NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SYNOD MEMORIAL TO THE CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY
CONCERNING RENEWING WORSHIP
Adopted by the Assembly June 11, 2005 at Thiel College
Greenville, Pennsylvania

Whereas this church has been presented with opportunities to study and experience the Renewing Worship materials being promoted by Augsburg Fortress Publishers and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America;
and

Whereas, the Renewing Worship project puts forward the following priorities for the renewal of worship in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

    1.  New book of worship,
    2.  Constellation of worship resources, and
    3.  Ongoing renewal;
and

Whereas, a wide variety of worship resources to supplement the core material found in the Lutheran Book of Worship in a variety of flexible media may be important for the ongoing renewal of the church;
and

Whereas the liturgical materials, including the two communion settings, are significantly below the standard established by both Lutheran Book of Worship and the Service Book and Hymnal;
and

Whereas the draft list of hymns eliminates much of our long-standing core hymnody thereby compromising our Lutheran identity; and

Whereas the presented texts from Renewing Worship are found to be in conflict with The Lutheran Confessions and practice of the Means of Grace;
therefore be it

Resolved that we as the Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod memorialize the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Assembly to retain the Lutheran Book of Worship as the core worship book and hymnal of this church;
and be it further

Resolved that we memorialize the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Assembly to pursue the development of a constellation of resources in a variety of media to supplement the core material in the Lutheran Book of Worship;
and be it further

Resolved that efforts to develop a new book of worship to replace the Lutheran Book of Worship be terminated.

Submitted by,

The Worship Committee of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod
    Pastor Harold "Jake" Jacobson, Chair
    Pastor Timothy Alleman, David Betz, Kate Logan, Brenda Martin, Kay Thorell, Sherry Wallin, Pastor Roy Washill;
    Mary Housholder (Staff)