Title: 'Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship' Now Available ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 5, 2007
'Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship' Now Available 07-122-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship" is a new bilingual worship book for members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Developed by ELCA Chinese pastors, worship leaders and others, the worship book is designed to offer flexibility in worship planning that encourages a common yet diverse core of worship and prayer.
This is the first Chinese-English worship resource in the ELCA, said the Rev. Pongsak Limthongviratn, director for Asian and Pacific Islander ministries, ELCA Multicultural Ministries. He said the worship book was created with an understanding of the cultural diversity and varying worship needs in the Lutheran Asian community.
Contents of the Chinese Lutheran Book Worship include services of Holy Communion, Holy Baptism, Affirmation of Baptism, marriage, funeral and more. The resource also contains prayers for various occasions such as adoption of a child and "those leaving" -- students, military personal and immigrants.
English and Mandarin are printed on facing pages of the hardcover book. Accompanying the book is a CD-ROM, which contains the entire contents of the book in English, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese character text files for editing in desktop publishing software to produce church bulletins or projections.
Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship is available through Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the ELCA. Taosheng Publishing House, the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hong Kong (ELCHK), took part in the production and printing of the worship book. The ELCHK was established in 1954. It has more than 14,500 members in 51 congregations across Hong Kong.
With generations worshipping together in a multitude of languages, "bilingual materials are urgently needed," said the Rev. Hansel Lo, Chinese Lutheran Church, San Francisco, Calif. "Chinese Lutheran congregations consist of many family units. It has become common to have three generations from the same family worshipping together." Lo served as the Chinese language editor and leader of the editorial team for the Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship.
In addition to ministering primarily to new Chinese-speaking immigrants from Asia, many Chinese congregations are also working "to meet the needs of the growing number of American-born Chinese," said Lo. "In order to reach out to the non-Christian communities some Chinese Lutheran congregations use a more contemporary, visitor-friendly worship while retaining the central elements of the Lutheran rites," he said.
"The Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship comes to us as a great blessing. It provides common patterns for the liturgy to encourage unity, while allowing for good use of the freedom and flexibility to meet the needs in local settings. In addition to worship materials widely used in Chinese Lutheran congregations, the Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship also provides congregations with some new rites and new prayers taken from the wider church and our ecumenical partners," said Lo.
Congregations are being challenged to rethink and reevaluate worship so that there is a good balance between Word and Sacraments in their worship life, said Lo. "Active participation and lay leadership are always encouraged and implemented in Chinese congregations. The Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship is an essential tool for training and worship planning. Bilingual materials are always needed as Chinese Lutheran congregations continue to seek creative ways to meet the spiritual needs of their diverse membership. The Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship is certainly an important beginning in this endeavor," he said.
"Chinese Lutherans seek flexibility, contemporary choices," said Limthongviratn. "We encourage people to have at least some formal liturgy, a unified liturgy for Lutheran Chinese congregations."
The Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship does not contain hymns or suggested music for congregations to use during worship as other ELCA worship resources do, he said.
"There are different Chinese dialects like Mandarin, Cantonese and Taiwanese. Words may have similar meanings but may be pronounced differently. Some hymns may be good for singing in Mandarin but (may not serve well) for singing in Cantonese, not to mention Taiwanese," said Limthongviratn. "The pronunciation may be awkward."
Limthongviratn said a Chinese-English songbook to supplement the Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship is now in production. The songbook is being published by Augsburg Fortress and Taosheng. It will also serve as a supplement to the ELCHK's hymnal, "Hymns of Praise."
ELCA Asian, Pacific Islander Ministries Growing
Limthongviratn began his work at the ELCA churchwide office 10 years ago. "At that time we had about 55 (ELCA) Asian and Pacific Islander ministries and congregations, ranging from small to large, across the country," he said.
The number of Asian and Pacific Islander ministries now has "more than doubled." Within those 10 years, ministry among "second-generation Asian Lutherans" has grown and the ELCA Association for Asian and Pacific Islanders has changed its direction to welcome all Asian and Pacific Islanders, he said.
"The association is open to everyone -- children, visitors and others. We've also organized ourselves into 13 caucuses to better meet our diversity needs. There are Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Pilipino, Indonesian, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodian, Laotian, South Asian and second-generation Asians and Pacific Islanders," he said. "A lot has happened in the Asian Lutheran community, and I'm sure we're on the right track. God is at work."
Limthongviratn attributes the growth of Asian congregations to support from the ELCA, the work of the ELCA Asian and Pacific Islander Ministry Strategy, Asian people from "the grassroots" and to opportunity.
"There were many independent Asian and Pacific Islander churches that wanted to join the ELCA. They contacted us, and we met and spoke with them," said Limthongviratn. About 17 percent of ELCA Asian and Pacific Islander ministries that joined the church were from non-Lutheran backgrounds -- an "opportunity," he said.
"When Asians talk to one another we don't first ask, 'Are you Lutheran?' We ask, 'Are you Christian?' or 'Are you Buddhist?' Many Asians share that kind of mind-set," he said.
Asian congregations seeking membership in the ELCA are "attracted to the fact that the church is the fifth largest Protestant church body in the United States. They know there is some kind of benefit to an identity. And, they are not primarily seeking monetary support but moral support," said Limthongviratn.
Limthongviratn said non-Lutheran Asian congregations are especially focusing on "care for the second-generation, otherwise we'll lose our children." He said these congregations are attracted to the ELCA's ministries for children.
"My role at the churchwide office is to support Asian ministries. Many times I have to work with mission directors and others, particularly in (considering) proposals to start new ministries or congregations. As caucuses bring forth a proposal, we discuss it together in the community, and it happens fast. I can't believe how fast it happens. Amazing things are happening in the Asian community," said Limthongviratn. - - -
Information about Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship is at http://www.ELCA.org/worship/CLBW.html and information about ELCA Asian and Pacific Islanders Ministries is available at http://www.ELCA.org/multicultural/APIindex.html on the ELCA Web site. Information about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hong Kong is at http://www.elchk.org.hk/english/english.htm on the Web.
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