5:30 on a Monday afternoon. The view from the office window (which I and Rachel Hoffmann share) is of an autumn, late afternoon sun. I confess: I’ve always been a big fan of the colder months, reveling in the colorful leaves, crisp morning air, early sunsets, and—of course—snow.
But enough of my meanderings. I’m not here to wax poetic (if you can even call that poetry). I’m here to pass on a couple of wonderful reviews that were sent to me late last week.
First off, Pastor Toby Sumpter (one of the pastors at Trinity Reformed Church here in Moscow), recently wrote a review of A Primer on Worship and Reformation. A snippet:
In places it can feel like too much is being covered in too short of space, but again, this is a primer and merely meant to introduce someone to these practices and customs which have made up the culture of the churches of the Reformation for centuries. And it is the last chapter on children that is arguably one of the greatest reasons for pressing these themes and continuing to make them accessible to the broader evangelical church. Short of winning the hearts and minds of our children with the culture of a robust Christian faith, reformation will continue to be a word that people say and have no actual experience of. We will know that God has blessed us with reformation when the vast majority of Christians today see their grandchildren walking with the Lord, wielding the Psalms as the weapons they are, and rejoicing in Sabbath living with their children and neighbors. And by the grace of God, worshiping faithfully each Lord’s Day is the way God has promised to bless us with that glory.
To be honest, Pastor Sumpter’s review captures just why we love this book and are excited about its release: make sure to go and read the rest of it.
Our other new review is from Liturgy, Hymnody & Pulpit Quarterly Book Review (a publication of the Wyoming District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod). The Rev. Paul J. Cain, critiquing the Cantus Christi from a Lutheran perspective, writes:
Lutherans will rejoice to see their Reformation-era treasures endorsed and sung with vigor. …. If you are a hymnal collector, and many pastors are, this is an essential addition.
His review can be read here—just wait for the PDF to load and then scroll down to page 203, where the review begins.
And now, it’s time for me to actually get out into that sunset. Have a blessed evening.