wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Lutherans approve more gender-neutral worship book

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Note #8842 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05417
August 12, 2005

Lutherans shift worship into gender-neutral

Traditionalists disgruntled as Assembly tones down masculine imagery for God

by David Briggs
Religion News Service
	 
ORLANDO, FL  - Millions of Lutherans will be able to sing a new song -
actually, about 300 new songs - from an updated worship book with more
options for contemporary worship and less emphasis on masculine images of
God.

	 The Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) gave the new prayer book and hymnal a thumbs-up by a 740-250
vote on Wednesday during its biennial meeting here. The action authorizes
final revisions of the new volume, which is scheduled for publication in
October 2006.
	 
	Not everyone is happy about it. Some delegates said the church has
been too distracted by issues of sexuality to give proper attention to the
new worship book.
      
	Others protested a "totalitarian" process of eliminating male imagery
for God.
	 
	The changes "will be like a poke in the eye with a sharp stick" to
many in the church, said Larry Kallem, of Iowa.
	 
	Before the final vote, delegates turned down proposals to keep the
current Lutheran book of worship, which was published in 1978, and to delay
any action until 2009.

	After two hours of debate, the endorsement of the new book, which is
intended to be open to different cultures and new musical styles, was greeted
with sustained applause. It offers alternatives such as "Holy Eternal
Majesty, Holy Incarnate Word, Holy Abiding Spirit" for the male-dominated
Trinitarian image of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
	 
	"This is an important moment," said Bishop Marcus Miller of the
Northeastern Ohio Synod, which has about 93,000 members in 208 churches. "I'm
happy. I'm convinced it will be a great blessing to the church."
	 
	The book still must be approved by the denomination's Church Council.
	 
	ELCA congregations are not required to use the new book, but it is
expected to make its way into the pews of most of the 4.9 million-member
denomination's nearly 10,600 congregations - either when it first comes out,
or as local churches gradually replace their old worship books.
	 
	Church leaders say the new book is faithful to the best of Lutheran
tradition, while updating worship for today's church, which includes women
bishops, contemporary "praise bands" and a desire for greater ethnic and
racial diversity.
	 
	Among the more controversial proposed changes, gender-neutral
language is substituted or offered as alternatives for male pronouns for God
or masculine images referring to humanity. For example, a reference to Jesus
in the Apostle's Creed would become "God's only son" rather than "His only
son." In some hymns, words such as "king" are eliminated in favor of the more
direct word "God." In other cases, such as "How Great Thou Art," masculine
imagery is left in because it is thought that change would be too disruptive.
	 
	Denise Leslie, a delegate from Hope Lutheran Church in Cleveland
Heights, OH, said using language for God that does not exclude women is
important, because "when you hear gender-neutral, things suddenly become more
clear and comfortable."
	 
	Others questioned the change. Gervaise Peterson of Minnesota asked,
"Has diversity trumped our Lutheran heritage?"
	
David Briggs writes for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

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