Truck Stop Jewel -- Gloria (Reprise), David German (Conductor), Calvary Chancel Choir and Gloria Cast with Symphony Orchestra (Performer)

I like truck stops, the real ones, for real truckers. They have stuff, different stuff, stuff you don't see everywhere.

During Advent, they have cheapo Christmas CDs. I have bought dozens and dozens of them for two dollars and less over the years. Many of them are junk, but some are junque (note spelling to indicate better junk), and some are jewels.

Here I feature the reprise of the overture from one of my truck stop jewels. David German conducts the Calvary Chancel Choir and Gloria Cast with Symphony Orchestra. This is track 17 from Mistletoe Music's CD, ASIN: B0002YFU0Y.

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You can get this truck stop jewel from the comfort of your own home, via Amazon, here.

Conversion: New Series of Four Articles

Brothers of John the Steadfast has published a series of articles by me on conversion.

• Conversion: To See Decisions Dead People Make, Visit the Cemetery
• A Simple Map of Conversion Terminology
• The Will in Conversion: Protestant Rationalism versus Lutheran Adherence to Scripture
• Conversion: Trusting God’s Word for Your Regeneration and Resurrection

The first article surveys the ample fund of Scriptural content showing that prior to regeneration, man lacks the reason or strength to believe in Jesus Christ or come to him. It shows the work of the Holy Spirit through the means of grace to bring sinners to contrition and faith.

The second article simplifies the complicated history of ideas about conversion through church history. It summarizes all the possible positions into a two-by-two arrangement. It uses graphic illustrations to make the subject even easier.

The third article focuses on Reformation churches. It discusses the unrelenting dispute between Calvinists and Arminians over free will. It explains how that really is a myopic dispute, because both sides in it are oblivious to the third way of Lutheran teaching. It shows how the structure of thought in Calvinism and Arminianism is the same, and only Lutheran teaching uses a different structure that delivers on the motto, sola scriptura.

The fourth article addresses a problem with the way we tend to think about the effects of sin: that spiritual death does not really mean death, but some figurative condition. That figurative, not-really-dead condition seems to leave us something we can do, and therefore must do, to cause our conversion to Christ. This error is the source of the monster of uncertainty, or a nagging lack of assurance of salvation, where we are uncertain of what we did for our conversion. The defeat of the monster comes from the Word and faith. By the Word and faith we see death as death both bodily and spiritually, so that there is nothing we can do for our conversion. By the Word and faith we see Christ alone raising us to life by his Word alone. We see him doing this both in resurrection and regeneration. The case of resurrection is used to help clarify the case of regeneration.

Make Sure You Enjoy Being in the Field on Your Way to Resurrection

Sidney Herald religion column published November 27, 2016

One spring when I was a teenager, my Dad injured his back. He landed in the hospital in traction. That left seeding the crop to me. Could I get it done? I doubted and dreaded.

When I got to the farmyard, before I knew what I was doing, I had climbed the windmill tower and surveyed the fields, then looked down at the grain drill. It was 16 feet. How was I supposed to cover those fields with 16 feet? Wouldn’t that take an eternity? Would I make it to the end?

After filling the drill with seed and fertilizer, I started for the first round. One glimmer of hope appeared. It’s been done before. I tried to keep that thought in front of me.

That night I visited Dad in the hospital to give the daily report. I was surprised how unconcerned Dad seemed to be. He even commended me on the acres I’d seeded. As I was stepping from his room to head home, he called my name. When I turned around, he said. “A lot of acres there.” “Yahh,” I exhaled. “Well,” he said, “just make sure you enjoy being in the field, round by round, because before long, seedtime will be over, and you’ll miss it.”

That gave me a lot to chew on. He was giving me assurance. As he had gone before me and seeded the farm in the past, I could follow. I too could seed the farm. He wanted me to have an assurance so strong that I could work in hope and joy, not in doubt or dread.

The Lord’s Word is like that, giving us assurance not only about seeding this year’s crop, but about our whole life, and our resurrections after our bodies die.

What will happen when we die? How can we be resurrected to eternal life? Our eyes cannot see any more than my eyes could from the top of the windmill tower. Our eyes see hundreds and hundreds of acres. Our eyes see a 16 foot drill. But God’s Word shows us what our eyes cannot see.

Just like seeding the farm, resurrection has been done before. Jesus has gone ahead of us into the resurrection. We can follow.

Paul writes, “God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.” (1 Corinthians 5:14) He writes, “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”  (Romans 6:5)  “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.” (2 Corinthians 4:14)  “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)

Jesus himself said, “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19)

As I was to enjoy being in the field, round by round, we also are to live our lives toward our resurrections with joy. Peter writes, “Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)

A General Liturgy Bibliography

v. 1.4
by T. R. Halvorson

Brauer, James Leonard. Meaningful Worship: A Guide to the Lutheran Service. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1994.

Brauer, James Leonard. Worship, Gottesdienst, Cultus Dei: What the Lutheran Confessions Say about Worship. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005.

Brightman, F. E. Liturgies Eastern and Western: Being the Texts Original or Translated of the Principal Liturgies of the Church: On the Basis of the Former Work by C.E.Hammond: I: Eastern Liturgies. Oxford: Clarendon, 1896. (online here and online here)

Brunner, Peter. Worship in the Name of Jesus; English Edition of a Definitive Work on Christian Worship in the Congregation. Trans. M. H. Bertram. St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1968.

Dawn, Marva J. Reaching out without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm.B. Eerdmans, 1995.

Elert, Werner. Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries. Trans. N. E. Nagel. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1966.

Fenwick, John R. K., and Bryan D. Spinks. Worship in Transition: The Twentieth Century Liturgical Movement. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995.

General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America. An Explanation of the Common Service: With Appendices on Christian Hymnody and Liturgical Colors, and a Glossary of Liturgical Terms. 5th ed. Philadelphia: United Lutheran Publication House, 1908. Print. Revised and Enlarged. (reprint, Emmanuel Press, Fort Wayne, Indiana: Emmanuel Press, 2012) (Written for use in Luther League meetings). (online here)

Giertz, Bo Harald. Liturgy and Spiritual Awakening. Rock Island, IL: Augustana Book Concern, 1954. (Another translation online here and online here)

Grisbrooke, W. Jardine. The Liturgical Portions of the Apostolic Constitutions: A Text for Students. Bramcote, Nottingham: Grove, 1990.

Harris, Paul R. Explanation of the Divine Service in the Lutheran Hymnal, Trinity Lutheran Church, Austin, TX, 2011. (online here)

Herl, Joseph. Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism: Choir, Congregation, and Three Centuries of Conflict. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Horn, Edward T. Outlines of Liturgics; on the Basis of Harnack in Zöckler’s Handbuch Der Theologischen Wissenschaften. Englished, with Additions from Other Sources.. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1912. (online here)

Just, Arthur A. Heaven on Earth: The Gifts of Christ in the Divine Service. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 2008.

Kleinig, John W. Course Notes in Liturgics. Adelaide, Australia: Australian Lutheran College, 2009). (online here)

Lang, Paul H. D. Ceremony and Celebration: An Evangelical Guide for Christian Practice in Corporate Worship. St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1965. (reprint, Emmanuel Press, Fort Wayne, Indiana: Emmanuel Press, 2012).

Leaver, Robin A. The Theological Character of Music in Worship. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 1989.

Liturgy: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. By Arthur Just. Perf. Arthur Just. Lutheran Visuals, n.d. DVD. (available for ordering here)

Löhe, Wilhelm. Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran Faith. Ed. J. Deinzer. Trans. Frank Carroll Lonaker. 3rd ed. Newport, KY: Publisher Not Identified, 1902. (online here)

Marquart, Kurt. “Liturgical Commonplaces.” Concordia Theological Quarterly 42.4 (October 1978): 330. (online here)

Marquart, Kurt. “Liturgy and Evangelism,” Lecture delivered at the Annual Meeting of the Lutheran Ministerium and Synod–U.S.A. in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 8, 1997 (audio online here)

Maschke, Timothy. Gathered Guests: A Guide to Worship in the Lutheran Church. 2nd ed. Saint Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 2009.

Memoirs of the Lutheran Liturgical Association. Pittsburgh, PA: Association, 1906. (online here)

Nagel, Norman. “Luther’s Liturgical Reform.” Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology VII.2 (1998): 23-26. (online here as part of the entire issue)

Olson, Oliver K. Reclaiming the Lutheran Liturgical Heritage. Saint Paul, MN: ReClaim Resources, 2007.

Piepkorn, Arthur Carl, and Charles McClean. The Conduct of the Service. Fort Wayne, IN: Redeemer, 2006.

Pless, John T. "A Narrative Commentary on the Divine Service," in John T. Pless. Didache. Fort Wayne, Indiana: Emmanuel Press, 2013. (online here as printable pamphlet and online here)

Pless, John T. Divine Service: Delivering Forgiveness of Sins, presented at the South Dakota District Lay/Clergy Conferences, Rapid City, SD May 6, 1995, Sioux Falls, SD May 7, 1995. (online here)

Pless, John T. “Herman Sasse and the Liturgical Movement.” Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology VII.2 (1998): 47-51. (online here)

Pless, John T. “Liturgy and Evangelism in the Service of the Mysteria Dei”, Mysteria Dei: Essays in Honor of Kurt Marquart, eds. Paul T. McCain and John R. Stephenson (Fort Wayne, Indiana: Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 1999), 233-34. (online here)

Pless, John T. “Six Theses On Liturgy And Evangelism.” Concordia Theological Quarterly 52.1 (1988): 41-52. (online here and online here)

Precht, Fred L., ed. Lutheran Worship: History and Practice. St. Louis, MO: Concordia, 1993.

Preus, Klemet I. The Fire and the Staff: Lutheran Theology in Practice. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 2004.

Reed, Luther D. The Lutheran Liturgy, a Study of the Common Service of the Lutheran Church in America. Rev. ed. Philadelphia: Muhlenberg, 1947.

Richard, J. W., and F. V. N. Painter. Christian Worship: Its Principles and Forms. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1892. (online here)

Sasse, Hermann, and Ronald R. Feuerhahn. The Lonely Way: Selected Essays and Letters. Ed. Matthew C. Harrison. Vol. 2. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 2001.

Schoedel, Walter M., and David W. Christian. Worship Is Celebrating as Lutherans. St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1990.

Schroeder, George W., and Herman J. Zemke. A Catechism of Christian Worship; a Study Guide for Lutheran Youth and Adults. Ed. R. Allen. Zimmer. Saint Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1961

Spinks, Bryan. Luther’s Liturgical Criteria and His Reform of the Canon of the Mass. Bramcote, Notts.: Grove, 1982. Print.

Spinks, Bryan D. The Worship Mall: Contemporary Responses to Contemporary Culture. London: SPCK Publishing, 2010.

The Divine Service — An Explanation (pew card available here).

Thompson, Bard. Liturgies of the Western Church. Philadelphia, Pa: Fortress, 1980.

Vajta, Vilmos. Luther on Worship, an Interpretation. Philadelphia: Muhlenberg, 1958.

Waddell, James Alan. A Simplified Guide to Worshiping as Lutherans. Eugene, Or.: Wipf & Stock, 2009.

Waddell, James Alan. The Struggle to Reclaim the Liturgy in the Lutheran Church: Adiaphora in Historical, Theological, and Practical Perspective. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 2005.

Webber, F. R. Studies in the Liturgy. Erie, PA: Ashby Print., 1938. (online here)

White, James F. A Brief History of Christian Worship. Nashville: Abingdon, 1993.

Wisløff, Carl Fredrik. The Gift of Communion; Luther’s Controversy with Rome on Eucharistic Sacrifice. Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub. House, 1964.