Brief Reviews of Recently Released Titles
Turco, Alberto. Foreword by Anthony Ruff, OSB. The Gregorian Melody: The Expressive Power of the Word. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2023. 244 Pages. Paper. $39.95. www.litpress.org
The Gregorian Melody: The Expressive Power of the Word arrived unsolicited from Liturgical Press. It was a welcome companion at a family member's hospital bedside. This form of musical chant is designed to support the singing of the Word of God. I commend this volume to Lutheran pastors, church musicians, and especially choir directors and those who teach young and old to sing. It would be a great companion to Liber Hymnorum, which includes Lutheran sequence hymns in Latin to Gregorian chant and their equivalents in English translation in modern notation.
Pastors lead from the pulpit when they faithfully preach God's Word and preach specifically to the congregation they were Called to. Expositional Leadership provides six ways of Shepherding God's People from the Pulpit. Pages 32-36 are not as clear on the doctrine of the Divine Call as this Lutheran would want, and I could live without seeing the faddish word "missional," yet I still recommend this volume of practical advice for those who touch and handle the Word of God.
Reminding me of recent volumes published by Lexham Press and great continuing ed references from the 1990s and early 2000s, Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls: Learning the Art of Pastoral Ministry from the Church Fathers does well to lean into classical theology, virtue, integrated spirituality and theology, and focus on the local community and care of souls. To make the book timeless, I would delete footnote 9 on page 6, referencing specific examples of modern celebrity pastors that are not universally appreciated. The authors undermine the authority of Scripture by contradicting the Biblical teaching of Communion in of all places a chapter focusing on the example of Ambrose of Milan (56). This volume is worth your money, time, and storage space.
A 48-Day Devotional Liturgy for Remembering Christ’s Life, Death, and Resurrection
God’s offer of eternal life through his work on the cross remains the greatest gift the world has known. But contrary to its importance, Holy Week always seems to pass by quickly and be associated with habitual practices that elicit little reflection. As a result, it can be challenging for Christians to establish routines for meditation on Christ's life, death, and resurrection.
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded by Jonathan Gibson presents a 48-day devotional liturgy to help readers effectively prepare their hearts from Pascha (Easter) to Pentecost. Following the same format as Be Thou My Vision, each daily reading includes applicable Scripture readings, hymns, prayers, creeds, and prompts for petition and confession to enrich personal meditation and family worship. This devotional will help individuals and families establish a posture of remembrance and gratitude as they reflect on what Christ has done for us through his temptations, life, trial, passion, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost.
- 42 Daily Readings Plus 6 Seasonal Devotions: Featuring Scripture readings, hymns, prayers, and creeds, as well as prompts for meditation, petition, and confession
- Created for Lent and Easter: Guides readers through the life and death of Jesus, from Pascha (Easter) to Pentecost
- Repetition throughout Readings: Scripture, hymns, and creeds repeat to help readers memorize important material
Jonathan Gibson (PhD, University of Cambridge) is an ordained minister in the International Presbyterian Church, United Kingdom, and associate professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is a coeditor of and contributor to From Heaven He Came and Sought Her and author of Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship. Jonny and his wife, Jackie, have four children.
(Publisher's Website).
Each daily reading has a similar pattern including a Meditation (excerpts from Christian writers), Call to Worship (Scripture), Adoration (Hymn), Reading of the Law (Scripture), Confession of Sin, Assurance of Pardon (Scripture), Creed, Praise (Hymn), Catechism (Heilelberg), Prayer for Illumination, Scripture Reading, Prayer of Reflection, Prayer of Intercession, The Lord's Prayer, Benediction, and Postlude (Hymn or Psalm paraphrase).
With this review, we are getting close to being caught up on our backlog of reviews!
Rev. Paul J Cain is Senior Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a permanent 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 Chairman of its Board of Directors, Rhetoric Teacher for Wittenberg Academy, a founding regent for Luther Classical College, a Director for Steadfast Lutherans and Associate Editor of Curriculum for Steadfast Press, a Director for Views on Learning, 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 LSB Hymnal Companion hymn and liturgy volumes and the LSB Devotional Edition, is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church and articles in Concordia Pulpit Resources and The Lutheran Witness. He is a regular presenter at conferences of the CCLE and 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, teaching, and making music.
