Concordia Publishing House

The words of the classic Christmas carol, Away in a Manger, serve as the text for this lovely holiday picture-book, and are paired with the painting of Mike Jaroszko. The first half of the song, describing the Christ Child in the manger, is accompanied by depictions of the Nativity Story, while the second, in which the singer professes their love for Jesus, and prays to him, is paired with depictions of a modern child in his home, and then in church...

Although often attributed to the German show more reformer Martin Luther - when first published in the 1880s it was entitled "Luther's Cradle Song" - this carol is now thought to have had its origins in the United States. Whatever its source, there can be no doubt that it is now one of the most beloved of English-language Christmas songs and carols, and is particularly popular with children. This is a lovely treatment of it, pairing the classic lines - no more than one or two per two-page spread - with beautiful, light-infused painting from Jaroszko. I think my favorite scene, from an aesthetic perspective, is the one in which the Baby Jesus gazes at the lowing cattle. Recommended to anyone looking for a picture-book presentation of this carol. show less

Back in the 1980s, there was a series of coffee table books called A Day in the Life of _____. I think they started with Australia, but the series ended up showcasing a number of countries. The concept was that a bunch of photographers would go out on a designated day and capture shots of what was going on in that particular country. Well, in 1996, The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod borrowed the idea to commemorate their 150th anniversary and put out this volume. (I figure they had to do a show more week instead of a day because if you only did a day, you'd either have to pick Sunday and have 212 pages of people attending church, or you'd pick another day and you'd instead have photos of pastors working in their offices.)

I didn't think much of the book at the time. Twenty-some years later, I read through the book again. Although I'm a bit less scornful of the book now, I still found it lacking. In theory, it could have been a more interesting book if the editors had assigned photographers to capture certain events or ministries. Instead, they put out the call to any and all photographers to send in photos from the week. Perusing the result is kind of like looking through a friend's photo album--a collection of family snapshots. You might recognize a face or two, but it's mostly a bunch of strangers. Of course, a family album would be more interesting, as you usually see a bit of historical progression. Unlike the books that inspire it, the LCMS doesn't have the same variety of people and places as a whole country. Lutheran school kids in Florida weren't that much different from the kids in Nebraska. A home Bible study in New York wasn't substantially different than one in Seattle.
--J. show less

If you pray the Hours, Daily Office, or just Morning and Evening prayer, Treasury contains all your one-stop needs. All prayers, liturgies, and scripture are contained within. It also has readings around Luther's Catechism to highlight your journey and displays doctrine in its truest light, which is to help free the journey of faith. My only critique is it's a monster and not something to be carried lightly except to bludgeon would be purse snatchers or a quick set of dynamic pushups between show more prayers. show less

I'm always eager to check out new Bible study books and this is one of the best that I've seen! "The Books of Moses" is the first book in the six-book "Guiding Word series" and it's a wonderful resource for your daily Bible study! This volume covers the first five books of the Old Testament, and it is an all-encompassing resource with maps, illustrations, descriptions, and links between the Old and New Testaments.

The first five books of the Bible are known as the Pentateuch and they contain show more the narratives of God's Creation, the families of Abraham, and the others that followed. The books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy also share God's laws for his people, the leadership of Moses, and the 40-year journey to reach the Promised Land. Words and stories that we've read many times, but this book offered me a whole new perspective! It clearly shows how the promise of a Messiah was first given in Genesis 3 and carried through these five books of Moses.

The Books of Moses is a wonderful addition to my personal devotion time, but it would also be a wonderful resource for a small Bible Study group. The good news is that The Books of History, the second volume in this Guiding Words series, will be available in November. I'm eager to see what it has in store!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review.

#guidingword #cph #cphreads #concordiapublishing show less