Concordia Publishing House

Reading is a great activity all year round, but especially in the summer! With school out, the sun setting later in the evening, and the days lasting longer, summer is a great time to head to the library or online bookstore to stock up on summer reads. Whether you set a specific summer reading goal or want to start reading together as a family, there’s always a great new book for you to dive into.

The following is a brief guide to the traditional seasons of the Church and the liturgical calendar. This introduction is a perfect starting point for learning about the Divine Service throughout the year and an easy hub for reviewing what you’ve learned!

Today we remember nineteenth-century German pastor Wilhelm Loehe, and we read an excerpt from one of his writings as recorded in The Pastor.

The devotional reading for today is adapted from Concordia Pulpit Resources and focuses on the significance of receiving God’s name.

As we anticipate the beginning of the new year tomorrow, we focus on the Gospel of the day and read a devotion from Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary: Luke.

On the commemoration of David, we read an excerpt from Concordia Commentary: 1 Samuel and remember why God chose David to succeed Saul as king of Israel.

As we mourn the Holy Innocents today, we read a comforting devotion from the book Heaven.

As we remember the apostle John today, we read a devotion taken from a sermon in Sermons for Feasts, Festivals, and Occasions: Selections from Concordia Pulpit Resources.

The following excerpt is adapted from Philipp Nicolai’s The Joy of Eternal Life, a systematic theology of God’s gift of heaven. Below, the first of Nicolai’s “six properties” is featured. 

Our commemoration today is for the great patriarch Abraham, and we read a devotion adapted from Courageous Fathers of the Bible.