Janet Letnes Martin

Even if you didn’t grow up Lutheran, you will find this book a hoot. For those of you who did grow up Lutheran, it’s a hoot and a half. You will be taken back in time to those long confirmation classes and endless memorizations. (What does this mean? This is most certainly true!) You can relive your Luther League days, with its away conventions if you were lucky. And don’t forget the annual Christmas pageant, complete with gauzy angel wings and shepherds in bathrobes. The authors do a great job of touching on nearly every aspect of church life, from baptisms to weddings, and all the way to that final farewell. Notes about Sunday School days (daze?) are included, as well as quips about the ubiquitous church dinners and the ladies who ran them. Numerous pictures are included. (Look for yours!) You will find out just how Lutheran you are when you read about the standard Lutheran practices. Though the entire book is liberally dosed with humor, there are some serious aspects, too. This well-written memoir is a trip down memory lane for Lutherans, and a fun trip for those who aren’t. This is most certainly true!… (more)

OK, this should really be called "Growing Up Scandinavian-Lutheran in the Rural Mid-West During the 1940's Through 1960's" as it mostly focuses on the variety of Lutheranism which fits that description. There are token mentions of German Lutherans (usually poking fun at them) and a few observations about changes since that time, but it is rooted in that general vicinity of time and space and ethnicity.

Mind you, I didn't grow up Lutheran, and my adult exposure to Lutheranism (with a 1-year exception) has mostly been since the mid-1980's among congregations of German background closer to the east coast, but I've heard stories. So I think this is pretty on-target for the sub-group of Lutherans upon which it focuses. Certainly some of it pertains to Lutherans of the era in general, and a bit carries over into churches I've known.

This is not great writing. It's gentle, homespun humor with lots of "in" jokes and satire. It includes lots of period photos, and such novelties as: Sunday bulletin excerpts; hymn titles with the page numbers from three different Lutheran hymnals included; church cemetery diagrams and satirical "examples" of cemetery association minutes, etc.

I needed a dose of gentle humor, and this worked well enough for my purposes. Recommended only for those with an affinity for the subject matter.… (more)