Sixty Percent?
So, what shows up in my inbox today but message touting the latest issue of the LCMS Reporter, the always entertaining house organ of the Violet Vatican. Front and center on the table of contents was mention of SP Kieschnick’s recent reconciliation meeting with the NICL pastors who wrote TTMBO.
More interesting, though, was this headline: 100 Worship, Praise Songs Approved
Money quote from the full article:
“Rev. David A. Johnson, executive director of the LCMS Commission on Worship, … said that nearly 60 percent of all LCMS congregations and agencies currently subscribe to CCLI’s licensing services for praise and worship music.”
60%? Wow, that’s sadly surprising. I don’t quite know what to make of it, but I really can’t say that it does anything to hearten me about the current state of the Divine Service in today’s LCMS.
Why? Well, this excerpt helps clarify that…
“…the LCMS Commission on Worship, which was assigned by 2004 Synod Convention Resolution 2-04 to ‘initiate a process leading toward the development of diverse worship resources for use in the LCMS.’
Johnson said that in carrying out that assignment, the commission will work toward launching information on its Web site (http://worship.lcms.org) that “includes the integration of these songs into the various lectionaries and provides biblical and topical references.”
‘This remains an important endeavor for the Commission on Worship,” Johnson said, “as we continue to strive to provide resources and assistance in support of all of our congregations — those steeped in the riches of Lutheran Service Book and those readily engaged in utilizing the vast wealth of diverse worship resources.’”
It’s too bad that the LSB can’t be enough, and that the richness of our shared liturgical history is willingly cast aside for the thin gruel of “contemporary” pop music.
Rock on.
-ghp
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