Lutheran Reading

The other day I was in our little storage shed behind our house. I was rooting around in there to get the weedwacker to do some trim work on the lawn when I found a little grey book with red letters on it. The title Luther Discovers the Gospel, by Uuras Saarivaara (1951, Concordia Publishing House). It must be a book from my father's seminary days in Springfield, Illinois. So, as per usual I snagged the book and started reading it. I haven't gotten very far into it, sadly work, life, and sleep have gotten in the way. Matter of fact, I'll admit it freely, I'm about ten pages into the book. The author is comparing and contrasting Luther's views on Grace and Justification to those of Augustine. I think this little book will have to be read very closely and carefully.

In other news, I also received the new reader's edition Book of Concord through mail from Concordia Publishing House. I am a sucker for the Book of Concord. I find the book fascinating. I now have three editions of it. The red covered Tappert edition (copyright 1959) and the much newer thicker blue backed Kolb/Wengert edition (copyright 2000).

I am about halfway through the Augsburg Confession and I have learned a few things that I hadn't known already. I was quite pleased with the historical introduction in regards to how and why the Augsburg Confession came to be. Its going to take a little while, though, for me to get comfortable with the new BOC. My Tappert edition has been well used and written in. I've been using it since college (when I bought it because I had heard about it, but didn't know anything about it). The only thing I wish they had included in any of the BOC's I have is (in appendix form, perhaps) the 95 Theses in my Tappert edition I have them taped into the front, back, and end papers. I've always thought that it was important to have them so I know from whence all this came.

Earlier this week I finally finished reading Matthew. I was struck by Matt. 26:69-75 for the first time. Peter denies Jesus three times. I found myself reading it with my name instead of Peter's. And that hit me hard I know that I deny Jesus every day. The only thing that keeps me going in my Faith, hope and knowledge of Christ's forgiveness and Grace.

This has been a week of discovery for me and blessing innumerable. I often ask people "how's your faith?" (I like to cut to the matter quickly) I can ask myself that question right now and I'll say, at this moment, its pretty strong... 8 hours from now, I don't know, but right now: strong and steady.