South Dakota Synod

WHEREAS, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has established a process to determine the “next generation” of worship resources and to publish a new book of worship; and

WHEREAS, the proposed worship resources are scheduled for consideration and approval by the 2005 Churchwide Assembly; and

WHEREAS, many of the members of our congregations are unfamiliar with the proposed resources and the process of preparing them; and

WHEREAS, the final proposal for the new book of worship and the other worship resources will be available for consideration only a few months prior to its presentation for approval by the 2005 Churchwide
Assembly (the proposal was still not available in March 2005); and

WHEREAS, changes in creeds, liturgy, hymns, and other worship resources have been controversial in the past; and

WHEREAS, a number of significant changes were proposed in the provisional worship resources, including changes in the creeds, calendar, liturgy, and hymns to be included in the primary book of
worship; and

WHEREAS, additional review, comment, and scholarly attention would be useful to the process of preparing the new book of worship and other worship resources and to the acceptance of the final resources
and any significant changes proposed in them; and

WHEREAS, no significant harm would be created by a delay in the approval of a new book of worship and other worship resources; and

WHEREAS, the quality of the new book of worship and other
worship resources may be improved by an additional review process;
and

WHEREAS, we would like to welcome the new book of worship and to commend its use, encouraging it to be widely used throughout this church;
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the South Dakota Synod Assembly memorialize the 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to postpone approval and implementation of the proposed book of worship and other worship resources until at least the 2007 Churchwide Assembly;
and be it further

RESOLVED, that the South Dakota Synod Assembly memorialize the 2005 Churchwide Assembly to authorize a process by which the proposed book of worship and other proposed worship resources would be studied, reviewed, and evaluated by a variety of Lutheran academic scholars, particularly for their faithfulness to Lutheran theology and tradition;
and be it further

RESOLVED, that the South Dakota Synod Assembly memorialize the 2005 Churchwide Assembly to direct that these formal evaluations and the details of the proposed book of worship and other proposed worship resources be made available to pastors and congregations at least one year before the proposed worship materials are to be considered for approval by a Churchwide Assembly.