Singing the Gospel offers a new appraisal of the Reformation and its popular appeal, based on the place of German hymns in the sixteenth-century press and in the lives of early Lutherans. The Bohemian mining town of Joachimsthal--where pastors, musicians, and laity forged an enduring and influential union of Lutheranism, music, and culture--is at the center of the story. The Lutheran hymns, sung in the streets and homes as well as in the churches and schools of Joachimsthal, were central instruments of a Lutheran pedagogy that sought to convey the Gospel to lay men and women in a form that they could remember and apply for themselves. Townspeople and miners sang the hymns at home, as they taught their children, counseled one another, and consoled themselves when death came near. Shaped and nourished by the theology of the hymns, the laity of Joachimsthal maintained this Lutheran piety in their homes for a generation after Evangelical pastors had been expelled, finally choosing emigration over submission to the Counter-Reformation. Singing the Gospel challenges the prevailing view that Lutheranism failed to transform the homes and hearts of sixteenth-century Germany.

"Based on a flexible order for contemplative prayer that was developed at the Holden Village retreat center in Washington state ... This resources also includes fourteen liturgies in the Prayer around the cross format, designed for use at particular seasons or centered on certain themes. Users will find this book invaluable for meditative worship during Lent or Advent, for evening services, at retreats, or whenever a quiet time of worship is appropriate." -- Back cover

Collection of 38 hymns and chants widely credited to Martin Luther. Includes piano accompaniment and brief notes about the origin of each hymn.

This elegant resource offers more than 600 hymns that span the centuries and the continents. It includes hundreds of familiar hymns and nearly 200 fresh expressions of the Gospel. Lutheran Service Book presents a significant body of resources that faithfully proclaim our forgiveness and life in Christ.