LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 80

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

80 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

regarding it (except for action taken in New York, 1967,
calling for a fixed Sunday for Easter); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of revising
the church year calendar to conform it more closely to the
realities of life in the present age; and be it further

Resolved. That, in keeping with Handbook 11.113, b, the
Commission on Worship be instructed to give formal autho-
rization for any calendar revisions made available through
the ILCW before they shall become officially recognized as
ready for use in the Synod; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of setting as
target dates for the beginning use of any revised calendar
as Advent I, 1973, for the congregations and agencies of the
Synod and Jan. 1, 1974, for calendar purposes.

CoMMISSION ON WORSHIP
Warren G. Rubel, Chairman
E. Theo. DeLaney, Executive Secretary

2-113

To Approve Lectionary Changes

Wuereas, For many years there has been a demand for
a revision of the lectionary used in Lutheran churches, it
being felt that there is need for a greater amount of Scrip-
ture to be made available for regular reading in the worship
services; and

Wuereas, In consultation with the Lutheran churches of
other lands, the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (one
third of whose members are representatives from the Syn-
od’s own Commission on Worship) has undertaken a revi-
sion of the lectionary which takes two forms:

a. a revision of the historic 1-year pericopic system,

b. a 3-year cycle of readings; and

Wuergas, The 3-year cycle of readings is being adopted
quite generally in the churches of North America (usually
taking the form of a revision of the new Ordo Lectionum
Missae); and

Wuereas, The selection of readings for the year C of the
3-year cycle is now ready as prepared by the ILCW, with
years A and B being already blocked out although not yet
in final form [The full lectionary has been completed since
the writing of this overture by the Commission on Worship];
and

Wuereas, Having inherited the present 1-year cycle of
pericopes, the Synod has never been asked to take action
on its use or nonuse; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of having
a 3-year cycle of lessons available for reading in the wor-
ship services of the congregations, recognizing that those
congregations desiring to retain the 1-year cycle are free
to exercise this privilege; and be it further

Resolved, That, in keeping with Handbook 11.113b, the
Commission on Worship be instructed to give formal autho-
rization to any lectionary revisions made available through
the ILCW before they shall become officially recognized as
ready for use in the Synod’s congregations; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod approve the idea of setting as
target dates for the beginning of any revised lectionary of
the 3-year cycle as Advent I, 1973, for the congregations
and Jan. 1, 1974, for calendar purposes.

CoMMISSION ON WORSHIP
Warren G. Rubel, Chairman
E. Theo. DeLaney, Executive Secretary

2-114

To Develop Worship Materials That Reflect
Equality of Persons Before God

WuereaS, The Gospel does not discriminate among those
whom it liberates, for in the Lord “there is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female” (Gal. 3:28); and

Wuereas, Worship materials for use by the people of God

should respect the needs of these people and reflect the
equality of persons before God; and

Wuereas, The language of worship materials often ap-
pears to exclude women, especially in the widespread ge-
neric use of the words “man” and “mankind” (and male
pronouns) to refer to people in general; and

Wuereas, Many women are uncomfortable with this im-
personal language of maleness in many traditional and con-
temporary hymns and liturgies, because such exclusionary
language does not explicitly recognize their personhood;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Missouri Synod participants in the
Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship be instructed to
make every effort, when developing new worship materials,
to insure the incorporation of female nouns and pronouns
equally with male references, and to make wider use of col-
lective nouns (such as “people,” “humankind,” etc.) to refer
to the redeemed people of God; and be it further

Resolved. That these participants urge the Inter-Lutheran
Commission on Worship to develop brief guidelines for op-
tional congregational use in revising the Inter-Lutheran
Commission on Worship; and be it further

Resolved, That these participants urge the Inter-Lu-
theran Commission on Worship to invite a panel of at least
three women with expertise in language to aid in the mak-
ing of such changes and guidelines: and be it further

Resolved, That the liturgical calendar be reviewed for
the purpose of making additions and substitutions to cele-
brate the history of women’s contributions to the Christian
church; and be it finally

Resolved. That all other agencies within Synod who are
engaged in the preparation of worship materials for chil-
dren, youth, and adults be strongly encouraged to act in
accordance with the principles and spirit of this resolution.

Hype ParK LUTHERAN CHURCH
Chicago, Ill.
William A. Grunow, President

LCUSA
2-115A
To Withdraw from Lutheran Council

Whereas. Historically the LCMS has correctly, on the
basis of Holy Scripture, repudiated religious unionism, de-
manding doctrinal agreement prior to union; and

Wuereas, The Lutheran Council in the U.S.A. is involv-
ing our beloved Missouri Synod in highly debatable social,
political, and nonreligious issues that do not represent the
thinking or wishes of all our congregations and people; and

WHEREAS, LCUSA is carrying out a series of doctrinal
discussions that are not open to the entire constituency of
our beloved Synod and are being used to train a core of
specially invited clergymen in a theology and an approach
to the Scriptures that are not at all in harmony with the
Word of God and with the officially confessed and accepted
position of the LCMS: and

WuereaS, Membership of our Synod in LCUSA compels
our members to support activities that conflict with their
conscience as they give financial support and mission offer-
ings: and

Wuereas, Officials of LCUSA still defend Who Can This
Be? a study document that questions the deity and vicarious
atonement of Christ; and

Wuereas, LCUSA is not a church but is assuming many
of the privileges and prerogatives of the church; and

Wuereas, LCUSA takes of our “mission” offerings, funds
so sorely needed just to maintain our missionaries and our
missionary fields; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
withdraw from the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.

St. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCH
Hilbert, Wis.

C. A. Rathjen, Pastor
Arthur Krueger, Chairman
Leonard Hetzel, Secretary