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Have you ever wanted to know more about the history of the hymns in Lutheran Service Book? Do you ever wonder what the lives of those who wrote our hymns were like? Good news—we have a book for that. Everyone at Concordia Publishing House is incredibly excited to announce the launch of Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns. This comprehensive hymn companion is rich with compelling facts—many newly discovered through extensive research of original sources in libraries all over the world. We’ve picked our top five for you to check out today.

Lutherans believe that worship is an act of receiving God’s gifts. That’s why the worship service we use is called the Divine Service. It’s a time during which God comes to us through His Word and Sacraments. Lutheran Service Book includes five different versions, or settings, of the Divine Service. There is only one Divine Service, but there are different settings. Some of the music and language differ between the settings, but the core of them all is the same—God delivering to us His forgiveness and salvation.

The Old Testament is full of promises of a Savior, so what better way to celebrate Christmas than by looking at how those promises are fulfilled in the New Testament? “Carol of the Lamb,” a new choral piece for Christmas, is a perfect way to bring this idea to your congregation, as it features breathtaking music and references to Psalm 23.

The Reformers sought not to overthrow existing church traditions but rather to bring them back to their pure states. As a result, the orders of worship Lutheran churches use today are strikingly similar to the ones Roman Catholic churches use. Here’s an overview of how worship changed during the Reformation, and why and how the Reformers did it. This post is adapted from Lutheranism 101: Worship by Thomas M. Winger.

It’s almost Reformation Day, and that means we get to enjoy hearing some of Lutheranism’s most famous hymns. (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” I’m looking at you!) If you’re looking for some additional Reformation-related hymns to use around this time, consider using the ones mentioned below. We selected most of these by using the hymn search tool in Lutheran Service Builder with the keyword “Reformation.”

We also have created social media graphics with quotes from the selected hymns, and they are all shown below. At the end of the post, you can download the graphics for free and use them on your church’s social media accounts.

Worship Planning Book assists pastors and musicians in preparing services for Sundays and for holidays, such as Good Friday, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve. To make worship planning smoother and easier, the Scripture readings, music suggestions, an outline, and more are included for each service. The 2019 edition, which spans from the First Sunday in Advent (December 2, 2018) through Day of Thanksgiving (November 28, 2019), is now available. Here’s how your pastor, secretary, and music director all can make use of this book together.

“The center of Starke’s hymnody has always been the person and work of Jesus Christ, as revealed in Holy Scripture.”

Rev. Jon Vieker wrote that in the foreword to Stephen P. Starke’s new volume of hymns, Marvel at the Mercy. And we couldn’t agree with him more. Read on to learn about Pastor Starke’s new volume, his other published works, and how his texts poignantly capture the glory of our salvation through Christ.

It’s that time of year again—time for our new music to be released! We’re excited to share with you CPH’s new music for 2018. This year’s collection features 33 choral pieces, 19 titles for organ or piano, and 10 handbell works. A few highlights are detailed below. At the end of the post, you can download the digital music catalog to browse all of the new pieces.

Composer Jeffrey Honoré is releasing a new handbell piece with CPH in 2018: “Meditation on ‘Crown Him with Many Crowns.’” We sat down with Jeffrey to learn more about the piece, his background, and how he got into the composing world.

As a musician, pastor, and liturgy committee member for Lutheran Service Book, Rev. Dr. Thomas Winger has a unique and informed perspective on how music functions in the liturgy. We recently interviewed him to learn about his new book, Lutheranism 101: Worship, and to hear his perspective on incorporating the hymnal into worship and daily prayer.