# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S151 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES 151 2-56 To Commend Commission on Worship Wuereas, The LCMS Commission on Worship has been labor- ing faithfully to unite our Synod around good. solid worship prac- tices; and WHEREAS, The LCMS Commission on Worship is working on preparing a new hymnal for our Synod; therefore be it Resolved, That the LCMS in convention affirm and encourage the LCMS Commission on Worship; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS convention express its support and encouragement for the work of the executive director, Rev. Dr. Pau] Grime, and the associate director, Rev. Jon Vieker. Lamb of God Pleasant Prairie, WI 2-57 To Direct Commission on Worship re Use of Creeds WuHereas, We are commanded in Scripture to “stand fast and hold to the traditions which you were taught” (2 Thess. 2:15); and Wuereas, The three ecumenical Creeds are major confessional symbols of the Lutheran church and not merely ordinary parts of the church ceremony subject to treatment as adiaphora under the Formula of Concord: and WHEREAS, The versions of the three ecumenical Creeds found in Lutheran Book of Worship (ELCA) are not new translations but contain changes which cannot be harmonized with the Latin, Ger- man, or English texts as they are given in the Book of Concord to which every Lutheran pastor and congregation subscribes without reservation; and WHEREAS. The versions of the three ecumenical Creeds found in Lutheran Book of Worship were condemned in 1978 by the Spe- cial Hymnal Review Committee of The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod. subsequently causing them to be rejected for usage in Lutheran Worship; and WHEREAS. The versions of the three ecumenical Creeds found in Lutheran Worship are accurate and faithful with an exception as noted in the second resolve below; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con- vention direct the Synod to adhere to the exegesis of the transla- tions of the three ecumenical Creeds presented in the 1978 Report of the Special Hymnal Review Committee; and be it further Resolved, That the Liturgy Committee of the Lutheran Hymnal Project and the Commission on Worship be directed to include the versions of the three ecumenical Creeds found in Lutheran Wor- ship with the exception that in the Apostles’ Creed as written “the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints” be replaced with “the holy Christian Church—the communion of saints.” Bethlehem Fairborn, OH 2-58 To Approve Field-Testing Plan for New Hymnal WHEREAS, The 1998 synodical convention encouraged the Commission on Worship to “begin the task of developing and test- ing materials” for a new hymnal; and WHEREAS, The Lutheran hymnal project has already completed a Significant amount of work and has begun the process of testing these materials; and WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.929 a requires that final approval of an of- ficial hymnal must be preceded by a “process of exposure and test- ing decided upon by the Synod in convention”; therefore be it Resolved, That the Commission on Worship continue to de- velop materials for both a new hymnal and agenda; and be it further Resolved, That the Commission on Worship make available at the congregational, Circuit, and District level during the next tri- ennium for study and testing * all liturgical orders: * all new hymns; * detailed summary of changes to hymns in our current hymnals and supplements; «all rites for the new agenda; and be it further Resolved, That a process be developed to receive and evaluate comments and suggestions that result from the field testing: and be it finally Resolved, That delegates at the 2004 convention be provided a final version of the materials listed above along with a summary report on the field testing. Commission on Worship 2-59 To Research and Address Members’ Attitudes re Historic Liturgy WHEREAS, Divergent practices in and attitudes toward worship are currently exercised in the Synod in every District; and WHEREAS, Attitudes are to some unknown extent entrenched be- tween (1) a desire for the Synod to use hymnals and the historical liturgy or (2) a desire for contemporary (so-called evangelical) wor- ship forms; and WHEREAS, All practice and theology in all of the Synod is a lov- ing concern of all members of the Synod (LCMS Constitution, Art. II 7) because we are all responsible for voluntary membership in the Synod: therefore be it Resolved, That the Commission on Worship survey members of the Synod, that is. every rostered pastor and congregation, to ask them to identify themselves with one of the following opinions: (1) I believe that the historical liturgy as found in our hymnals, The Lutheran Hynmal and Lutheran Worship (or faithful transla- tions of the same), is Christ-centered worship and God’s Word and is therefore fit and able to create and feed faith in all the elect. (2) [believe that the historical liturgy as found in The Lutheran Hymnal and Lutheran Worship is an impediment to the Gospel for large segments of the population that are lost; we need to leave the liturgy behind, at least to some extent. in order to reach them. (3) Lam not aware of the significance of using the historical liturgy vis a vis contemporary (so-called evangelical) worship forms and would like to learn confessional and biblical principles to guide me in choosing what pleases God and serves God’s peo- ple: and be it further Resolved, That the Commission on Worship publish the entire data and results of this survey and evaluate the significance of the results, bringing to bear both biblical and confessional principles that establish the unity of the Synod, according to our Constitution; and be it finally Resolved, That the Commission on Worship prepare instruc- tional materials to pastors and congregations who respond in the third category. Emmanuel Dearborn, MI To Encourage Careful but Evangelical Attitude Toward Worship Practice WHEREAS, Many congregations within The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod are using a variety of different worship services, including those from synodically accepted hymnals: and 2001 Convention Workbook