LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 180

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180

LATE OVERTURES

L2-26

To Promote Sound Lutheran
Worship Practices
WHEREAS, The first Synod Constitution was concerned
about the Synod’s congregations adopting the camp revivals
of common American religion, saying,
1. “Especially is Synod to investigate whether its pastors have
permitted themselves to be misled into applying the socalled ‘New Measures’ which have become prevalent here,
or whether they care for their souls according to the sound
Scriptural manner of the orthodox Church” (VI, A, 15), and
2. “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 introduced 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 continuation
or the abolishment of such ceremonies” (VI, A, 14b);

and
WHEREAS, The present Constitution of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, Art. III, point 7 states one of the
objectives of our Synod,
1. “Encourage congregations to strive for uniformity in church
practice, but also to develop an appreciation of a variety of
responsible practices and customs which are in harmony
with our common profession of faith”;
2. And point 1 states another objective of our Synod, “Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith…and provide
a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17),
and heresy”;
3. And 2004 Synod Bylaw 4.4.4 (b), 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 Art.
III of its Constitution”; and

WHEREAS, Art. VI of the Constitution of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod lists as one of the conditions for
acquiring and holding membership in the Synod,
1. “Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and
catechisms in church and school;”
2. And Synod Bylaw 3.9.7.2 (c) (1) states, “All service books
and hymnals that are to be accepted as official service books
and hymnals 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.”
3. Synod Bylaw 3.9.7.2 (c) lists as one of the functions and duties of the Commission on Worship, “Recommend worship
material to the church and advise and warn against the use
of worship materials that are unworthy of use in the corporate worship of the Lutheran Church,” thereby implying
that not all worship materials are helpful;

and
WHEREAS, In the not too distant past the Commission on
Worship in its report “Reflections on Contemporary/Alternative Worship” (1998 Workbook) warns against too hastily
departing from “the historic pattern of worship that has
been handed down for nearly 2,000 years,” stating, “Wor2007 Convention Proceedings

ship 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 wisdom of the church. Our Synod founders provided in their constitutions that only ‘purely Lutheran
hymnals, agendas, and textbooks’ could be used in the congregations of the Synod. Out of faithfulness to God, love for
the lost, and concern for future generations, Christians
must pay careful attention to what is confessed in the public worship of the church,” and “Not every form of expression 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
Present Synodical Practice
WHEREAS, Our Synod President in his first report to the
2004 convention states, “In the past few decades, numerous congregations of the LCMS have introduced ‘contemporary’ worship forms and music in addition to and, in some
instances, even in place of traditional liturgies and
hymnody. The conditions of membership in the Synod require ‘Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks,
and catechisms in church and school (LCMS Constitution,
Art. VI).’ This presents a dilemma, since our Synod has not
specifically stipulated what these “doctrinally pure” contemporary worship resources for use by our congregations
and professional church workers must be...Whether traditional or contemporary, worship services in congregations
of the LCMS must employ doctrinally pure resources for
the basic elements of distinctively Lutheran Christian worship...The proper utilization of any form must always provide a proper setting for receiving the divine gifts of God
and giving praise and glory to our triune God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit”; and
WHEREAS, 2004 Res. 2-04 directed the Commission on
Worship to “initiate a process toward the development of
diverse worship resources for use in The Lutheran Church
—Missouri Synod”; and
WHEREAS, Our President is correct when he concludes,
saying, “The proper utilization of any form must always
provide a proper setting for receiving the divine gifts of God
and giving praise and glory to our triune God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit”; and
WHEREAS, “Evangelical Protestant Revivalism” has the
following characteristics where human measures are relied
upon to do the work of Word and Sacrament:
— Sturdy doctrinal hymns are replaced with simplistic repetitive praise songs.
— Doctrinal sermons are replaced with chancel dramas or
how-to sermons for Christian living.
— Creativity and variety are used to keep the experience relevant.
— Worship is made meaningful by meeting the felt needs of
the worshiper.