Are we (ELCA) Lutherans becoming too external?

Over the last couple of years, I have been becoming less and less thrilled with the direction our liturgy is taking, and with the emphasis on the, I don't know how best to say it, the *trappings* of worship. I have always loved the liturgy and the emphasis on church seasons, but it seem that those things are becoming the focus rather than Christ. This paragraph by Gracia Grindal from A Lutheran Hymnal for Church and Home says it quite well:

I’m struck, lately, by how external our religion has become. Today we have liturgical mavens who are literalists about the church year, for example, but aren’t so sure what the Bible says. We are taught to think of the Church Year in a sacramental way: as though simply by doing it right, during the right season, and right time, we get closer to the Lord. You can’t say Alleluia in Lent, even on a Sunday in Lent, which is not really Lent, since Sunday is a little Easter. So now we have all these parades where we bury the Alleluia and get people all excited about outward things. We go around with ashes on our foreheads after hearing the Scripture for the service, Matthew 6:1-6, where Jesus tells that we should pray in secret. Almost nothing is a sin anymore, but we love to parade around in our ashes. You can’t sing Christmas carols until midnight on Christmas Eve, or Easter hymns until Easter morning. I think this shows that we have decided, contrary to Scripture’s constant refrain about God’s desiring a pure heart, rather than the noise of our solemn assemblies, that some times are holier than other times. The popularity of Easter vigils is a perfect example. We save up babies for baptisms on that “most holy night” as though God is closer at that time than any other. This is not Christian, it is pagan. God has promised to be near us at all times, as close as the words in our mouth. He promises to be with us wherever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name. He comes where he has promised to in his word. There’s nothing in Scripture that says he is closer on the night before Easter or in special places, or times. His promises are clear: He is wherever the Word is!



I really get frustrated when we work so hard to follow all these liturgical forms, but then we say, well we really aren't sure what the Bible says about this or that, people have different views on interpreting the Bible, you know, and all of them are valid! Meanwhile, if we can just do the liturgy just so, nirvana! ....sheesh.

---Katie