# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S145 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 146 DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES primary translation of the Holy Scriptures to be used in the new service book and hymnal (“Lutheran Hymnal Project” Reporter in- sert, December 2003); and WHEREAS, The selection of a translation of the Holy Scriptures for use in the service book and hymnal is a decision of tremendous importance, which will surely have an impact on the life of the Synod far beyond the confines of the service book and hymnal it- self; and Wuereas, The English Standard Version is still a very new translation (copyright 2001) that has not had sufficient time or op- portunity to prove itself or to establish its long-term viability for the future; and WHEREAS, The New American Standard Bible (1977; updated 1995) and the New King James Version (1982) have proven and established themselves over many years of availability and use and are recognized and respected as faithful translations of the Holy Scriptures; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod in convention take up the selection of a translation of the Holy Scriptures for the new service book and hymnal as a separate item of business (and not simply as a line item within the Commission on Worship’s large overall proposal of the new service book and hymnal); and be it further Resolved, That the Synod in convention adopt the New Ameri- can Standard Bible (updated edition, 1995) or the New King James Version as the primary translation to be used in the new service book and hymnal. Emmaus, South Bend, IN; South Bend Circuit 5, Indiana District 2-13 To Adopt New King James Version for Use in New Service Book and Hymnal WHEREAS, The LCMS Commission on Worship is expected to present the Synod in convention with a proposed new service book and hymnal (2001 Convention Workbook, pp. 30-31); and WHEREAS, The Commission on Worship has announced its de- cision to recommend the English Standard Version as the primary translation of the Holy Scriptures to be used in the new service book and hymnal (Lutheran Hymnal Project Reporter Insert, De- cember 2003); and WHEREAS, The selection of a translation of the Holy Scriptures for use in the service book and hymnal is a decision of tremendous importance, which will surely have an impact on the life of the Synod far beyond the confines of the service book and hymnal it- self; and WHEREAS, The English Standard Version is still a very new translation (copyright 2001), which has not had sufficient time or opportunity to prove itself or to establish its long-term viability; and WHEREAS, The New King James Version (1982) has proven and established itself over many years of availability and use and is rec- ognized and respected as a faithful translation of the Holy Scrip- tures; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod in convention take up the selection of a translation of the Holy Scriptures for the new service book and hymnal as a separate item of business (and not simply as a line item within the Commission on Worship’s larger overall proposal of the new service book and hymnal); and be it further Resolved, That the Synod in convention adopt the New King James Version as the primary translation to be used in the new ser- vice book and hymnal. Trinity Goodland, IN 2-14 To Reject Eucharistic Prayers WuereEas, Eucharistic prayers were rejected by Luther (LW 36:36); and WHEREAS, Eucharistic prayers place the emphasis in the Divine Service on human works rather than God’s works (“One should not pray the Words of Institution but rather proclaim them to the peo- ple. Put simply, a prayer, especially of praise and thanksgiving, is our offering to God. The Gospel is God’s proclamation to us. The Words of Institution are Gospel. Therefore they are to be pro- claimed to the people and not prayed to God” [Paul Rorem, “Luther’s Objections to a Eucharistic Prayer,” The Cresset (March 1975): 16]); and WHEREAS, Eucharistic prayers attack the doctrine of justifica- tion (SA, Part II, Art. I, 1, 5; Art. If, 1, 3-4, 7); and Whereas, Eucharistic prayers confuse Law and Gospel; and WHEREAS, Eucharistic prayers conform to a humanly devised pattern of worship that attempts to appease God; and Whereas, Eucharistic prayers combine the human sacrifice of prayer to God and God’s work of Gospel proclamation to human beings thus confusing the two; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod in convention enjoin the LCMS Com- mission on Worship from placing a eucharistic prayer in our Synod’s new hymnal. St. Paul Waseca, MN 2-15 To Reject Eucharistic Prayers WHEREAS, The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God as the rain and snow water the earth (Isaiah 55:10—11); and WHEREAS, The Apostle Paul states: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you” (1 Cor. 11:23); and WHEREAS, Christ’s sacrifice was a one time action: “He entered once for all into the holy place, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12); and WHEREAS, Eucharist—the giving of thanks—is a sacrificial ac- tion stated in the confessions: “A sacrifice is a ceremony or act which we render to God to honor him” (Ap 1 XII 18); and WHEREAS, The Confessions teach “it is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian church that the Gospel be preached in con- formity with a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word” (The Confes- sion of Faith 2 VII 2) and “‘ ‘Somebody may seek to justify himself by saying that he wishes to communicate himself for the sake of his own devotion.’ This is not honest, for if he really desires to commune, he can do so most fittingly and properly in the sacra- ment administered according to Christ’s institution. To commune by himself is uncertain and unnecessary, and he does not know what he is doing because he follows a false human opinion and imagination without the sanction of God’s Word” (SA 2 11 8); and WHEREAS, Eucharistic prayers were part of the abomination of the sacrifice of the Mass that the Reformers condemned: “We also reject and condemn all other papistic abuses of this sacrament, such as the abomination of the sacrifice of the Mass” (FC 2 VII 109); and WHEREAS, Martin Luther stated that “These two things—mass and prayer, sacrament and work, testament and sacrifice—must not be confused; for the one comes from God to us through the minis- tration of the priest and demands our faith, the other proceeds from our faith to God through the priest and demands His hearing” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 36, p. 56); therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod con- tinue to promote the work of the Holy Spirit in the pure proclama- tion of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments ac- cording to Christ’s institution; and be it further