Psalm 61 begins with these familiar words:
Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy (Psalm 61:1-3).
Our Summer ’26 newsletter features our latest articles and resources for ministry to kids and teens. Jaelynn Kozicky reflects on how the youth at Hope Church in Minneapolis have strengthened her own faith, and Pam Twedt shares how St. Paul’s Free Lutheran in Fargo, ND, has used Jesus A-Z in their after-school outreach program. Plus, check out our recent publications for teens and children (some of them are on sale!).
Martin Luther’s visits to the congregations of his day revealed a great need for instruction in the foundational teachings of the Christian faith. The need eventually prompted him to write the Small Catechism with headings noting that it was for the heads of households to teach their families. The wider church soon found it to be useful in more places than just the home.
Our Spring ’26 newsletter features articles on building a biblical foundation—for the home (Jaclyn Czymbor), and for a church library (Pastor Erin Tormanen). What questions should we ask and what practices should we develop to lay this foundation?
“Tell me a story from when you were a little girl?” I knew the question was coming, as it did every night when I tucked my son into bed. I was running out of stories, but he didn’t care if he’d heard the same one before. He loved hearing about how I grew up, and he never grew tired or bored with hearing the same stories. He desired to know me more deeply.
Anticipation of a Reformation road trip to Germany last summer drew me to revisit the life of J. S. Bach through two books, one a biography and the other this discussion of Bach in the context of theology: Bach Among the Theologians by Jaroslav Pelikan
This edition of the Book of Concord is relatively new to me. I purchased a copy of it at a store across the street from the church where Martin Luther was a member in Wittenberg, Germany, when I was there last summer. The copy of the book that I had used
“The family that prays together stays together.” “Prayer changes things.” These are prayer truths we decorate our homes with, prayer truths we occasionally quote for Christian encouragement.
The Barber Who Wanted To Pray, a children’s book, begins mysteriously as the local barber anxiously watches a wanted criminal come into his shop
Martin Luther’s Christmas Book edited by Roland H. Bainton is a brief, readable collection of some of Luther’s thinking on Christmas and the meaning it holds for believers. Bainton has culled excerpts from approximately 30 years’ worth of Luther’s sermons and has organized them in a somewhat sequential manner representing the progression of God coming to earth as man.
This book is an excellent overview of the very fascinating and inspiring life of Martin Luther. It is intended for teenagers and young adults, but is very useful for adults who want an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand description of this adventurous monk within the Catholic Church of sixteenth-century Europe.
Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World (Viking, 2017) by Eric Metaxas sets out to make a bold statement about the life of Martin Luther. As the title indicates, Metaxas sees the impact of Luther’s life and theology extending beyond his religious influence and into the larger world—an influence he repeatedly underscores.
As we focus on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation and Martin Luther’s enormous impact, we should not overlook the importance of his Small Catechism. Luther is reported to have once commented that if he were to be remembered after his death for anything he had written it would be for his Small Catechism and The Bondage of the Will.
