How to describe what's happened in the LCMS? I put it like this: in 2010, the LCMS was toying with following American Evangelicalism over the precipice. With each passing year, she seems more strongly to say: Yeah, really glad we didn't go over THAT cliff. With each passing year she seems to say: Being Lutheran, after all, is what we do best because that's who we are. That's who we really must be for the sake of the world.
Last time round we heard a few voices afterwards complain about the worship (which overwhelmingly just used our hymnal) as being "too high church." Delightful that President Harrison actually put the question to the assembly: "If you have thoroughly enjoyed the convention worship, press 1. Not so much, press 2."
And it was just Lutheran, you know. With outstanding music, to be sure, by Rosebrock, Freese, Magness, Janssen, May, Nunes, and others. But it was truly just Lutheran. And that pile of Lutherans loved it. Who knew?
6 comments:
What? No Bach? And you call yourselves Lutheran?
I hate to stereotype a whole generation – but my experience in the LCMS, now Orthodoxy and the folks I know who are Roman Catholic, all report similar stories. The men who grew up with the gray flannel suits and drove an Oldsmobile to the Rotary Club – they by-and-large wanted not to stick out from the crowd and to conform to American cultural norms across the board – including American Protestant cultural norms – wherever they found them. This was a particularly damaging phase for distinctly Liturgical church bodies. However, it does seems that with Liturgical church's – the new generation that is now in charge – those who understand the distinctiveness of their Confession and its worship and are willing to celebrate it and put it out there for all to come and see – is growing stronger. For example, when I tell a Roman Catholic priest I’m an Orthodox Deacon – the response I get from a 75 year old and a 35 year old is very very different!
Chris, in the preservice:
Fugue in D (Dorian), BWV 538 J. S. Bach
The Entrance Hymn was the Veni Creator troped with Luther's own "Come, Holy Ghost"
The Psalm employed Luther's own setting of the motet "I shall not die, but live"
The Words of Institution were chanted to the Gospel tone as prescribed by Luther
Luther's hymn "O Lord, We Praise You" was sung during Distribution
But above all, the Word was preached to the joy and edifying of Christ's holy people and the body and blood of Christ were distributed and received amid songs of thanksgiving and praise. Yup. We call ourselves Lutheran. Proudly so.
What was the 'insane' bit around the opening worship ???
About ten minutes before preservice music started, I noticed that the table to the left of the altar was collapsing under the weight of the wine in the flagons and chalices...and had started to spill...
Well it all looks like it ran like clock work to me!
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