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Martin Luther (1483–1546) was obsessed with the Bible and in love with his Lord revealed therein. Time magazine named Luther “Man of the Millennium” for myriad accomplishments in the sixteenth century that shaped theology, language, hymnody, art, and so many things now taken for granted in Christianity across the world—all fueled by his high regard for Holy Scripture. This book is released in conjunction with the 500th anniversary of his posting of the now-famous 95 Theses in October of 1517 in Wittenberg, Germany.

I’ve chosen the whimsical title, 95 Prostheses, partly because my own body is propped up gratefully with two prosthetic devices, and partly because the church (the body of Christ) is at a juncture where old Bible stories known by Luther need recasting and reframing with a generation of people for whom biblical narrative is foreign and even downright weird. Theologian Karl Barth (1886–1968) was prescient when he wrote about “the strange new world within the Bible,” for the church’s book is indeed both strange and new for adult converts seriously perusing its often odd pages for the first time.

The book is arranged around the classic themes of the church year and best read with a Bible nearby and with a pace that matches the steady, unfolding wisdom of the seasons. Authentic faith requires unhurried percolation. Each section of the book will include a general introduction followed by ten essays based upon Bible stories familiar to that season and chosen with new Christians, study groups, and Christian formation teams in mind. Each essay concludes with questions or exercises inviting deeper reflection and understanding. May these cyclical seasonal rhythms lead you into deeper discipleship and a joyful following of the man who changed Luther to change the world: Jesus the Christ.