Urgent Need for LSBs and Catechisms

Reprinted with permission from the Facebook page of the same name.

 

Due to government cutbacks in funding worship supplies for deployed chaplains, an unprecedented opportunity has opened to establish our Lutheran Service Book (LSB) on AFCENT bases covering the areas of countries in the Horn of Africa, the Persian Gulf and up to the Stans in Central Asia. These hymnals will be used for many years by many denominations by all branches of the Armed Forces.Chaplains are asking for as many LSBs and Catechisms as can be sent. This is a tremendous opportunity to scatter seeds of the mercy of Christ to those who defend our freedoms around the world.

LSBs and Catechisms can be ordered from CPH and send directly to:

CHAPLAIN JAMES BUCKMAN
379 AEW/HC
APO AE 09309-1201

It is best to plan on making the most of this opportunity while it presents itself. LSBs and LSCs may be sent to Ch. Buckman until the beginning of August.

For more information please contact Deaconess Carolyn Brinkley, Military Project Coordinator, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, [email protected] or call 260-452-2140.

If you would like to be added to Ch. Buckman’s E Letter, you can reach him at:
[email protected]
or
[email protected]

Below are excerpts from Ch. Buckman’s newsletters that explain the great need for LSBs and Catechisms.

“Please send copies of LSB (Lutheran Service Book). The AFCENT Command Chaplain has requested that LSBs be offered to every Chapel in theater. This is a tremendous opportunity. To give you an idea- we average about 6,000 troops moving in and out every month. These Chapels will be here for some time and if they are closed down, their resources are boxed up and shipped to other chapels. I can tell you that in 30 years of military service, I have never seen an LCMS hymnal stocked in a military chapel. Luther said, ‘The Holy Spirit does not bestow His gifts on procrastinators.’ ‘Nuff said 🙂

“Chaplain, CAPT Scholle and CW3 Montes are with our troops in a country not far from here that is intentionally not in your evening news. They stopped by the base Chapel before a service in Holy Week. I have been filling in as the Interim Wing Chaplain (thus the nice office) for a while. They provide our troops with what the Chaplaincy calls a ‘Traditional Protestant Service’. Ch Scholle was lamenting the fact that the government hymnal has no liturgy. I just received a couple of boxes of LSB hymnals for the new ‘Liturgical Protestant Service’ we are hoping to start. I shared with them the features and benefits of the LSB hymnal and they immediately asked for some. I asked how many they have in their service; they said they have two services with about 30 in each and that their services are growing. I said a quick prayer and decided to give them 35 copies of the LSB. Ch Scholle is not LCMS; but his grandfather was a Lutheran pastor. These hymnals will remain at our base in this non Christian country for future rotations of troops and Chaplains. Say a prayer for this ministry team; they are doing heavy some heavy lifting in unpleasant conditions. And please send more LSB hymnals.

“Ch, Capt Scott Brill is not in the LCMS. He was given a worship service to lead, without any readily available hymnals. And, prior to your donations, this Chapel did not have a single Liturgical hymnal. Ch Brill is ecstatic to be able to use LSB hymnals in his worship service, which he offers on the flightline @ 5am on Sunday mornings. Due to his time constraints, I suggested that he use the ‘Service of Prayer and Preaching’; which he agreed would work best. This is our 2nd Chaplain that we have equipped with LSB hymnals. These two worshiping communities will retain their hymnals after the Chaplains rotate home- your gift will have lasting impact.

“Your donations of hardbound copies of Luther’s Small Catechisms are so needed and God continues to open doors for them find good homes.
I have been blessed to develop friendships with the other Chaplains in our Chapel; to the extent that several of the Chaplains are personally using Luther’s Small Catechism and have invited me to share this beautiful resource with their small group Bible studies.
One of the small groups is studying Rick Warren’s, ‘Purpose Driven Life’. There are about 45 people attending this group. The Chaplain invited me to come and share about Luther’s Small Catechism with the members and make copies available for them to pick up.
We brought two boxes of LSC; every copy was taken. They want me to bring more for their children, next week. Which I will gladly do.

“By God’s grace, to God’s glory, this Sunday, we will start a new worshiping community on base. This new service will be held in the Chapel on the opposite side of base from the original Chapel (Victory Chapel).
This new service will be classified by the Air Force as a ‘Liturgical Service’ and we will use the new LSB hymnals that you have so kindly donated. This service will be held at 6pm on Sunday evenings. This is the first time a Liturgical Service has been offered at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

“Thank you for sending hardbound copies of Luther’s Small Catechism. These are a tremendous blessing for counseling. As I listen to what is troubling one of our troops, I will ask myself, ‘Which commandment does this fall under?’ I then invite them to pick up a hardbound copy of Luther’s Small Catechism and I briefly explain how this book has 300 questions, with 1,000 answers from the Bible.
I then invite them to turn to the appropriate Commandment and ask them to start reading. As they read, I offer additional comments on the Scripture passages. After we have studied the Law and what it says; I then ask them to turn to Questions 180-186 and invite them to read; again I offer comments on these passages.
The troops are very impressed with the hardbound copies of Luther’s Small Catechism. They love that it is well organized and based on Scripture. They love the quality feel and appearance.
I then invite them to take home their copy as well as one copy for each of their children. Many of our troops are going through Luther’s Small Catechism with their children when they Facetime. Most of these troops have never been in a Lutheran church before. We praise God, from Whom all blessings flow.”

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