LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 129

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CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES 129

times neglect the tried and true structure and important elements
basic to the “traditional liturgy”; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions, namely, the Formula of
Concord, both Art. X of the Epitome and Solid Declaration, give
sound directive and warming regarding “‘adiaphora” and “Christian
liberty”; and

Whereas, A generation ago, a member of an LCMS congrega-
tion could enter any LCMS sister congregation from Maine to Cal-
ifornia and know the familiarity of being “home” away from home,
principally because of the commonality of solid doctrine and the
liturgy; and

WHEREAS, The typical LCMS congregational constitution con-
tains an article mandating that all hymnals and worship aids be in
conformity with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions,
yet at the same time realizing that some special events and feast
days call for occasional special services with fresh approaches to
the traditional structure of the liturgy; and

WHEREAS, The Word of God directs His church to do every-
thing in decency and good order (1 Cor. 14:40); therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in its
1998 convention encourage all of its congregations to not abandon
the “traditional liturgy,” but rather use it often and on a regular
basis; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in its
1998 convention encourage all of its congregations to review
and/or study the “traditional liturgy” to rediscover the richness of
its scriptural basis and rich theological balance; and be it finally

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in its
1998 convention affirm the value of uniformity of worship through
our church body to establish harmony and avoid confusion.

Immanuel
Clovis, NM

2-11

To Encourage Faithfulness in New Mission Starts

Wuereas, The Synod in convention has stated that “liturgies,
sermons, hymns, songs, prayers, etc.,” of congregations of the
Synod should “(1) [be] Christ centered and not human centered;
(2) distinguish properly between Law and Gospel; (3) emphasize
the Gospel of Christ’s forgiveness; (4) [be] faithful to the Word of
God and in harmony with our Lutheran Confessions’’ (1995 Res.
2-06); and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has resolved, “That con-
gregations be encouraged to use the synodically approved hymnals:
The Lutheran Hymnal or Lutheran Worship” (1995 Res. 2-07).
(The intent of such a resolution is, of course, not to forbid the use
of anything not in the hymnals, which otherwise meets the crite-
rion of that which accords with the Word of God and the confes-
sion of the Lutheran church, but rather to indicate the Synod’s de-
sire that her parishes are parishes which actually use the
synodically approved hymnals); and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has warned of the dangers
of certain methods of the “church growth movement,” noting “wor-
ship forms and practices which focus the worshiper on his feelings
and experiences as evidence of God’s grace rather than on the ob-
jective and gracious work of God delivering His forgiveness of sins
for Christ’s sake ... as found, for example, in the historic liturgy of
the Lutheran Church” (1995 Res. 3-09); and

WuerEAS, There is a trend in the LCMS today for mission
parishes to use neither synodically approved hymnals at all, and
this bent is not conducive to unity—doctrinal or otherwise—in the
Synod; and

WHEREAS, The Synod is quite free to impose basic standards
upon its administrative entities (officers, District offices, etc.);
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board for Evangelism, the Board for Con-
gregational Services, and all other synodical entities, including Dis-

tricts and District officials cease advocating and or planting hym-
nal-less churches; and be it further

Resolved, That all mission starts (barring specific linguistic bar-
riers, e.g., beginning a congregation among recent non-English-
speaking immigrants) use one of the officially recognized hymnals
(TLA or LW ) as the primary worship resource for liturgy and
hymnody; and in the case of work among unchurched people, there
be a forthright plan for the systematic introduction of one of these
hymnals, and a specific plan for education in Lutheran liturgy and
hymnody.

Zion
Fort Wayne, IN

2-12

To Encourage Faithfulness in New Mission Starts

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has stated that “liturgies,
sermons, hymns, songs, prayers, etc.,” of the congregations of the
Synod ought be “(1) Christ-centered and not human-centered; (2)
distinguish properly between Law and Gospel; (3) emphasize the
gospel of Christ’s forgiveness; (4) are faithful to the Word of God
and in harmony with our Lutheran Confessions” (1995 Res. 2-06);
and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has resolved, “That con-
gregations be encouraged to use the synodically approved hymnals:
The Lutheran Hymnal or Lutheran Worship” (1995 Res. 2-07); and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has warned of the dangers
of the “Church Growth Movement,” noting “certain worship forms
and practices which focus the worshiper on his feelings and expe-
riences rather than on the objective and gracious work of God de-
livering His forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake ... as found, for
example, in the historic liturgies of the Lutheran Church” (1995
Res. 3-09); and

WHEREAS, There is a trend in the LCMS today for mission
parishes to use neither of our Synod’s hymnals at all, and this trend
is not conducive to unity in the Synod; and

WHEREAS, The Synod is quite free to impose basic standards
upon its administrative entities (officers, boards, Districts, etc.):
therefore be it

Resolved, That all synodical entities, including Districts and
District mission boards cease advocating and/or planting English-
speaking churches where neither one of the synodically approved
hymnals is used; and be it further

Resolved, That the Commission on Worship be utilized at the
Church Planters’ Institute to assist mission pastors in implementing
sound Lutheran liturgical principles in missionary situations.

University
Minneapolis, MN

2-13

To Discourage Use of Certain Liturgical Form

Wuereas, Almighty God has graciously favored us with splen-
did Bible-based liturgies, which are offered in our currently autho-
rized hymnals; and

WHEREAS, These liturgies contain five different forms of cor-
porate absolution, which indicates that none of them is intended for
our exclusive use; and

WHEREAS, One of them bases corporate absolution on the pas-
toral office rather than on the resurrection of our Lord, reading:
“Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called
and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to
all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus
Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit’; and

WuereAsS, This liturgical formula (A) is “un-Lutheran”; (B) is
contrary to Scripture; (C) puts the pastor’s office ahead of Christ’s
redemptive office; and (D) employs obscure syntax: