LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 191

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 191

Missouri Synod is “to print, publish, purchase, sell, and
otherwise disseminate Bibles, books, periodicals. literature,
music, and other supplies for congregations, schools, Sunday
schools, preaching stations, and institutions” (Article II, g, of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Articles of Incorpora-
tion); and

WHEREAS, Article III, 4, 5, of the Constitution states that an
object of Synod is “the publication and distribution of Bibles,
church books, schoolbooks, religious periodicals, and other
books and literature; ...the endeavor to bring about the largest
possible uniformity in church practice, church customs, and, in
general, in congregational affairs”; and

WHEREAS, The Sunday pericope is becoming increasingly
fragmented because of a lack of coordination between the
“Pastor’s Desk Diary,” the Concordia ‘‘Pocket Planner,” The
Lessons—Series A, B, and C (Augsburg Publishing House),
and the ‘Focus’ series of church bulletins by Concordia
Publishing House (with the Sunday pericopes on the back
cover); and

WueEreas, Augsburg Publishing House is publishing The
Lessons: Series A in Good News for Modern Man; and

WHEREAS, Luther states in his preface to the Small Cate-
chism (The Book of Concod, Tappert, p. 339, par. 7); “Young and
inexperienced people must be instructed on the basis of a
uniform, fixed text and form” (Luther is here speaking of a
uniform Catechism text but the principle is the same); therefore
be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage ILCW to coordinate
their Sunday pericopes into a secure and established three-year
lectionary system, using an accepted translation for all series
and years of their lesson books; and be it further

Resolved, That if the ILCW does not immediately set about
this task of coordinating and making uniform the Sunday
pericopes, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod establish,
coordinate, and publish a uniform pericope system with an
acceptable and readable translation (RSV or NIV) for the
congregations of the Synod.

St. John’s Lutheran Church
Desboro, Ont.

William H. Klages, Chairman
Paul Woebbeking, Pastor
Gerald Weppler, Secretary

3-105
To Deal with Joyful Sounds

WHEREAS, The Synod’s first objective is to conserve and
promote the unity of the true faith (Article III of the Constitu-
tion); and

WHEREAS, Each member of the Synod is to engage in
“exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and
catechisms in church and school” (Article VI); and

WHEREAS, In its recent reevaluation of the Lutheran Book of
Worship the Synod has shown how seriously it feels about
these matters; and

WHEREAS, Though the Synod was reported to in 1971 that
“once again it has become obvious to members of the Inter-
Lutheran Commission on Worship how homogeneous the work
of the commission has become. The spirit of cooperation,
interest, and participation on the part of the members of the
various church bodies is exceptional. Again we affirm, Luther-
ans are one whether they are in separate bodies or not”
(Workbook p. 46); and

WHEREAS, The Synod was assured in 1975 that “in keeping
with the Synod’s Handbook, the materials for the new hymnal
and service book are being submitted to the doctrinal review
process” (Workbook, p. 64); and

WHEREAS, A doctrinal reviewer’s “primary concern is that
items submitted to him be in agreement in their doctrinal
content with the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions”
and ‘the reviewer shall also be concerned that the items
submitted to him do not contain statements that are inade-
quate, misleading, ambiguous, or lacking in doctrinal clarity”
(Bylaw 11.157); and

WHEREAS, A commission of the Synod reported in 1977 it
“further believes that the LBW is wholly faithful to Scripture
and the Lutheran Confessions.... The LCMS has contributed
significantly at all levels in the preparation of the LBW....The
commission recommends the Lutheran Book of Worship to the
use of congregations of the Synod with enthusiasm and
conviction” (Workbook, pp. 58—59); and

WHEREAS, The committee presented its “rebuttals” to
accusations against the new hymnal in pages 60 and 61 of the
same workbook; and

WHEREAS, Despite the aforementioned, the Special Hymnal
Review Committee reported to the Synod in 1979 that in the
LBW “there are a number of serious theological defects that
makeit unsuitable for use in its present form by congregations
in our Synod” and that some of the doctrinal errors ‘‘penetrate
to the heart of the Christian faith” (Workbook, pp. 89—90); and

WHEREAS, Joyful Sounds: The New Children’s Hymnal was
copyrighted by Concordia Publishing House in 1977, hence
evidently assembled during this era of divergent approaches to
what was or what was not acceptable in official synodical
circles; and

WHEREAS, The training of our children is soimportant to the
future of our church body; and

WHEREAS, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lebanon, Conn.,
has purchased a number of these hymnals for use by its
Sunday school children; and

WHEREAS, Perusal of its contents has raised questions
regarding the doctrinal review that it went through during
those years that the LBW was supposedly also going through
appropriate doctrinal review; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod conduct a special doctrinal review
of Joyful Sounds similar to, if not identical to, the special
review given the Lutheran Book of Worship by the Special
Hymnal Review Committee chaired by Dr. Robert C. Sauer;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention empower the
special reviewers to direct Concordia Publishing House to
cease the selling and/or distributing of Joyful Sounds at any
time during its review that it becomes clear that theological
problems (similar to the LBW’s) make it unsuitable for use in
its present form by congregations in our Synod; and be it
finally

Resolved, That the special reviewers of Joyful Sounds
report to the Synod as soon as it is possible, but no later than
the next synodical convention or two years, whichever occurs
first.

Redeemer Lutheran Church
Lebanon, Conn.
Robert G. Small, Secretary

3-106

To Recognize Lutheran Book of Worship
as an Acceptable Hymnal

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in
its 54th regular convention, duly recognize the validity of the
Lutheran Book of Worship as an acceptable hymnal in the
worship of God, and commend its usage to the church at large.

English District
Paul E. Bacon, Secretary

3-107

To Declare General Use of LBW
as Being Constitutionally Incorrect

WHEREAS, There are a number of congregations in the New
England District, and other Districts, that have purchased the
Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW); and

WHEREAS, Our Synod in convention has seen fit not to
accept the LBW(Dallas and St. Louis) as an official hymnbook
for general congregational use; and

WHEREAS, There is no synodical resolution specifically