Title: New Primary Worship Resource for Lutherans Available Oct. 3 ELCA NEWS SERVICE
September 15, 2006
New Primary Worship Resource for Lutherans Available Oct. 3 06-141-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- With the involvement and support of thousands of Lutherans, a new primary book of worship -- "Evangelical Lutheran Worship" -- will be born to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). Five years in the making, Evangelical Lutheran Worship and some supporting worship materials will be delivered to congregations of both churches starting Oct. 3.
Evangelical Lutheran Worship is an outcome of a project initiated by the ELCA Church Council in 2000 to renew the worship life of the ELCA. The "Renewing Worship" project invited the 4.9- million-member ELCA and 182,077 members of the ELCIC to discuss, explore, review and engage with new worship materials. The ELCIC began its participation in Renewing Worship in 2001.
Evangelical Lutheran Worship is published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis, the publishing ministry of the ELCA.
"My hope (with Evangelical Lutheran Worship) is fairly grand and has less to do with the resources than the conversation and the work that the resources will help us facilitate," said the Rev. Michael L. Burk, executive for ELCA Worship and Liturgical Resources. "My hope and, I think, realistic goal is that worship in and throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will be renewed. When worship is renewed among us, the whole church is renewed," he said.
Burk said having a primary book of worship is "a tangible sign of our connection" as Lutheran Christians. "Not only does it demonstrate that we are connected, it brings to bear in our own local worshiping assemblies those things that we hold in common, particularly those things that are so important to us as Lutheran Christians that we do not want to risk forgetting them or neglecting them," he said.
The "cranberry red" hardcover book or pew edition includes 10 musical settings for Holy Communion; more than 700 hymns, songs and service music pieces; 15 new additional services; original works of art and more. Supporting worship materials include accompaniment and leader volumes.
"People who are not already familiar with the contents of Evangelical Lutheran Worship will be surprised and blessed by this work that so many people have done together for the sake of our life and faith," said Burk.
"Two worship resource volumes that preceded Evangelical Lutheran Worship -- "This Far By Faith" and "Libro de Liturgia y Cantico" -- foreshadowed the Renewing Worship effort and will continue to be available as part of the family of ELCA worship resources," said Burk.
Introducing Evangelical Lutheran Worship to expressions of the
ELCA
Shipped on Sept. 8, congregations and rostered leaders received an Evangelical Lutheran Worship "Introductory Kit" that included a 15-minute DVD on the principles and diversity of worship practices among Lutherans in North America and the Caribbean. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, hosted the DVD.
The kit also included two CDs featuring liturgical music from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and text files designed to walk the user through the liturgical section of the book, said Scott C. Weidler, ELCA associate director for worship and music. The text files also feature a brief history of the Renewing Worship project, an executive summary of the ELCA review process for the contents of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, frequently asked questions, an annotated list of hymns, and more, he said.
Starting in mid-October the 65 synods of the ELCA will host one-day introductory events designed to formally introduce Evangelical Lutheran Worship to pastors, musicians, lay leaders and others. Every congregation will receive comprehensive materials for the introduction of the new resources in their local settings, said Weidler. The events will be led by synod leaders who received in-depth training here earlier this summer.
"The synod introductory events are important since they provides a live, hands-on experience of Evangelical Lutheran Worship," said Weidler.
"Worship Jubilee 2007," hosted by the ELCA churchwide organization, will take place Aug. 3-6 at Chicago's Navy Pier. The event will celebrate Evangelical Lutheran Worship and explore the future of worship through presentations, hands-on workshops, singing, worship, on- and off-site service projects and more. The event's closing service will also serve as opening worship for the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Aug. 6-12.
The ELCIC worship conference will take place in Montreal, July 25-29, 2008.
The introductory kits for congregations, synod events and Worship Jubilee are designed to reach the primary expressions of the ELCA -- congregations, synods and churchwide -- with Evangelical Lutheran Worship, said Weidler.
Augsburg Fortress
"For those congregations who want to review the content of the new pew edition of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, final proof pages of the liturgies, plus a finalized hymn list in worship book order has been posted for review on the Renewing Worship Web site," said Beth A. Lewis, president and CEO, Augsburg Fortress.
"Never before has the church had the opportunity to view and review so much of the final content of a worship book before it was published. (It is) one of the many advantages of new technologies being used to proclaim the gospel, much as Martin Luther used the new technology of the printing press 500 years ago," Lewis said. - - -
An audio report on Evangelical Lutheran Worship is at http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/060915.mp3 on the ELCA Web site.
Information about Renewing Worship, ELCA synod introductory events and Worship Jubilee 2007 are available at http://www.renewingworship.org on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog