CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is seeking congregations to test a series of provisional worship resources this fall, including proposed liturgies for Holy Communion and a partial collection of hymns new to many Lutherans. The materials were developed through the church's Renewing Worship initiative, a 5-year process that will lead to a new Lutheran worship book.
Electronic versions of the test materials are available at http://www.renewingworship.org on the ELCA Web site. Assembly editions of "Renewing Worship Liturgies" may be purchased from Augsburg Fortress, the ELCA publishing house based in Minneapolis, but are not required to participate in the testing, said the Rev. Michael Burk, director for worship, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries.
Burk and others leading the Renewing Worship process are hoping many congregations will test the materials. Worship leaders and other members will be asked to provide responses to a series of questions about the worship resources. Focus groups will also be asked to respond to the materials. Responses will be compiled by the ELCA Department for Research and Evaluation, according to the Renewing Worship Web site.
"[We] ask [congregations] to use portions or all of the proposed settings for Holy Communion for a period of six consecutive weeks," Burk said. "In other words what we need is a base of experience." Congregations that participate may begin testing as early as this month, but must complete testing and responses by Thanksgiving, Burk explained.
Burk said the responses will be used to "inform" final decisions about the contents of a new worship book, which is intended to replace the Lutheran Book of Worship, first published in 1978.
The 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will receive a report on Renewing Worship and will be asked to affirm a series of "steps toward renewal," Burk said. Those steps will include the expected publication of a new worship book in late 2006. That new book will be the "core resource" at the center of a "constellation" of worship resources that emerge from the Renewing Worship project, he said.
The development of a new worship book is a once-in-a-generation experience, Burk said. "It's really very important to the life of this church. I simply want to encourage individuals and congregations to join us in the testing," he said.
"Anything that contributes to the participatory nature of Renewing Worship is a benefit to all of us, because it demonstrates that we understand that all of us have a stake in what we do in worship," Burk added.
The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is the chief legislative authority of the ELCA. The next assembly will be held Aug. 8-14, 2005, in Orlando, Fla.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
