# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S61
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1910. 61

of these old pericopes had a decisive effect?
We have heard often enough that our traditional pericopes have the
Roman church year in view, . . . that they take no account at all of the church outlook
of the Reformation, . . . that several of them
stand in a wrong place, repeat themselves, whereas other practical
stories and doctrinal passages, as well as whole books, are lacking. . . . It also does
no good that we hear that Luther was not at all satisfied with the selection of the old
pericopes, that in his opinion many pericopes owe their place only to superstitious or long-fallen ceremonies
in the Catholic service, and that it was only external circumstances that determined him to retain the old pericopes. It also does no good that we learn that in the Reformation
period itself, precisely in Lutheran circles, there was thinking and acting very freely about the old
pericopes, that among the old
Lutheran theologians of the later period these pericopes were still decidedly
rejected."

Dr. Walther says (Ev.-Post., p. 393) thus: "This Gospel that has been read,
my dear friends, was appointed for Church Dedication Day at a time
when pure knowledge had already almost entirely vanished.
However excellent in itself it is, still
no mention is made in it of the church dedication for which it was chosen.
As it seems, people wanted the words to be referred to it: 'This day is salvation come to this house'; but the
Savior with these words speaks not of a house of stone,
but of the family of Zacchaeus."

This petition was referred to a committee for report. The report of the committee was adopted in the following form:

To the Reverend Synodical Conference, at present assembled at Seward, Nebr.

The committee for the appraisal of the petition of the Pastoral Conference of Central-North Nebraska, which advocates the drawing up of several
new series of pericopes, takes the liberty of recommending that
the Synodical Conference answer that petition in the following way:

1. We recognize indeed that the use of the so-called
ancient-church pericope system since the Reformation has brought much
blessing to the Church; but we also cannot close our eyes to the truth
that there are many good reasons for the drawing up of one or several
new series of pericopes. At the same time we hold fast that no
preacher is bound in conscience to follow any particular pericope
system in the choice of his sermon texts, so that also
any resolutions we may adopt in this matter may in no way
be regarded as binding on conscience.

2. For use in the congregations of the Synodical
Conference four new series of pericopes are to be drawn up, namely two