# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S80 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 80 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS regarding it (except for action taken in New York, 1967, calling for a fixed Sunday for Easter); therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of revising the church year calendar to conform it more closely to the realities of life in the present age; and be it further Resolved. That, in keeping with Handbook 11.113, b, the Commission on Worship be instructed to give formal autho- rization for any calendar revisions made available through the ILCW before they shall become officially recognized as ready for use in the Synod; and be it finally Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of setting as target dates for the beginning use of any revised calendar as Advent I, 1973, for the congregations and agencies of the Synod and Jan. 1, 1974, for calendar purposes. CoMMISSION ON WORSHIP Warren G. Rubel, Chairman E. Theo. DeLaney, Executive Secretary 2-113 To Approve Lectionary Changes Wuereas, For many years there has been a demand for a revision of the lectionary used in Lutheran churches, it being felt that there is need for a greater amount of Scrip- ture to be made available for regular reading in the worship services; and Wuereas, In consultation with the Lutheran churches of other lands, the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (one third of whose members are representatives from the Syn- od’s own Commission on Worship) has undertaken a revi- sion of the lectionary which takes two forms: a. a revision of the historic 1-year pericopic system, b. a 3-year cycle of readings; and Wuergas, The 3-year cycle of readings is being adopted quite generally in the churches of North America (usually taking the form of a revision of the new Ordo Lectionum Missae); and Wuereas, The selection of readings for the year C of the 3-year cycle is now ready as prepared by the ILCW, with years A and B being already blocked out although not yet in final form [The full lectionary has been completed since the writing of this overture by the Commission on Worship]; and Wuereas, Having inherited the present 1-year cycle of pericopes, the Synod has never been asked to take action on its use or nonuse; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of having a 3-year cycle of lessons available for reading in the wor- ship services of the congregations, recognizing that those congregations desiring to retain the 1-year cycle are free to exercise this privilege; and be it further Resolved, That, in keeping with Handbook 11.113b, the Commission on Worship be instructed to give formal autho- rization to any lectionary revisions made available through the ILCW before they shall become officially recognized as ready for use in the Synod’s congregations; and be it finally Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of setting as target dates for the beginning of any revised lectionary of the 3-year cycle as Advent I, 1973, for the congregations and Jan. 1, 1974, for calendar purposes. CoMMISSION ON WORSHIP Warren G. Rubel, Chairman E. Theo. DeLaney, Executive Secretary 2-114 To Develop Worship Materials That Reflect Equality of Persons Before God WuereaS, The Gospel does not discriminate among those whom it liberates, for in the Lord “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female” (Gal. 3:28); and Wuereas, Worship materials for use by the people of God should respect the needs of these people and reflect the equality of persons before God; and Wuereas, The language of worship materials often ap- pears to exclude women, especially in the widespread ge- neric use of the words “man” and “mankind” (and male pronouns) to refer to people in general; and Wuereas, Many women are uncomfortable with this im- personal language of maleness in many traditional and con- temporary hymns and liturgies, because such exclusionary language does not explicitly recognize their personhood; therefore be it Resolved, That the Missouri Synod participants in the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship be instructed to make every effort, when developing new worship materials, to insure the incorporation of female nouns and pronouns equally with male references, and to make wider use of col- lective nouns (such as “people,” “humankind,” etc.) to refer to the redeemed people of God; and be it further Resolved. That these participants urge the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship to develop brief guidelines for op- tional congregational use in revising the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship; and be it further Resolved, That these participants urge the Inter-Lu- theran Commission on Worship to invite a panel of at least three women with expertise in language to aid in the mak- ing of such changes and guidelines: and be it further Resolved, That the liturgical calendar be reviewed for the purpose of making additions and substitutions to cele- brate the history of women’s contributions to the Christian church; and be it finally Resolved. That all other agencies within Synod who are engaged in the preparation of worship materials for chil- dren, youth, and adults be strongly encouraged to act in accordance with the principles and spirit of this resolution. Hype ParK LUTHERAN CHURCH Chicago, Ill. William A. Grunow, President LCUSA 2-115A To Withdraw from Lutheran Council Whereas. Historically the LCMS has correctly, on the basis of Holy Scripture, repudiated religious unionism, de- manding doctrinal agreement prior to union; and Wuereas, The Lutheran Council in the U.S.A. is involv- ing our beloved Missouri Synod in highly debatable social, political, and nonreligious issues that do not represent the thinking or wishes of all our congregations and people; and WHEREAS, LCUSA is carrying out a series of doctrinal discussions that are not open to the entire constituency of our beloved Synod and are being used to train a core of specially invited clergymen in a theology and an approach to the Scriptures that are not at all in harmony with the Word of God and with the officially confessed and accepted position of the LCMS: and WuereaS, Membership of our Synod in LCUSA compels our members to support activities that conflict with their conscience as they give financial support and mission offer- ings: and Wuereas, Officials of LCUSA still defend Who Can This Be? a study document that questions the deity and vicarious atonement of Christ; and Wuereas, LCUSA is not a church but is assuming many of the privileges and prerogatives of the church; and Wuereas, LCUSA takes of our “mission” offerings, funds so sorely needed just to maintain our missionaries and our missionary fields; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod withdraw from the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A. St. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCH Hilbert, Wis. C. A. Rathjen, Pastor Arthur Krueger, Chairman Leonard Hetzel, Secretary