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Stöckhardt Books

Rev. Johann CaauweLeave a comment

On this day in 1913, Dr. George Stöckhardt, professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, died. He had taught there since 1878 (full time after C.F.W. Walther’s death in 1887). He published books of sermons and commentaries on sections of Scripture. He is known as the greatest American Lutheran exegete and an excellent preacher. Here are a few items for you to learn more about his life and work.

I realized that I have managed to collect nearly all of his published works over the years (pictured below, plus two volumes that don’t have original covers). Two of these volumes are quite special to me.

In 2002 I received a bunch of books from my great uncle, George Linkert, after he died. I didn’t know Uncle George really well, but I was able to sit at his hospice bedside the day before he died and sing hymns to him. The books I received included a German/Latin copy of the Book of Concord, a volume of Epistle sermons by CFW Walther, a music book that originally belonged to my great-great grandfather George Schindeldecker, and a copy of “The Bible History of the Old Testament” by George Stöckhardt. This book is a collection of brief commentaries on all the Bible stories of the Old Testament (460 of them!). The copy I got didn’t even have a cover on it anymore. So while I was at the Seminary I found a book binder in Milwaukee who rebound and put a new cover on it—nearly good as new!

I find them a very straight forward exposition of the facts of each story, along with brief applications to Christians of today. Yes, even though they were written over 125 years ago, it is amazing how timelessly the stories of the Bible apply to Christians of every age. Interestingly, I found that in multiple sections of the Paul Kretzmann’s Popular Commentary of the Bible (CPH, 1923), Kretzmann includes some applications that seem to be lifted word-for-word (in translation) out of Stöckhardt—without citation.

I have recently begun a project to put together a complete English edition of these Bible History volumes. I have posted some of the stories here as examples. It will take some time, but I’m hopeful that this will be useful to many students of the Scriptures.

The other volume I cherish is the collection of sermons based on the Gospels for the church year, called Gnade um Gnade, or “Grace upon Grace”. Back in college at MLC, we translated sermons from this book in the course “American Lutheran German Writings” with Professor Daniel Deutschlander. The sermons are quite brilliant. Fortunately, an English translation of this has been recently published. You can get it here (affiliate link). You can also listen to recordings of someone reading these translated sermons on the Gottesdienst Crowd podcast.

The copy I have was actually Professor Deutschlander’s copy, which he sent me with a very kind note after he had read through it one last time.

24 Years

Rev. Johann CaauweLeave a comment

My feet hit the floor today on one of my Grandpa’s rag rugs that lies on the floor by my bed. I shaved with his double edge safety razor. When I got dressed, I put his slip-joint pocket knife into my pocket. It was twenty-four years ago today that my grandfather fell asleep in Jesus to await the resurrection of all flesh. It means a great deal to me that I can hold a tool in my hands that once served him and still functions just as well as it did in his hands.

But I am convinced that the most durable, well-crafted tools that have been passed through our generations are the hymns we have sung. I thought of him when we sang in church today:

Yea, Lord, ’twas thy rich bounty gave
my body, soul, and all I have
in this poor life of labor.
Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place
may glorify thy lavish grace
and help and serve my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile;
let Satan not my soul defile.
Give strength and patience unto me
to bear my cross and follow thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
in death thy comfort still afford.

Lord, let at last thine angels come,
to Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home
that I may die unfearing;
and in its narrow chamber keep
my body safe in peaceful sleep
until thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
that these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, thy glorious face,
my Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
and I will praise thee without end.

Woodcutter

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These are pictures of my grandfather cutting and hauling firewood. In the last few years, I have learned to love this same work, even though I don’t heat with wood and I no longer have access to the woods Grandpa owned and worked. I remember cutting wood with him. There was cutting, stacking, and carrying firewood into the house. But also the clearing of trees and brush later on, up to his last summer here. I distinctly recall him saying to one of his siblings on the phone about me, “Er kann die Chainsaw handeln” (He can handle the chainsaw). There is something uniquely satisfying about cutting wood. But there is something even more fulfilling to pick up some of the same worn-out tools and carry on the work begun by your fathers.

On the Passion of our Lord

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Watch with your mind, brethren, that the mysteries of this season may not pass away without profit. The blessing is plentiful. Provide clean receptacles; display devout souls, watchful senses, sober emotions, and chaste consciences for such great gifts of grace. In good truth, not only does your confession of faith admonish you to take care in this matter, but it is the practice of the universal Church, whose sons you are. For all Christians cultivate holiness in observance of these sacred seven days, display modesty, pursue humility, put on gravity, either according to or beyond what is usual, that they may in some way seem to suffer with Christ’s suffering. For who is so impious as not to be sorrowful? Who so proud, as not to be humbled? Who so angry, as not to forgive? Who so luxurious, as not to abstain? Who so sensual, as not to practice self-restraint? Who so wicked, as not to repent during these days? And rightly so.

For the passion of the Lord is at hand, even now moving the earth, rending the rocks, and opening the tombs. Near also is His resurrection, in which you will celebrate a festival to the Most High, entering with enthusiasm and eagerness into the most glorious deeds which He has accomplished. Nothing better could be done in the world than that which was done by the Lord on these days. Nothing more useful or better could be recommended to the world, than that it should by perpetual ordinance celebrate year by year the memorial of these things with longing souls, and show forth the memory of His abundant sweetness…

Marvelous is Your passion, O Lord Jesus, which repelled the passions of all of us; made propitiation for our iniquities, and is found effectual for every one of our plagues. For what is there of death that is not destroyed by Your death?

–Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon 24

A Few Favorites

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Aside from Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz (1522-86) is regarded as the most important theologian in the history of the Lutheran Church. Chemnitz combined a penetrating intellect and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture and the Church Fathers with a genuine love for the Church. When various doctrinal disagreements broke out after Luther’s death in 1546, Chemnitz determined to give himself fully to the restoration of unity in the Lutheran Church. He became the leading spirit and principal author of the 1577 Formula of Concord, which settled the doctrinal disputes on the basis of Scripture and largely succeeded in restoring unity among Lutherans. Chemnitz also authored the four-volume Examination of the Council of Trent (1565-73), in which he rigorously subjected the teachings of this Roman Catholic Council to the judgment of Scripture and the ancient Church Fathers. The Examination became the definitive Lutheran answer to the Council of Trent, as well as a thorough exposition of the faith of the Augsburg Confession. A theologian and a churchman, Chemnitz was truly a gift of God to the Church. (The Treasury of Daily Prayer, CPH)

Te Deum Laudamus

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Every Wednesday, we pray Matins at church. We usually read an Old Testament selection from a daily lectionary. Then I usually comment on the Epistle from Sunday. Today, we commemorated the Lutheran hymnwriters Nicolai, Heermann, and Gerhardt and sang the Queen of Chorales. The other thing we regularly do is pray by name for the members of the congregation. 

But every week I look forward most to singing the Te Deum Laudamus. Today, this sight gave me all the more reason to sing, and I think the angels, apostles, prophets, martyrs, and Church throughout the world rejoice at this, too.

Praying Alone

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Praying together is better than praying alone. My favorite hour of prayer is at the close of day, and the prayers of Compline just can’t be beat.

I usually pray these alone. If I’m at church late, I’ll do it in my study. When we have an evening meeting I invite others to join me, but I usually still end up alone.

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At home, I will often sing the closing portion to some of the kids before bed, “Guide us waking, O Lord…,” the Nunc Dimittis, and blessing them with “The almighty and merciful Lord—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—bless you and keep you.”

It was an uncommon delight, then, to lead the praying of Compline at this summer’s Return to Wittenberg conference. There is something so mutually consoling about these bedtime prayers of the Church, when some portion of the Church gathers at the end of a day to speak to one another, to listen, to sing, and to pray.

The setting of the beautiful chapel at Wisconsin Lutheran College certainly didn’t hurt! The back and forth responses, the unison, acapella singing. The final night of the conference we also sang Paul Gerhardt’s “Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow.”

It was significantly better than praying alone.

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Compline at Return to Wittenberg (Photo by Jonathan Mayer)

And yet, it is true that Christians never pray alone. Because our Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father,” even when we pray by ourselves, we are never alone. Christian prayer is always corporate. Our voice always joins with the whole Church in addressing our heavenly Father, trusting that he will hear our voice. Together, even if we pray alone. In addition—even if there were no one on the planet to pray with us, even then we would not pray alone because Jesus himself prays for us and with us.

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.