16 June 2010

For the Lutheran Seeker...

...I had a lovely conversation today that led me to offer up a list of books that I think are musts for the Lutheran seeker or inquirer:

* Lutheran Service Book - everyone needs a hymnal.
* Treasury of Daily Prayer - find out about Lutherans by praying God's Word with us!
* Grace upon Grace (Kleinig) - get a handle on receptive spirituality!
* Lutheran Study Bible - generally good all around resource (not infallible, of course; the notes are NOT part of the inspired text).
* Concordia:  The Lutheran Confessions - unlike so many churches, you can find what Lutherans believe in this single handy volume with a lot of helpful notes and even pictures!
* Walther's Law and Gospel - I've not seen the actual new release, but the promo material looked superb.

There you go!

11 comments:

Past Elder said...

My Law and Gospel is scheduled for delivery Friday. I was so totally impressed with the preview material online I already added it to my sidebar list MELL (My Essential Lutheran Library) as well as my reference book list and under the picture of Walther. I cannot wait to have the whole thine!

Concordia and TLSB are also on my list, so we're 3 for 6, 50%. I have not had the opportunity to read Kleinig. I am no fan of TDP at all. As to LSB, it is head and shoulders above any service book/hymnal of any kind of "Lutheran" origin in the last generation, which, looking at that lot, isn't saying a whole hell of a lot. I'm glad it preserves something of THE Lutheran Hymnal (which earns the definite article in its title more every day), although from any place I've been that uses LSB I don't know why, they never use that part of it, it's just LW in a burgundy cover.

Dennis Peskey said...

Pr. Weedon - might I add for those who have compilied your well recommended list to add Luther;s Works; Vol 26 & 27; Luther on Galatians; AE. There simply is no substitute for the original flavor when presented in the most excellent manner.
Peace,
Dennis

said...

Pr Weedon,
Good suggestions. I don't mean to quibble, but I would substitute Starck's Prayer Book for the Treasury. I know there's tremendous value to be found in the pages of the latter, but I find the depth of Starck unmatched. A personal choice, a little eccentric perhaps, but there it is. (And we need a good dogmatics text in there for the seeker too, I think. I can't tell you how much I benefitted from Mueller's Dogmatics as when I was a seeker myself.)

X said...

Hello! Spirituality of the Cross!

And "Why I'm a Lutheran" is a close second.

David Garner said...

I second Spirituality of the Cross. It was instrumental in our conversion.

Ted said...

Is the Hymnal available in any format on the ipad?

William Weedon said...

I'm still waiting for my review copy, Terry!

Dennis - Great Galatians, it does NOT get any better...

Mark - we'll compromise: Starcks AND Treasury. :)

Spirituality of the Cross would be outstanding too - particularly for folks coming from an Evangelical (in the pop sense) perspective.

Ted - I don't think so, but what a great idea!

Ted said...

I want to be able to get the church to print up the bulletin as a document I can put on my iPad, and then using links, have the bulletin link off to the resources within each of the books(Hymnal, Study Bible, etc..) on the iPad.

This way I can get rid of having to use a rather large bulletin that has the whole order of service in it. I would also then have a copy of these resources throuhout the week when something comes to mind.

Myrtle said...

Respectfully, I think you missed one!

Bonhoeffer's treatise on Psalms!

It is such a marvelous little book that you can spend your whole lifetime reading, your whole lifetime learning to pray the Psalter.

And the riches of this prayerbook that God gave us, prayers first prayed by Christ for us, who prays them still, that we might have the words of our heart to speak to God our Father, will be ever new that whole lifetime, never ending, always increasing in value.

Past Elder said...

It came this morning just like CPH said! Can't wait to spend some time this week-end looking over "Law % Gospel"! From the online part available, I have no doubt the entire book will be terrific!

Past Elder said...

Judas Typing Priest, when did they move the ampersand from over the 5 to over the 7?