LSB Pocket Edition: Multiyear Wear-Tested Review

 

The Lutheran Service Book - Psalms and Hymns Pocket Edition is the greatest book published in the year 2018. Period.

It's one of CPH's biggest home runs, and God be praised it is still in print with no signs of slowing down. 

I've published a full-length review on the Pocket LSB before (you can find it here) but over a year and a half has passed since I wrote that review, so I figured it was time to revisit the topic. 

In total, I've now been using the Pocket LSB on a regular basis for 2-3 years. With each passing season, it has only grown in my regard and proved itself again and again to be a top-notch devotional tool. From the pointed Psalms for chanting (all 150!), to the beautiful hymn texts, the the well-selected inclusion of the Small Catechism and orders for daily prayer, the Pocket LSB just checks so many boxes. And it pulls of this feat in a small, elegant, and durable package.

Speaking of durability, the book has slowly shown wear over the years, to the point where the binding finally came partially loose a couple months ago. A superglue treatment did the job quickly and has continued to hold to the present day.

Part of the binding issue may be due to my modification of the product. I had attached various Gideon's New Testament epistles, the book of Proverbs, and sections of Gospels, to the Pocket LSB. On top of a few other papers I'd taped in, the book was experiencing a little more strain than it was designed for. 

My thought was to complete the resource with other readings that I'd otherwise have to find a Bible for, but I've found that I typically prefer to just go to a real Bible in those situations, and the taped-in sections rarely saw much use. Now I've removed all but a few, and am finding my smaller modifications are working nicely.

Another little change has been marking up the Psalms with days for a 30-day reading schedule, and tunes for various Psalms that I'm trying to learn. These penciled-in changes have been handy, as opposed to having to look up schedules or tunes in a separate resource.

Finally, I also added an extra bookmark (with superglue) to the binding, allowing me to mark a Psalm and a hymn at the same time.

At this stage, the gold leaf gilding and cover details are completely gone. Structurally, with a little maintenance, the book has remained intact and fully functional. Any heavily used product like this will eventually have a breakdown, and I have yet to experience any critical failures.

While there will always be room to nitpick (why not offer an even slimmer size with just the Psalms, and no Gloria Patri?) the Pocket LSB is an absolute treasure for me. It's the best devotional I've ever found - and if you think it could work for you, do not hesitate to buy one and put it to use. 

Rating: 10/10