Noted Lutheran minister, poet, lyricist Herb Brokering passed away, an Obituary, by Peter Menkin

The Reverend Doctor Herbert F. Brokering,				Crystals; Willie Take Your Little Drum; In That
pastor, author, lyricist, speaker and hymn writer				Poor Stable; Good Christian Men Rejoice; O My
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America				Dear Heart; Masters In This Hall;The Happy
(ELCA), died Nov. 7 of congestive heart failure at				Christmas Comes Once More; I Saw Three
his apartment in Bloomington, Minn., according to				Ships; Sweet Lil’ Jesus Boy; O Come, O
his son, Mark.				Come Emmanuel and O Christmas Tree.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America				In another Christmas album, the publisher says:
news service says in its report, “Brokering,				Hear some of your favorite Christmas
83, was a member of St. Stephen Lutheran				Carols and songs in a different way. This CD
Church, Bloomington. "Herb Brokering's legacy				was arranged and orchestrated for concert
includes carefully crafted words on the lips of				orchestra and choral voices used as
believers gathered around the means of grace. He				instruments. There are traditional Carols seldom
has helped us bring our faith to rich expression,"				heard and five new works with music by Robert
said the Rev. Michael L. Burk, bishop, ELCA				Way and lyrics by Archie Rasmussen, Herbert
Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City.				Brokering, Songs on the album include:
Two of his best known hymns are: "Earth and				Sweet Was The Song The Virgin Sang; Lullay,
All Stars"; and, "Thine the Amen.”				Thou Little Tiny Child; Love Came Down At
“Reverend Doctor Herbert Brokering has				Christmas; The First Good Joy That Mary Had;
been called the “Leonardo DaVinci of the				A Virgin Most Pure; A Little Child On Earth Was
Prairies.” Gifted with extraordinary creativity,				Born; Silent Night; The Holly And The Ivy; The
the Lutheran pastor, author, lyricist, hymn writer				Babe In Bethlem’s Manger Laid; Christ Was
and peace activist has spent his life finding new				Born In Bethlehem; Away In A Manger; Beside
ways to minister to the holistic health of all				Thy Cradle Here I Stand; We Three Kings Of
God’s people.” So says ELCA radio				Orient Are; Here We Come A-Wassailing. Also
ministry Grace Matters. The radio interview				included are five original works: Christmas With
notes, “He is the father of four adult children				You; Christmas Is Glowing; God Touched The
with his late, beloved wife Lois. In their 54 years				Earth; Little Woman; Everything Says Christmas
together Herb and Lois created many joint				Is Here and one of the children’s favorites,
educational writings, projects and songs.” The				Up On The Housetop. The “ Church
December 31, 2006 radio interview reports he is				Times” wrote in 2008 of his meditations
the author of 30 books, ELCA news service				“In the Bleak Midwinter,” for Advent and
reports, memorial service is planned for Nov. 21				Christmas: In his book In the Bleak Midwinter:
at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. Brokering,				40 meditations and prayers for Advent and
83, was a member of St. Stephen Lutheran				Christmas, Herbert Brokering has put together a
Church, Bloomington. "Herb Brokering's legacy				meditation and a poetic prayer on each line of
includes carefully crafted words on the lips of				Christina Rossetti’s Christmas carol. This book
believers gathered around the means of grace. He				is designed to be read at home, either alone or in
has helped us bring our faith to rich expression,"				the context of the family. Indeed, Brokering’s
said the Reverend Michael L. Burk, bishop, ELCA				own family is never far from the surface in his
Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City. He				meditations. The winters of his upbringing in
authored more than 30 books for Augsburg				rural Nebraska, his own experiences as a parent,
Fortress, the publishing ministry of the ELCA, and				and the stillbirth of his grandson all contribute to
more than 100 lyrics for almost 60 composers.				his insights on the “stable place” and the
"Herb was a gifted poet, author, speaker and				holy family that lodged there. The charm and the
composer. He was also a delight -- a man who				frustration of many of the reflections is the way
cared deeply about his God, his family, his many				in which the author sacrifices structure in order to
friends and this publishing ministry," said Beth A.				let his stream of consciousness flow. A good
Lewis, Augsburg Fortress president and chief				number of the meditations assume a rather
executive officer. "Herb Brokering was a gifted				imaginative take on the Christmas story.
creative partner with Augsburg Fortress! He				According to Brokering, “Dr Luke must have
was also a delight! He had a ready wit, but was				wished to be personally present” at the
serious about his faith and loved to share it in				nativity; and “Anna, Mary’s mother, must
person and through his marvelous writing of				have made sure that what Mary would need was
books, poems, and music. And, he was the				in a special bag.” If a wistful and schmaltzy
youngest octogenarian I've ever known! Even as				reading of this most wistful and schmaltzy of
his body aged, his mind was young! His curiosity				carols is really what you want to find in your
and joy in living each day fully was reflected in his				stocking this Christmas, put this on your wish list.
sparkling eyes as well as in the words he shared				But we don’t think you’ll find it on ours.
with his readers! He will be missed by all of us at				Other works by the same author include More
Augsburg Fortress who were privileged to work				Cat Psalms and More Dog Psalms. The publisher
with him. And, I will personally miss him because				describes the work this way: This beautiful and
I was honored to have him as a friend" Lewis				gentle book of Advent and Christmas devotions
added in an email to this writer. The written				takes its inspiration from the much beloved poem
work, "Prophets and Angels" is described by its				by Christina Georgina Rossetti, In the Bleak
publisher Augsburg Fortress in this manner:				Midwinter. The poem is gentle, wise, full of faith,
"This wonderful musical service is based on the				drawing us into mystery, touching the deep
message of prophets and angels heralding the				longings of the human heart with images that
Good News of Christ. A lovely setting of				evoke wonder ...[It] focuses on incarnation, an act
Advent-Christmas lessons and carols for SATB				of full grace when "heaven cannot hold him." This
choir, organ, congregation, optional oboe, and				grace comes to a humble place of human birth, to
optional brass. The work includes carols/hymns				the humanity of Mary and to our own humanity,
for choir (including one for children), scripture				in the midst of divine angelic presence. So these
readings, reflective texts and responses by				meditations focus on the paradox, tension, pull,
Herbert Brokering, and a prelude and postlude.				and contradiction experienced in the coming of
The length of the work is approximately 50				Christ from heaven to earth. Brokering was
minutes. Organ only parts, congregational and				director for confirmation education with the
oboe parts are available for free download."				former American Lutheran Church, Minneapolis,
As a writer of Hymns, one of his well known				1960 to 1970. He became a freelance educator,
Hymns reads in part: Thine the kingdom thine				writer and consultant working in the United
the prizethine the wonderful surprisethine the				States,Europe and Japan. Brokering co-directed
banquet thine the praisethen the justice of thy				the film, "Where Luther Walked" in 1981. He also
waysthine the glory thine the storythen the				taught at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., for
welcome to the leastthen the wonder all				several years. Brokering was a promoter of
increasing at the feast at thy feast. “Thine				healing, justice and peace, leading morethan 100
the Amen”, ELW 826, Stanza 4, Text: Herb				pilgrimages in his lifetime to places in Europe, the
Brokering, (c) 1983 Augsburg Publishing House				Middle East, China and India. The East German
Jonathan Rundman, on his blog says of his				Ministry of Culture presented him with a
passing, “I only met Herb once, at a book				peacemaking award. Herb was devoted to his
signing he did in the Augsburg Fortress Bookstore				alma mater, Wartburg College. Wartburg was his
at the ELCA Youth Gathering in St. Louis in 2000.				first real experience of the world beyond
Sometimes I tell that story when I'm playing a				southeast Nebraska.
concert, and I always say "I felt like I was				Just before he passed away, he established a
meeting Paul McCartney." One Christmas album				fund for activities to promote the healing arts at
in which his lyric work appears is described by the				Wartburg. He hoped that any memorial gifts
publisher this way: This is the third Christmas				would be given to this tax-deductable fund:
album arranged, orchestrated and produced by				The Herbert and Lois Brokering Healing Arts
Robert Way. There is one new carol on the CD,				Endowment Fund
“Angel Questions.” The arrangement is				Wartburg College Office of Development?
instrumental; however, the words are those of				100 Wartburg Blvd
poet Herbert Brokering. Songs on the album				Waverly?, IA 50677-0903
include: Christmas Brings Joy; Angel				So report his children, Mark, Beth, Jon, and Chris
Questions; Long Ago And Far Away; God Rest				Brokering.
You Merry, Gentlemen; Give Heed My Heart; Ice

DAN

Noted Lutheran minister, poet, lyricist Herb Brokering passed away, an Obituary, by Peter Menkin