# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S132
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

132 CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

2-17

To Caution against Entertainment Values in Worship

WuerEAS, Television and other forms of entertainment have in-
fluenced Americans’ expectations of public ceremony and dis-
course: and

WHEREAS, It is often true that “the medium is the message”
(McLuhan); and

WHEREAS, What is popular is not always what is best, or even
what is right; and

WHEREAS, Worship acceptable to God involves man’s humilia-
tion so that glory may be given to God, as in the parable of the
Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:10—14); therefore be it

Resolved, That Synod in convention remind all pastors and lay
leaders to carefully distinguish between God-centered worship and
outreach addressed to human need; and be it further

Resolved, That all pastors and lay leaders avoid worship forms
and practices imitative of variety shows or other entertainment for-
mats; and be it further

Resolved, That local worship practices which may have become
traditional be reexamined in the light of the standards expressed in
the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further

Resolved, That no ministry be discouraged from innovative
evangelism or entertainment-style outreach, provided the distinc-
tion between worship and other human-centered activities be main-
tained: and be it finally

Resolved, That members of Synod encourage the Gospel leaven
affecting the world, but oppose the world’s leaven affecting our
Word and Sacrament worship.

Redford
Detroit, MI

2-18

To Omit Option of Non-Communion Setting
of Divine Service in New Hymnal

WHEREAS. Our Synod has wisely elected to foster the pious and
orthodox practice of weekly Communion within the congregations
of the LCMS; and

Wuereas, Until very, very recently it was the unanimous con-
sensus of the church that the most salutary and proper setting for
the celebration of the Eucharist was the Divine Service; and

WHEREAS, The practice of celebrating the Divine Service with-
out the Sacrament of the Altar is a recent aberration completely
without orthodox historical precedent; and

WHEREAS, The Divine Service is not the only liturgy provided
by the church catholic for use by congregations, there being both
Matins and Morning Prayer among others; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assembled instruct the
Commission on Worship to omit from the new hymnal any option
for the conduct of the Divine Service without the celebration of
Holy Communion; and be it further

Resolved, That the Commission on Worship provide at least one
liturgy that simultaneously is not a derivation of the Divine Ser-
vice and is appropriate for Sunday morning use in congregations
that. for whatever reason, choose not to offer the Body and Blood
of our Lord when they gather together.

Bethany
Fort Wayne, IN

2-19

To Include Standard Lectionary Series in New Hymnal

WHEREAS, Our Synod is embroiled in one series of debates after
another concerning the uniformity and structure of congregational
worship; and

WHEREAS, This turmoil is often difficult to contain and the cen-
tral issues less than clear to a great number of our Synod’s laymen;
and

WHEREAS, This conflict is often unnecessarily exacerbated by
the use of two very different hymnals in our Synod; and

Whereas, One of the major reasons given for the continued use
of The Lutheran Hymnal by many congregations in the LCMS is
their unwillingness to depart from the 1,600 year tradition of using
the Standard Gospel Series (as found in either 7LH, SBH, or almost
any Lutheran hymnal before LBW); and

WHEREAS, The vast majority of liturgical resources throughout
the ages have been prepared specifically for the Standard Gospel
Series, including all the compilations of Luther’s own sermons; and

WHEREAS, Some of the best and most salutary of family devo-
tions are also based upon the Standard Gospel Series, including
such a venerable work as “Luther’s Family Devotions”; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assembled instruct the
Commission on Worship to include the Standard Gospel Series
with all of its attendant propers in the new hymnal, either as an op-
tion or, preferably, as the exclusive pericopal system; and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That the both the Commission on Worship and Con-
cordia Publishing House be instructed to prepare sermon helps, de-
votional materials, and other liturgical resources, including VBS
and Sunday school curricula for the Standard Gospel Series as well
as any other series they may wish to promote.

Bethany
Fort Wayne, IN

2-20

To Use Lutheran Worship and The Lutheran Hymnal

WHEREAS, There has been a proliferation of newer orders of ser-
vice, usually referred to as contemporary orders; and

WHEREAS, Such orders of worship sometimes fail to include the
basic elements of the accepted principles of Lutheran worship; and

WHEREAS, Art. VI of our Constitution provides as a condition of
membership in the Synod “exclusive use of doctrinally pure
agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms in church and school”; and

WHEREAS, The extensive use of such contemporary worship
forms slights the continuity of the present church with the saints
that have gone before end suggests that the individual can improve
on liturgies, prayers, and collects that have accumulated over the
ages; therefore be it

Resolved, That the congregations of the Synod be urged not to
use regularly contemporary orders of worship unless these have
been approved by the Commission on Worship; and be it further

Resolved, That in the regular worship services of the congrega-
tions the orders of service found in Lutheran Worship and The
Lutheran Hymnal be used with a minimum of modifications.

Concordia
South Haven, MN

2-21

To Encourage Congregations to Walk Together
in Worship Practices

WHEREAS, Many congregations in the LCMS have gone to
“contemporary” worship services, and we no longer have the uni-
fying bond of worship together in our Synod; and

WHEREAS, Many of these services use reformed songs, which
may contain false doctrine; and

WHEREAS, Many of these services do not use the Christian
creeds, have confession of sins and absolution, and even in some
cases, fail to have Scripture readings, including the Gospel; and