (64, emphasis original).

Four: How to pray (107)

Five: Learn what is truly essential (116).

Six: "Guilt has to do with behavior, while shame is a matter of identity" (138).

Seven: Read the authors earlier book, Dying to Live (170ff).

Eight: "Sanctification is God's work" (193).

Nine: Learn to identify the real enemy (202-3).

Ten: People need to hear the words of Jesus (226ff).

Eleven: Care for others and your own soul with Word and prayer (243).

Twelve: Be a sheepdog for the Great Shepherd (269).

Conclusion: Find joy in the Office of the Holy Ministry through the care of souls (279).

Booklist: This is your priority book shopping and reading list!

The book itself is physically beautiful, from the dustcover to the artwork (both ecclesiastical and agricultural), the durable hardcover, and the unique page numbers on the outside edge of each page. Care and attention went into this project. I am thankful for Harold Senkbeil and that his words and wisdom will endure because of the gift of the written word.

Brothers-in-Office, read this book for yourself, your wife and family, your congregation (and parish school). Plan to re-read it annually, just like your Bible, Book of Concord, Hammer of God, Dying To Live, The Spirituality of the Cross, and The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel. Study it with brother pastors, especially at Winkel if you are LCMS.

Lexham Press should take the best quotes from each chapter and make one of those spiral “word of the day” reusable calendars for pastors. Then we would have a gift worth receiving from that part of the Christian bookstore!

We would love to read and review additional Lexham Press titles. We think our readers would be interested in the print arm of Logos (yes, the Bible software folks). 

Of particular interest to us at Lutheran Book Review are commentaries on the Bible, the Lexham geographical commentary series, and a long-awaited print edition of the Lexham English Bible. Yes. Please, print that for us, too!

Rev. Paul J Cain is Senior Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, First Vice-President of the Wyoming District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a member of its Board of Directors, Rhetoric Teacher for Wittenberg Academy, and Editor of Lutheran Book Review.   He has served as an LCMS Circuit Visitor, District Worship Chairman, District Evangelism Chairman, District Education Chairman/NLSA Commissioner, and District Secretary. A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the Hymnal Companion hymn and liturgy volumes, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He is an occasional guest on KFUO radio. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. Rev. Cain is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.