So I had to do a video at CPH on Thursday and while there, Pr. McCain gave me a copy of Lutheran Prayer Companion. I cannot stress how awesome this volume (translated by the remarkable Matthew Carver) is. I knew years ago when I first encountered the German that we had lost TONS by not having this puppy in English. Just think about the prayer for Saturday from the Catechism and the piety that would include such a petition: “Be my strength in greatest weakness, that my last meal in this world may be the Holy Supper, my last thought to imagine Jesus crucified and dying, my last word may be to call out: Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit” (p. 32).
The best way to conceptualize this volume is to think of it as the complete Lutheran Breviary, designed for use in the Lutheran monastery (and that would be THE HOME - I always said Luther never ceased being a monk, he just literally and I do mean literally moved the FAMILY into the monastery!).
The hymn section is particularly wonderful and Olearius’ adaptation of the Breviary’s daily hymns (interfacing the days of creation with the events of Holy Week) was especially outstanding.
Bonhoeffer famously taught us that we must learn to pray from the riches of God’s Word and not the poverty of our own hearts, but he neglected to remind us that this is EXACTLY how our spiritual ancestors prayed constantly. Drawing on the rich knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures that characterized our beloved theologians and pastors in the past centuries, this book uses their prayers as a means for us to allow the Word (which so shaped and formed them) to dwell inside of us too and do its mighty work.
The hymn section is particularly wonderful and Olearius’ adaptation of the Breviary’s daily hymns (interfacing the days of creation with the events of Holy Week) was especially outstanding.
Bonhoeffer famously taught us that we must learn to pray from the riches of God’s Word and not the poverty of our own hearts, but he neglected to remind us that this is EXACTLY how our spiritual ancestors prayed constantly. Drawing on the rich knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures that characterized our beloved theologians and pastors in the past centuries, this book uses their prayers as a means for us to allow the Word (which so shaped and formed them) to dwell inside of us too and do its mighty work.
The volume is handsome on the outside, and the bold embossing only is the merest HINT at the gold that awaits within. Here’s a link. Order you. You won’t be sorry:
No comments:
Post a Comment