Festivities may be canceled due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop faculty, staff and friends from honoring – and completely surprising – President Emeritus Dr. Dale A. Meyer. In recognition of his contributions to the church and his recent retirement from service as Concordia Seminary’s 10th president, a festschrift, or honorary volume of essays titled Let the Gospel Lead: Essays & Sermons in Honor of Dale A. Meyer, was presented virtually to Meyer July 2 via Adobe Connect.

Friends and colleagues who contributed to the anthology span the years of Meyer’s tenure as speaker of The Lutheran Hour radio program to his service at the Seminary. They also include fellow leaders in higher education, the church and ministry. Topics covered in the volume encompass his vocational interests as classics scholar, professor of homiletics, media personality, church leader and pastor — each reflecting his singular focus to “let the Gospel lead” in all things.

The book was edited by Dr. Travis Scholl, managing editor of Seminary Publications, and was published by the Concordia Seminary Press.

“It was an amazing thing to see this collection come together, from so many different pastors, scholars and leaders who have worked with Dr. Meyer, even a sermon from the late, great Ossie Hoffmann,” Scholl said. “I, for one, count it an honor to have worked with Dr. Meyer in various ways over the years, to learn from his generous churchmanship, and to be blessed by his life and ministry centered in the Gospel.”

The festschrift is divided into three sections:

• Essays: This section contains both scholarly and collegial articles written by friends and colleagues that reflect Meyer’s professional life and ministry.
• Anatomies of a Sermon: This section includes three of Meyer’s sermons accompanied by commentary from fellow homileticians on the Seminary faculty.
• Sermons: This section contains sermons from colleagues that encompass Meyer’s time at Lutheran Hour Ministries and at the Seminary.

“This was the last thing I would have expected. I don’t think I deserve it,” said Meyer, after receiving the festschrift. “Diane and I have been talking these last weeks … She and I separately said the same thing, that during these years, we just tried to do our duty, like in Jesus’ parable. Sometimes we got it right and sometimes we botched it. But the great thing about the Seminary and this faculty is that we’re so collegial. We can argue, but it’s always about the Word and the Gospel. I hope all of you know about the love that Diane and I have for the Seminary and all of you.”

The book is available for purchase at Concordia Publishing House and Amazon.

About Concordia Seminary

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit csl.edu.