One of my very best friends - one who is given to brutal honesty - asked me today: why bother with the Lutheran Service Book? Why not be content with The Lutheran Hymnal? Why the extra expense?
I was so glad she asked. It gave me the opportunity to pull some thoughts together. Here they are - not in any particular order - but reasons why I favor the adoption of the Lutheran Service Book:
1. Better job of updating the Common Service than in LW.
2. Lots of great new (and old) hymns.
3. Compline! I love the Prayer at the Close of the Day - and the setting in LSB is accessible and beautiful.
4. Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage and Funeral - all in the LSB, cutting out reasons to print these services out.
5. A single method of counting pages, making the hymnal MUCH more user-friendly.
6. Lowered keys (YES!).
7. Fabulous job of updating Matins and Vespers - very simple to follow, kudos on the Magnificat in Vespers.
8. More Psalms!!!
9. A chance (just a chance) of unifying the Synod behind a single ordo that respects fully the heritage of the Common Service, and yet has place for some insight from the 20th century liturgical movement.
10. In DS I and II, a fuller Eucharistia that is sensitive to the concerns of the Lutheran Church and yet offers opportunity for a richer thanksgiving.
11. The historic series given an equal footing with the three-year - a much needed help to restoring historical Lutheran worship.
That's my top 11 reasons. What are yours?
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI agree, though I wish that they had left the entire Baptismal Service from that Order intact. The use of the Flood Prayer is a welcome return - and its use in the Baptismal Order ties in very nicely with its use in the Vigil.
An example of what irritates me about the "update" is actual in the great flood prayer: why on earth was the language of the original "being made worthy" altered to push the theological idea of "being declared worthy"?
Still, I am delighted indeed to see its return, even in the current form.
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ReplyDeleteI don't know...
ReplyDeleteOne of my top reasons has to be that the vineyards will no longer be fruitful, and our hopes and dreams will no longer be squeezing their way into the offertory.
Also, the fact that the very first sizable publication for the LSB series is the historic, one-year lectionary.
The more I realize what a poor, miserable sinner I am, the less satisfied I am with confession and absolution in p. 5. If I'm going to chicken out of private C&A, at least let me confess my sins with my mouth in the service, rather than having the pastor do it for me!
ReplyDeletedear father,
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of your reasons - though the logic of the first and last is not aimed so much at your sister favoring TLH.
as for myself, I can foresee one parish going LSB and the other staying TLH... that could be "fun" twisting my mind every Sunday... there better be an index cross-referencing TLH and LSB hymns
Jimbo,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you need to work extra hard on getting that one congregation to switch. My suggestion? Tell them that absolutely and under no uncertain circumstances will you ever even think of using the LSB. ; )
David,
ReplyDeleteYou know, if you give private confession a chance, I'll bet you'll never want to go back to even page 15. It's spooky at first, but the more you do it, the more you will come to treasure it.
Pax!
Pastor Weedon, thank you. You're right. I actually did manage to work up the nerve one time, and it was a wonderful blessing. I do hope to make it part of my routine, but the Old Adam always finds excuses, y'know? Maybe your encouragement will help get me moving in that direction more quickly.
ReplyDeletePersonally one of my top reasons to go with LSB is the pastoralcare resources they are making available. From what I have read these resources will be a good help to pastors, giving good suggestions for scriptures and prayers in many unique and challenging situations. It should not serve as a crutch, a text from which the pastor does not deviate, for that would not be helpful to the flock. But it will be a start for ideas, a tool to lead, a guide to helpful scriptures, and a strengthening aid to pastors who often face difficult care issues on their own, and could use a friendly aid.
ReplyDeleteAlso I like that it has the catechism in it, which TLH left out.
Two more good points! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThough I agree with the esteemable Rev. Fouts (;)) about not missing the gathering of *all* hopes and dreams, I can't help but wave a teary-eyed goodbye to the request for the foretaste of the feast.
ReplyDeleteBut, otherwise, preach on brother Weedon! And, if I might add one more for my aesthetically addicted generation, this is the coolest cover to any hymnal in the history of the world.
Pax