LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 468

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468

CHURCH AND CULTURE

genders in the human race, and that these are given by the Creator and
not subject to alteration by His creatures; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS reaffirm that every single human life is
a direct gift of God from the moment of conception until God Himself
takes it away in death. Since every Christian is called to “help and
protect his neighbor in every bodily need” (SC I), we first of all recognize marriage and family as the divinely designed arena for the
defense of life; next, when God gives life outside of marriage and
family, we commit with all our hearts and resources to defend, support, and nurture such lives while condemning elective abortion in
every circumstance; and be it further
Resolved, That we encourage all the educational endeavors of our
congregations—preschools, grade schools, and high school associations—to find joy in catechizing our youth concerning marriage,
life, and family, in clear distinction from the culture that surrounds
them; and be it further
Resolved, That we endeavor to see marriage, life, and family as a
kind of holy trinity wherein neither of these issues is fully addressed
and understood unless it is seen in the light of the other two. We
intend to strengthen our defense of human life and holy marriage by
reflecting deeply upon the essential unity of these three gifts of God;
and be it further
Resolved, That toward this end, the Synod encourage all ministers and congregations to devote significant time to the study of God’s
design and purpose for marriage—in particular, to deepen understanding and heighten our mutual affirmation that marriage is not only a
moral issue but a profoundly theological reality. Let us, as the Bride of
Christ, pray to our heavenly Groom that He might show us ever more
clearly the Gospel made manifest in godly marriage; and be it further
Resolved, That we encourage Concordia Publishing House to publish books for both laity and church workers that will help and assist
our study of marriage, life, and family; and be it finally
Resolved, That we direct the two seminaries of our Synod to examine their curriculum, making sure that future pastors are equipped to
proclaim the centrality of marriage, life, and family to the Gospel;
also that they each produce materials that can serve to deepen and
enhance the theological and Gospel-oriented understanding of these
matters for all parish pastors.
Board of Directors
Wyoming District
14-08

To Support Holy Marriage at Every Level
of Our Life Together
Preamble
The radical redefinition of marriage and its ripple effects throughout American culture is more than a recent innovation. From the very
dawn of creation, Satan has tempted man to reject both the Word of
our Creator and the realities of creation itself. Soon after our Lord’s
resurrection, ancient Gnosticism mounted this assault, which has
continued in various forms through two millennia. Recent decades
have seen its resurgence under the banner of the “Sexual Revolution.”
Obergefell v. Hodges did not create something new but took the
Gnostic heresy of the “Sexual Revolution” to its next logical step.
There will be more steps to follow.
The introduction of “same-sex marriage” not only causes a cultural crisis but also provides a great opportunity for the Christian
Church. Christ’s people always thrive under the cross. As Martin
2016 Convention Workbook

Luther wrote in one of his great Reformation hymns, “God’s Word
shines brighter through the cross; and purified from human dross, it
shines through every nation” (cf. TLH 260, st. 5). Under the cross, we
receive the gift of repentance together with a direct view of the glory
of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
By embracing our opportunity to repent, we will see ever
more clearly the glory of God’s revelation. Therefore, as individual Christians and as congregations and pastors of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, let us walk together in humble repentance
and bold confession of Christ’s glorious mysteries.
Through the travesty of “same-sex marriage,” we are given to see
the damage done to home and family by models of marriage that elevate the selfish pleasures of adults above the needs of the small and
weak. We see pain and death caused by the mad scramble for sexual
pleasure that rejects the gift of children. In the process, we have been
given to see that not only “same-sex marriage” but also nonbiblical
divorce, cohabitation, pornography, and sexual promiscuity partake
of this same selfish view of marriage. As we reflect on these connections, repent of our participation in them, and seek God’s help to do
better, therefore be it
Resolved, That we confess with joy that Jesus has healed marriage in ways that the people under the Old Testament could not
fathom (John 2:1−11). Thus we renounce the error of the Pharisees
in Matthew 19 who considered divorce not as a tragedy but as a benefit bestowed by Moses. We rededicate ourselves to teaching and
encouraging the use of Jesus’ Gospel gifts in addressing even the most
strained marriages between Christians; and be it further
Resolved, That we repent of our sins as individuals that undermine the holy institution of marriage: cohabitation, infidelity, divorce,
pornography, filthy talk, and the like. We stand together in support
of every minister and congregation that is seeking to address these
offenses in their midst, encouraging them in their faithful proclamation of the Gospel; and be it further
Resolved, That we direct each district to establish and implement
guidelines that assist congregations to have a continuity of ministry
with members who seek to transfer from one congregation to another
in the face of separation and divorce; and be it finally
Resolved, That we direct the Council of Presidents to work
together in establishing a protocol to help congregations of the Synod
to have a continuity of ministry with members who move across district boundary lines in cases of separation and divorce.
Board of Directors
Wyoming District
14-09

To Request Changes in LSB Agenda’s
Rite of Marriage
Whereas, There is a broad shift within our culture to accept samesex marriage; and
Whereas, The Word of God only knows of marriage as the joining of a man and a woman to be one flesh by action of God; and
Whereas, All rites used in the church teach; therefore be it
Resolved, That the LCMS Board for National Mission, in consultation with Concordia Publishing House, revise the language of
the wedding rite in future editions of the Lutheran Service Book,
Pastoral Care Companion, and LSB Agenda (along the lines of the
examples given) to more pointedly express marriage of one man and
one woman, so as to guard against any possible re-reading of the text