If anyone ever asks you what it means to be a Lutheran, give them a copy of Dying to Live by Rev. Harold Senkbeil. In clear and precise language, Rev. Senkbeil uncovers the wonder of Jesus coming in the flesh, and of his continued presence in His Church. As he writes, "If there's one thing central to living the Christian life, it is the presence of our living Lord with His church. He fills our worship and our life as well. That's why we're always dying to live in this world. Daily dying to sin, yet daily rising in Chist to live a new life."
Senkbeil suggests that there are three "indispensable facets" of the Christian life: (1) The Incarnational Foundation (Jesus came to us), (2) The Sacramental Focus (Jesus still comes to us), and (3) The Liturgical Shape of the Christian life (God serves us through Word and Sacrament and we respond publicly, privately, and in our vocation). Avoiding needless jargon and unpacking phrases that are worthy of understanding, Senkbeil succeeds in a seemingly impossible task: he offers a fresh, vibrant summary of the Lutheran ethos; a compelling and lucid unveiling of what the Lutheran confession has to offer the world. I strongly recommend you read and slowly digest this book.
Dying to Live is available through Concordia Publishing House (http://cph.org) as well as other online booksellers.
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