LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 131

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CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES 131

Resolved, That the Commission on Worship report to Synod in
its regular convention in 2001 with a recommendation on resolving
the confusion and practices.

St. Paul, Chesterton, IN; Trinity, Westville, IN

2-15

To Coordinate Evaluation of Hymnals and Songs
Covered by Christian Copyright Licensing Inc.

WHEREAS, One of the “conditions for acquiring and holding
membership in the Synod” (Constitution, Art. VI) is “exclusive use
of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms in church
and school” (1995 Handbook, p. 11); and

WHEREAS, The Synod has adopted The Lutheran Hymnal and
Lutheran Worship with their respective agendas with the under-
standing that they are doctrinally pure; and

WHEREAS, Some congregations in the Synod are using hymn
books and supplements of their own making, Lutheran Book of
Worship, hymnals from other denominations, and individual songs
covered by Christian Copyright Licensing Inc., which have not
been approved by the Synod or checked by the Synod for doctrinal
purity; and

WHEREAS, The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the
Evangelical Lutheran Synod, both of which helped produce The
Lutheran Hymnal, have in recent years produced their own hym-
nals, which some congregations in our Synod are considering for
use; and

WHEREAS, Trust among our congregations would be strength-
ened if we could be able to show that whatever hymnals and indi-
vidual songs are being used in the churches and schools of the
Synod have been reviewed for their doctrinal content and approved
by the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Worship be directed to co-
ordinate a doctrinal review of all currently published hymnals pro-
duced by Lutheran bodies in America and advise the Synod on how
well each fits our constitutional requirements; and be it further

Resolved, That congregations of Synod be asked to submit a
copy of any locally made or non-Lutheran hymnals or supplements
they may be using to the Commission on Worship to be included in
this doctrinal review; and be it further

Resolved, That the Commission on Worship also coordinate a
review of all songs being offered to our congregations through
Christian Copyright Licensing Inc. and provide a list of these songs
which are doctrinally pure and would be appropriate for Lutheran
worship, which list shall be accessible on the Synod’s web site and
(initially) to be sent to all congregations by mail and then be avail-
able in writing by request as the list is updated; and be it further

Resolved, That the Commission on Worship be authorized to
approach the seminaries and colleges of the Synod as well as the
CTCR for the names of persons to be appointed to committees
which will perform doctrinal evaluations of these resources for
worship; and be it finally

Resolved, That the congregations of Synod be reminded of their
pledge in joining Synod to use only doctrinally pure hymns, and
that they therefore pledge to remove any hymnals from use in their
congregations which do not pass this doctrinal review, and/or re-
move or rewrite the individual hymns or agenda items which are
deemed to contain false doctrine (submitting all rewritten hymns
to doctrinal review), and to refrain from using hymns covered by
Christian Copyright Licensing Inc. unless they are also on the syn-
odical list of approved hymns.

Quincy Circuit Forum
Central Illinois District

2-16

To Affirm Use of Variety of Worship Forms

WHEREAS, the object of all worship is God Himself, the Father
(Rev. 4:6-11), the Son (Rev. 5:9-14), and the Holy Spirit (2 Cor.
3:17; Rom. 8:9; Matt. 28:19); and

WuerEAs, God inspired the apostle Paul to write in Gal. 5:1, “It
was for freedom that Christ has set us free,” and that to receive cir-
cumcision, i.e., a burden of slavery to nullified laws and forms
(Matt. 27:51) is to be enslaved, not free; and

Wuereas, Christ has redeemed us from every lawless deed to
purify for Himself a people of His own possession” (Titus 2: 14),
and the very meaning of the word redeem is to “loose, to set free”
the people of God; therefore, being “free” to function in matters of
adiaphora; and

WuereEas, God inspired Paul to write, “I have made myself a
slave to all that I might win the more . . . I have become all things
to all men that I may by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:19 and 22);
and

WuEREAS, the Psalms, Old Testament worship forms, employ
joyous, celebrative worship, “O come let us sing for joy to the
Lorp; let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation” (Ps.
95:1-2); “O clap your hands all peoples” (Ps. 47: 1); and quiet,
meditative, reverential worship, “Come let us worship and bow
down; let us kneel before the Lorp our Maker” (Ps. 95:6); and

WuereEAs, God tells us in His Word, “God sees not as man sees;
for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the
heart” (1 Sam. 16:7), and God is therefore pleased, not by the form
of man’s worship, but by the condition of the heart; and

WHEREAS, Our Confessions clearly state, “We believe, teach
and confess that the community of God in every locality and every
age has authority to change such ceremonies according to circum-
stances, as it may be most profitable and edifying to the community
of God” (Epitome, Art. X p. 493); and

WHEREAS, Our confessions also state, “We further believe,
teach and confess that the community of God in every place and at
every time, has the right, authority, and power to change, to reduce,
to increase ceremonies according to its circumstances ... but in an
orderly and appropriate way as at any time may seem to be most
profitable, beneficial, and salutary for the good order, Christian dis-
cipline, evangelical decorum, and the edification of the church
(Formula, Art. X, p. 612); and

WHEREAS, to limit worship to one form is neither scriptural,
confessional, nor in keeping with the autonomy of the individual
congregation; therefore be it

Resolved, that the congregations of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod acknowledge our scriptural and confessional position
which has historically encouraged congregations to use worship
forms that are in keeping with the Word of God and appropriate
for the culture; and be it further

Resolved, that the congregations of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod affirm the use of a variety of worship forms both litur-
gical and nonliturgical, that pastors, worship leaders, boards of el-
ders, etc., draw the elements of worship from a variety of worship
sources, that they also be encouraged to be creative in worship so
that “worship may be most profitable and edifying to the commu-
nity of God” (Epitome, Art. X); and be it finally

Resolved, that all worship forms be totally consistent with the
Word of God, to the praise and honor of our Glorious Lord Jesus
Christ, to His Awesome Father, and the Empowering Holy Spirit of
God!

Shepherd of the Lakes
Brighton, MI