LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 147

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148 : DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

our Synod, “Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith ... and
provide a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom.
16:17), and heresy,” and Synod Bylaw 4.71 d 2 directs the District
President or his representative, saying, “In his official visits he shall
seek to bring about to the greatest possible degree the achievement
of the Synod’s objectives as expressed in Article III of its Consti-
tution”; and

Whereas, Art. VI 4 of the Constitution of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod lists as one of the conditions for acquir-
ing and holding membership in the Synod, “Exclusive use of doc-
trinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms in church and
school;” and Synod Bylaw 3.929 a states, “All service books and
hymnals that are to be accepted as official service books and hym-
nals of the Synod shall be given such status only by a convention of
the Synod after a process of exposure and testing decided upon by
the Synod in convention”; and

WHEREAS, Synod Bylaw 3.928 c lists as one of the functions
and duties of the Commission on Worship, “recommend worship
materials to the church and advise and warn against the use of wor-
ship materials that are unworthy of use in the corporate worship of
the Lutheran Church,” thereby implying that not all worship mate-
rials are helpful; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Worship, in its report “Reflec-
tions on Contemporary/Alternative Worship” (1998 Convention
Workbook), warns against too hastily departing from “the historic
pattern of worship that has been handed down for nearly 2,000
years,” stating, “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 concern for future gener-
ations, Christians must pay careful attention to what is confessed
in the public worship of the church,” and, “Not every form of ex-
pression is compatible with the Gospel. Certain styles of music, for
example, are less appropriate than others for the worship of God’s
people. For this reason it is essential that the music appropriately
serve the text and not overpower it with other messages. Style, after
all, is not neutral, but is intrinsically bound up with the substance
that it proclaims”; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions give many positive state-
ments concerning their use of the historic pattern of worship, stat-
ing, “Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass [that
is, the Service of Holy Communion]; for the Mass [Service of Holy
Communion] is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest
reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved, save
that the parts sung in Latin are interspersed here and there with
German hymns, which have been added to teach the people. For
ceremonies are needed to this end alone that the unlearned be
taught that they need to know of Christ. ... It does not, therefore,
appear that the Mass [Service of Holy Communion] is more de-
voutly celebrated among our adversaries than among us” (AC
XXIV 1-9), and “And the usual public ceremonies are observed,
the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things”
(Ap XXIV 1), and “But they (the holy Fathers) observed human
rites for the sake of bodily advantage, that the people might know
at what time they should assemble; that, for the sake of example
all things in the churches might be done in order and becomingly;
lastly, that the common people might receive a sort of training. For
the distinctions of times and the variety of rites are of service in
admonishing the common people. The Fathers had these reasons
for maintaining the rites, and for these reasons we also judge it to
be right that traditions [good customs] be maintained. ... But we
cheerfully maintain the old traditions [as, the three high festivals,
the observance of Sunday, and the like] made in the Church for the
sake of usefulness and tranquility; and we interpret them in a more
moderate way, to the exclusion of the opinion which holds that they
justify. And our enemies falsely accuse us of abolishing good ordi-
nances and church-discipline. For we can truly declare that the pub-
lic form of the churches is more becoming with us than with the

adversaries (that the true worship of God is observed in our
churches in a more Christian honorable way). And if any one will
consider it aright, we conform to the canons more truly than do the
adversaries,” (Ap XV 20-21, 38-39), and “Nevertheless, very
many traditions are kept on our part, which conduce to good order
in the Church, as the Order of Lessons in the Mass [Service of Holy
Communion] and the chief holy-days. But, at the same time, men
are warned that such observances do not justify before God, and
that in such things it should not be made sin if they be omitted
without offense. Such liberty in human rites was not unknown to
the Fathers” (AC XX VI 40-42), and “Only those things have been
recounted whereof we thought that it was necessary to speak, in
order that it might be understood that in doctrine and ceremonies
nothing has been received on our part against Scripture or the
Church Catholic. For it is manifest that we have taken most dili-
gent care that no new and ungodly doctrine should creep into our
churches” (AC Conclusion 5); and

WHEREAS, The first Synod Constitution was concerned about
the Synod’s congregations adopting the worship practices of com-
mon American religion, saying, “Especially is Synod to investigate
whether its pastors have permitted themselves to be misled into ap-
plying the so-called ‘New Measures’ which have become preva-
lent here, or whether they care for their souls according to the
sound Scriptural manner of the orthodox Church” (VI A, 15), and,
“Furthermore Synod deems it necessary for the purification of the
Lutheran Church in America, that the emptiness and the poverty in
the externals of the service be opposed, which, having been intro-
duced here by the false spirit of the Reformed, is now rampant. All
pastors and congregations that wish to be recognized as orthodox
by Synod are prohibited from adopting or retaining any ceremony
which might weaken the confession of the truth or condone or
strengthen a heresy, especially if heretics insist upon the continua-
tion or the abolishment of such ceremonies” (VI A, 14 b); and

Wuereas, Although the Formula of Concord teaches “that the
ceremonies or church usages which are neither commanded nor
forbidden in the Word of God, but which have been introduced
solely for the sake of good order and the general welfare, are in and
of themselves no divine worship or even a part of it,” the Formula
goes on to explain that even in these areas of adiaphora (indifferent
things, neither commanded nor forbidden) there can be appropri-
ate decisions concerning use: “We believe, teach, and confess that
in time of persecution, when a clear-cut confession of faith is de-
manded of us, we dare not yield to the enemies in such indifferent
things, as the apostle Paul writes, ‘For freedom Christ has set us
free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slav-
ery’ (Gal. 5:1). ... In such a case it is no longer a question of indif-
ferent things, but a matter which has to do with the truth of the
Gospel, Christian liberty, and the sanctioning of public idolatry, as
well as preventing offense to the weak in faith. In all these things
we have no concessions to make, but we should witness an un-
equivocal confession and suffer in consequence what God sends us
and what he lets the enemies inflict on us”; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in con-
vention, encourages its pastors and congregations when making de-
cisions concerning church practices to give serious consideration
to our common profession of faith, the Lutheran Confessions,
which is a correct and true exposition of the Word of God; and be it
further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in con-
vention, encourage its pastors and congregations when making de-
cisions concerning church practices to consider the Constitution
and Bylaws of our Synod and the advice of the Commission on
Worship as listed in “Reflections on Contemporary/Alternative
Worship”; and be it finally

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in con-
vention, encourage its pastors and congregations when making deci-
sions concerning church practices to “encourage congregations to
strive for uniformity in church practice, but also to develop an appre-
ciation of a variety of responsible practices and customs which are in
harmony with our common profession of faith” (Art. II 7).

Crookston Circuit Forum
Minnesota North District