The ELCA has a new hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, coming out in the fall. Some of the changes in hymns, psalms and liturgy have concerned some traditionalists. We learned at a Friday night meeting at our church that one of the new jobs of our traditional music director will be to introduce this new hymnal to our congregation - and we will be hearing about how we can help purchase these new hymnals for our church. Click on the title for an interesting discussion on the new hymnal.
---Katie
5 comments:
Alright, I admit this hasn't been a big issue for me. Why? While I find the twisting of Scripture and the misuse and abuse of Christian teaching repugnant, I realized that "Hey, I don't have to buy it! My congregation will stay with the Green Hymnal!"
Now I know why I should care. Some congregations will be made to buy it.
Some things to look at in making the argument against using this hymnal are as follows:
1) the word hymnal is not inclusive. Can't use it. Why can't they call it a hym/hernal? (Okay, I'm not serious here. But those who are died in the wool ELCA revisionists might be taken in for a couple of seconds anyway)
2) More importantly, Scriptural images of God are changed. Might seem like a small thing for some people, but when we change the second article from "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord" to "I believe in Jesus Christ God's only Son our Lord," we are changing the trinitarian formula. Jesus is the Son of the Father, a person in the Trinity. Jesus is not a avitar...a rendering of Jesus as simply God's only Son our Lord would perhaps imply this making him like Hercules, son of Zeus.
3) With regards to Father language, we will be told that "Father" is a metaphor for something else. To use it would hurt women.
Let me say that I serve a great many women in my parish, and not one of them is offended by the word Father. They are offended by patronizing none-sense that somehow they can't understand Christ or accept him as Lord without him being feminized.
However, what is more, the term "Father" as in fact the Trinitarian Formual, comes from our Lord Jesus himself. Since this is so, are we free to change language which has Divine mandate? Not if we take Scripture and the witness of Scripture to be the Word of God. However, since many on the task force probably do not hold to such a belief, they feel free to change whatever they can without creating a wholesale revolt.
4) Changes to psalm language and Scripture verses. Again, when changing language to be politically correct we very often take away the very meaning that the Scriptures were trying to convey. For example, when Jesus says he is the Son of Man; there is a relationship to that figure found in Daniel. The one who is the incarnation not only of diety but of redeemed humanity. To rename Jesus as the fully human one creates a disconnect with Scripture and does no better at explaining the meaning of "Son of Man."
5) Beware of the marriage ceremony. It is vague enough (unless they have since changed it) to allow for same-sex unions.
6) Finally, the celebration of Holy Communion is completely about self. It is about us doing something for God; it is not about us approaching the throne of grace for the forgiveness of sins; to touch the fringe of our Lord's cloak for absolution. The Eucharist is about our giving to God, not him giving to us.
There are more things to be concerned about. Confession is marginalized, of course since sin isn't a big deal, I suppose confession of sin wouldn't be too important.
Anyway, here are some thoughts. Katie, one more thought. Your congregation could buy those books to supply the retreat center, and then when your people decide to sell; you can throw in the furnishings.
Peace in the Lord!
Rob Buechler
heh heh heh ;-)
What always astounds me is that the Christian right thinks leftist theologians are governed by politics but they aren't! Boy, I sooo glad that you folks are out there protecting us from the evil people who want to call Jesus God's son!
Maybe I am the one who is clueless here, but I think it is possible that you are missing the point.
Dr. John,
I do not think anything I wrote in the above post is "political." It is concerned with the apostolic Christian Faith handed on through the saints.
Peace in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Rob Buechler
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