LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 33

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 33

has appropriated the very best from every community of faith.
(Contrary to the often-stated opinion that it is essentially a northern
European creation, much of the church’s liturgy is Mediterranean,
having originated in southern Europe and North Africa.) In this
process it has served as a unifying force within the church, allow-
ing Christians from every land and race to join together with one
voice to praise their Maker and Redeemer. .

The liturgy’s appropriation of the best of God’s gifts from every
age is occurring even now. It is inherently a slow process as new
hymns and liturgies are scrutinized to see whether they will stand
the test of time. Certainly not everything that is written for worship
in our day will be sung in the future. But there will be those partic-
ularly special gifts of God that proclaim the Gospel for generations
to come.

Even as the church’s worship draws on the best from every
Christian community, it does not do so indiscriminately. Not every
form of expression is compatible with the Gospel. Certain styles of
music, for example, are less appropriate than others for the wor-
ship of God’s people. For this reason, it is essential that the music
appropriately serve the text and not overpower it with other mes-
sages. Style, after all, is not neutral, but is intricately bound up with
the substance that it proclaims.

Worship Requires Adequate Preparation and Resources

The effectiveness of the church’s worship ultimately does not
depend on the quality of its execution; still, the church will want
to conduct worship in a way that gives the very best to God. This
requires adequate and deliberate preparation. Pastors need to spend
time not only preparing their sermons but also giving attention to
all the details of the service. Congregations need to encourage their
musicians to practice for each service and to seek out ways to en-
hance their skills. Together, pastors and musicians need to plan far
in advance so that the services reflect the richness of our liturgical
heritage and encourage the worshipers to lift their voices in thanks-
giving to God.

This call for excellence in worship is constantly heard by advo-
cates of contemporary/alternative worship styles. They urge con-
gregations to employ the best musicians and acquire the finest mu-
sical instruments to lead their services. Sadly, in many of our
congregations worship has not been given a high priority. We have
failed to explain to our people the significance and meaning of
what we do in worship. Pastors have not viewed worship planning
as an important task. Many congregations have inadequately re-
munerated their musicians and have failed to encourage them to
seek opportunities to improve their skills. Many churches have
never provided adequate instruments for their musicians.

These comments do not mean to suggest that every congrega-
tion should have a professional music program with highly trained
musicians. In most cases, our congregations will rely on the gener-
ous spirit of dedicated musicians whose compensation will be little
more than a token gesture of thanks and an encouragement to seek
further training. The goal is not high quality for its own sake, but
simply an offering of our best so that the worship of God's people
will be enriched as they receive His gifts with thanksgiving.

Conclusion

While the preceding thoughts are not intended to be the final
word on the topic of contemporary/alternative worship, they are of-
fered in the hope that further reflection will take place. In many
cases, the discussion over worship practices is filled with heated
debate that seldom moves beyond the emotional level. The com-
mission desires to return this discussion to the underlying theolog-
ical issues that demand consideration.

Finally, for congregations that are discussing this issue for the
first time, there is undoubtedly a sense of urgency that has entered
the debate. Whether it is a concer for reaching the unchurched, a
concern over the fear of losing members to other congregations, or
a concern for the general direction of the congregation, it is easy
to conclude that a change in worship styles will take care of many
of the problems.

The commission hopes that the preceding remarks have demon-
strated the complexity that surrounds the issue of contemporary
worship. Worship is closely related to other concerns, such as the

unity of the church, formation in the faith, and faithfulness to the
Word of God. A change in worship may indeed signal a change in
doctrine. “What is prayed is what is believed” is the ancient wis-
dom of the church, Our synodical founders provided in their con-
stitutions that only “purely Lutheran hymnals, agendas, and text-
books” could be used in the congregations of the Synod. Out of
faithfulness to God, love for the lost, and concer for future gener-
ations, Christians must pay careful attention to what is confessed
in the public worship of the church.

For these reasons, the commission encourages congregations to
proceed slowly before making any radical changes in their worship
practices. Rather than rushing into a decision, it is essential that
congregations study carefully all the issues that are related to the
worship of God’s people.

For Further Reading

Lutheran Worship: History and Practice. 1993. CPH order no. 53-
1015. ;
“The Unchanging Feast: The Nature and Basis of Lutheran Wor-
ship.” 1995. CPH stock no. S-02142.

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