Posted on 04/05/2006 7:37:33 AM PDT by polymuser
Is 'he' a four-letter word? by Pastor Erma Wolf Brandon - Split Rock Lutheran Parish Brandon, S.D.
By what authority does the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America rewrite Scripture? By what authority is it decided that the Psalms, the Benedictus, and the Magnificat can be "emended" to eliminate all masculine pronouns for God?
The final text of the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship has recently been posted on the ELCA Renewing Worship website.
The word used by the Renewing Worship team is "emended": to improve by critical editing.
Most of the Psalms have been edited. The scriptural canticles, used in morning and evening prayers, have been edited. Two of the lessons in Night Prayer/Compline have been edited. Various techniques have been used. Sometimes it is the simple substitution of the non-offensive "God" for the offensive pronoun "he." In other instances, third person singular description has been replaced with second person direct address (examples are the 23rd Psalm and the Magnificat).
The final product is skillful, even artful. Some real “clunkers” from earlier drafts have been removed, replaced with theologically astute and poetic language. It is a beautiful job—of censorship.
For that is indeed what it is. The members of the Renewing Worship team, the worship leaders at the churchwide offices and the ELCA Church Council (which voted to approve the entire final product at their November 2005 meeting) have—whether they realized it or not—worked together to censor the sacred Scriptures. The very Scriptures that will be used for worship, prayer and teaching in the new ELCA worship resource, Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
Real Lutherans don't censor Scripture. We don't "emend" the Scriptures to make them say what we want them to say, to make them less offensive to us.
We read, translate, study, pray, contemplate, sing, are puzzled by, argue about, witness to and proclaim the Scriptures. But what we may not do, dare not do, is censor the Scriptures. Even for the very best of reasons. No one in the ELCA has that kind of authority. How can we claim the Scriptures as "the authoritative source and norm" for us in matters of our proclamation, faith and life (ELCA Constitution 2.03) if we "emend" them to fit our modern sensitivities?
Join me in writing to our presiding bishop, Rev. Mark Hanson, and to the director for worship, Rev. Michael Burk. The final stages of preparation of the new worship materials are being done under the Office of the Bishop. Appeal to them to stop the process and restore the language of the Psalms, the Magnificat and the Benedictus in all their offensive, male-oriented language for God. Remind them of the Lutheran heritage of being faithful to the Word of God as revealed in the Scriptures, even, especially, when it makes us most uncomfortable.
If you agree with me, please send this message on to your friends and colleagues. If you are unsure or uninformed, please go to www.renewing worship.org and read the texts of the Psalms and the canticles. In any case, please keep this church body in your prayers, that we may indeed remain faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate and to the Scriptures that bear witness to him.
Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Erma Wolf Brandon - Split Rock Lutheran Parish Brandon, S. D.
makes me glad I left the ELCA for my RC roots.
I hate this, too! If Jesus referred to God as "He," why can't we?
When psalms or hymns in my church have been mutilated, I make a point of using the "wrong" words at the top of my lungs.
ELCA went off the deep-end, when they decided to form their own tribe. Most who belong to that branch of the Lutheran Church, aren't aware of all they believe. But, it's like any far-left church/branch of beliefs, they're just nuts. Just believe in the inspired truth of the Bible...
ping
I loved my ELCA parish, but with what has gone on in the past 5 years or so I had to leave. I am now in RCIA and will do my first communion on Saturday next.
I understand. I stay with my church because of the congregation and in spite of the ELCA.
A lot depends on where your pastor's at, and whether your church council has the strength to stand vocally against the apostasy of the leadership. If your pastor sides with the ELCA and your council is weak, your congregants are swimming in false teaching. Do your pastor and council members admit to the apostacy of ELCA leadership, the bishop, the church press (A.F.), the Task Force on Human Sexuality, Renewing Worship, R.I.C., etc.? If so, stay and fight with them. If not...
That rumbling sound you hear is Martin Luther turning over in his grave.....
Maybe he's spinning?
We don't take away or add anything to the Scripture. End of conversation, if you are in the LCMS. Well, at least my congregation.
My congregation is planning to buy a sufficient quantity of Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) pew editions plus ancillary products to last through the next 15-20 years to serve as replacements as the present ones wear out so that we can just ignore the ballyhoo about ELW.
In 20 years there will either be a return to a more centrist, orthodox hymnal (every action produces an equal and opposite reaction) OR there will be no ELCA. I suspect the latter much as I hope for the former.
Just had this discussion with some new visitors to our LCMS congregation who are leaving the ELCA. They are just starting to over turn the rocks and are furious. The ELCA and sister organizations are pure evil. They hate America, hate Israel and hate the family. All the organizations under the WCC are walking arm in arm trying to lead as many souls away from Christ as possible before the end.
If you loved your congregation, you'd set the example and worship in a place minus the evil political distractions.
As a former Episcopalian, this is just Deja Vu. ECUSA immasculated the liturgy in 1979...& most of us stayed,too. Then, they ordained preiestesses, opened our altars & the Eucharist even to the unbaptized, officially accepted abortion as a "personal choice," not necessarily endorsed, but not condemned, either. They began "blessing" homosexual relationships, ordaining homosexuals to the priesthood, consecrated a homosexual bishop & currently have several homosexuals nominated for the episcopate as well as for the office of Presiding Bishop (the Primate of the entire U.S. Episcopal Church). Meanwhile, at last convention, a Resolution affirming the primacy of Scripture & the doctrine that it is "God breathed" failed to receive a majority vote of the clergy! In fact, a study done not too long ago by Barna found that more than 1/2 the ECUSA DO NOT BELIEVE IN CHRIST'S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OR DIVINITY!
In case you're not aware of it (a large portion of the laity are not) the ELCA & ECUSA have established themselves as being "in Communion" with one another. In my former ECUSA parish, in fact, an ELCA Minister is now a member of the part-time clergy.
As you go forward, I ask to you consider a couple of things. First, Scripture admonishes us not to be yoked with unbelievers. Second, this culturally-driven re-write of the liturgy is the camel's nose under the tent of ELCA. Abide it & you should not be shocked to see what comes next.
One last thing...you may stubbornly refuse to leave your beloved church, but I can tell you (for a fact) that you can't stop the church from leaving you! You need look no further than ECUSA to see the path the ELCA is now taking.
May God have mercy!
(I, too, am converting to the Roman Catholic Church & will be confirmed during the Easter Vigil.)
Bluntly said. From what I've been reading and witnessing, I agree. Include NCCUSA under WCC.
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