Posted on 08/27/2005 5:07:22 PM PDT by dukeman
A conservative minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America says he and other ELCA pastors are disturbed by the denomination's approval of a new, more gender-neutral hymnal.
At its Churchwide Assembly in early August, the ELCA okayed a plan to update the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship by eliminating the "Father" terminology and male pronouns used in reference to God. The hymnal overhaul will include other gender-neutralizing and diversity-affirming changes to traditional Lutheran worship lyrics and liturgies as well. For example, in the Lutheran Creed, God and Jesus will now be referred to as "Holy Eternal Majesty" and "Holy Incarnate Word" instead of "Father" and "Son."
Dr. Roy Harrisville is executive director of Solid Rock Lutherans, a conservative group whose mission is to call the ELCA to "remain faithful to the Word of God according to the Lutheran Confessions." Harrisville says those who favor the revisions to the Lutheran Book of Worship want to change fundamental Christian beliefs.
"At base, what needs to be asked is not can we be somehow inclusive in our language, but rather, when we do alter our language, are we altering our theology and our basic values -- and I think that is what's happening," he says.
Harrisville says it is tragic that a number of Lutheran Church leaders desire to be what they regard as more "culturally relevant" in hopes of attracting more people to their church.
"Relevance is a huge issue for many of them," he shares, "and they think that if they acquiesce to a particular ideology that is regnant in society, that therefore they will be relevant and thus influential and thus, of course, attract more folks to their churches. I don't think it works that way."
The ELCA's worship director, Rev. Michael Burk, has said the new hymnal will reflect the fact that the denomination is a "global church." Use of the new hymnal will not be mandated in local churches, but likely will gradually be adopted by most of the ELCA's approximately 10,600 congregations as they either purchase the book immediately or buy it when the time comes to replace their old hymnals.
Man, another church caves to the ruination of the Gospel. Pathetic.
I was raised a Lutheran and been one all my life. Crap like this makes me want to become Catholic. Any advice out there on literature regarding conversion?
What an exciting world... where men and women are all but identical.
Fun huh?
It is amazing how these church 'leaders' have their heads up their cassocks.
And I suppose the Lord's Prayer, IF they say it, starts like this...
Our person, who art in Heaven...
I am a lifelong ELCA member. I am having major problems with the way they continue to head. They are losing members and have been all along and what they are doing is not attacting new converts. This will drive me and many others away. I just wish they'd go ahead and get on with it so I could finally pull my heavy roots out of the muck and move on. Too bad I'm the loyal one and they aren't loyal to me. What about my soul, ain't it worth it?
We have many former Lutherans in our Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) congregation (not to be confused with the liberal Presbyterian USA). You have options!
I was raised Lutheran, just converted to Catholicism. We passed through every church for 20 miles around in the last 20 years, mainly Charismatic Episcopal and finally Evangelical.
EWTN helped a lot, the Catholic TV station/ cable. It is very orthodox. They have a program, Journey Home, with all sorts of Prots coming into the church, interviews, how the Lord called them. Scott Hahn's book about his conversion is very powerful. There are TONS of conversion stories out right now, as many others are sick of 'theology by committee' I call it.
We did an RCIA program in a very un-orthodox Catholic Church. I bit my tongue many times, argued often, finally realized that I did not have to give up anything I did believe or add on anything that I didn't believe until I had grappled with it.
We are SO happy. Email if you want to chat further.
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "At its Churchwide Assembly in early August, the ELCA okayed a plan to update the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship by eliminating the "Father" terminology and male pronouns used in reference to God. The hymnal overhaul will include other gender-neutralizing and diversity-affirming changes to traditional Lutheran worship lyrics and liturgies as well. For example, in the Lutheran Creed, God and Jesus will now be referred to as "Holy Eternal Majesty" and "Holy Incarnate Word" instead of "Father" and "Son.""
===
===
Note: Hell is never full and some people just can't seem to get there fast enough.
Extremely sad and disburbing.
Yep.
To All:
Many thanks. Now I'll do some absorbing.
We LOVE our PCA church!!! It was just what we were looking for a couple of years ago......true to the WORD, conservative, and not interested in pleasing humans.....
Find a place where the Bible is taught. I did and it happened when I didn't even know I needed it! I grew up in the United Methodist Church. It seemed to work fine for about 30 years. Then my wife and I congregation shopped to find something which seemed younger or more "family friendly" (not theological reasons). We visited a PCA congregation where I finally heard the Bible preached. It blew my mind and I've never looked back. I'm grateful that God is patient with a doofus like me.
As far as I can tell, men's and women's butts are not identical.
;-)
Looked at PCA web site...nearst congregation is about 90 miles.
For those Lutherans that have been betrayed by ELCA, I respectfully suggest the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Go to www.wels.org for more info.
Whom else but God could bring such people together?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.