LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 149

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES 149

2-48

To Produce Devotional Resources for Pastors

WuHeRrEAS, Pastors have spiritual and devotional needs as their
parishioners do; and

WuereaS, Our Synod produces many devotional helps for her
lay people; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod no longer produces any devotional helps
for parish pastors, therefore be it

Resolved, That the Minnesota South District in convention
memorializes the Synod to produce devotional helps for parish pas-
tors that are tied to the new hymnal that will appear in 2007; and be
it further

Resolved, That the District memorialize the Synod to keep these
devotional helps in print as long as the new hymnal is in print.

Minnesota South District

2-49

To Publish Two Rivers to Freedom

Wuereas, Clayton Publishing House in 1980 published Two
Rivers to Freedom; and

WHEREAS, The late Dr. August Suelflow, for years the director
of Concordia Historical Institute, who was to speak at the 1999
Walther conference, writes in the foreword to Two Rivers to Free-
dom: “Because of many years of research Miss Wuerffel has spent
on the period of the 1830's and ‘40s, she undoubtedly knows the
events described more intimately than any other living person” (en-
tire foreword in the November 8, 1999, Christian News, pp.
14-15); and

WuHeRrEAS, Two Rivers to Freedom is out of print; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 convention of the LCMS ask Concor-
dia Publishing House to make arrangements to print Two Rivers to
Freedom.

Trinity, New Haven, MO; Redeemer, John Day, OR

2-50

To Affirm Lutheran Confessional
Principles for Public Worship

WHEREAS, There is basic disagreement within our church body
over what constitutes acceptable worship for Lutheran churches,
with the now-dominant understanding limiting the options more
than many are willing to accept; and

WHEREAS, There is in fact considerable diversity of worship
styles within LCMS congregations, with perhaps half the congre-
gations regularly using forms other than the Divine Service; and

Wuereas, Lutherans have historically identified themselves by
their theology presented in the Lutheran Confessions, and not by
their external expressions of forms in their organization and wor-
ship; and

WHEREAS, The confessional terms for public worship, as dis-
tinct from private worship, are “ceremonies and church rites,”
which the Confessions clearly regard as adiaphora, or matters of
choice; and

WHEREAS, The clear confessional principle, expressed in the
phrase “We believe, teach, and confess,” is that “the community of
God in every place and at every time has the right, authority, and
power to change, to reduce, or to increase ceremonies according to
its circumstances.” (FC X); therefore be it

Resolved, To affirm the Lutheran confessional principle that
every congregation of the LCMS has the option and freedom to
choose from or develop alternative forms of worship beyond those
presented in the church body’s hymnals, exercising care that the
basics of praise, confession of sins, reading and expounding of
Scripture, and prayer are faithfully present; and be it further

Resolved, To encourage the Synod’s Commission on Worship
to recognize the many forms of worship that in fact do exist in
Lutheran churches and to provide resources and encouragement
that meet the needs of all LCMS congregations; and be it finally

Resolved, To encourage the Synod’s seminaries and colleges to
expose students to the best of the range of worship forms in use
among the congregations where they will minister.

Royal Redeemer, North Royalton, OH; Holy Cross, Fort
Wayne, IN; Gloria Dei, Urbandale, IA; King of Glory,
Williamsburg, VA; Emmanuel, Kettering, OH; Beautiful
Savior, Omaha, NE; St. Luke, Starkville, MS; Holy
Trinity, Gulfport, MS; Holy Cross, Mahwah, NJ; Our
Savior, Portland, OR; Lord of Life, Leawood, KS;
Emmaus, St. Paul, MN; First, Paola, KS; Grace,
Woodbridge, VA; Salem, Orange, CA

2-51

To Return to Use of Approved Orders of Worship

WHEREAS, Orders of worship have been rooted and grounded in
the Word of God, particularly the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ;
and

WHEREAS, These orders of worship have been deemed valuable
down through the ages and in many cultures for giving voice to the
worship of the church; and

WHEREAS, These orders of worship have been in the past visible
symbols of the unity of faith and doctrine in the Lutheran church;
and

WHEREAS, Changes and translations have been approved by
councils and conventions of the church; therefore be it

Resolved, That individuals and committees who are developing
or using personally conceived orders of worship and rites be re-
quested to immediately cease doing so for the sake of brotherly
unity and common expression of the Lutheran faith; and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That individuals and committees who desire to
change the form and language of the liturgies and rites of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod submit their proposed changes
to the convention of the Synod for approval; and be it finally

Resolved, That pastors and congregations that are currently
using so-called contemporary worship forms and rites be strongly
encouraged to host in their Circuits worship workshops available
through the Synod’s Commission on Worship with the goal to
agreeably and peacefully return to the synodically approved orders
of worship as found in its official hymnals and agendas.

Pilgrim
West Bend. WI

2-52

To Encourage Use and Promotion of Historic Liturgies

WHEREAS, The orthodox, historic liturgies of the church are
based on, formed by, and immersed in the divine doctrine of justi-
fication by grace through faith in Christ’s person and work—the
doctrine upon which the congregation and the Christian stand or
fall; and

WHEREAS, These liturgies of the church provide the life-giving
freedom of dogma while preventing the tyranny of choice; and

WHEREAS, These liturgies are a great protection and comfort for
the pastor, who is charged with the stewardship of the mysteries of
God (1 Cor. 4) and who will be called upon by the Lord to give an
accounting of his stewardship (Heb. 13); and

Wrereas, The sick, the shut-in, and the dying receive great
comfort in the liturgies and hymns that they heard, learned, memo-
rized, and sang earlier in life (see the examples of “Liturgy & Pas-
toral Care” at www.ourredeemerlutheran.tsx.org); and

WHEREAS, Members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
(congregations, clergy, commissioned workers, etc.) have promised

2001 Convention Workbook