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Reconnecting To Our Lutheran Musical Heritage

© James Gerhardt Sucha

Hymns from other denominations were singable and fun for congregations, and the addition of new Lutheran hymns brightened the worship experience. But, with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LC-MS) influence of the hymnal, there is a large amount of LC-MS composers involved in the LBW. I think the LC-MS style of hymnody is rather germanic and harsh sounding v/s the soft tones we use in our hymns in SBH and LBW. However, I was alarmed to discover that LBW only had 2 J.S. Bach harmonizations v/s 20+ in the very singable SBH. The greatest Lutheran composer ever had even been axed from more inclusion into the LBW!

When I began compiling my hymnal supplement, I added many hymns that people in ELCA churches told me they missed. I also added in many hymns I learned from the new United Methodist hymnal of 1989. I began collecting hymnals and added many hymns from outside sources. I decided to include an updated version of the Lutheran Common Service that contains many pieces of familiar music that Luther used when he was at St. Mary's Church in Wittenburg, Germany. A history of each piece is included to educate Lutherans as to where it comes from. Also added was the inspiring Fryxell Second Setting from SBH in the full musical/text form to inspire others. Four settings of new liturgy were also added to add to the present.

The best feature of the hymns in my book, The Service Hymnal- A Lutheran Homecoming, is the short histories on each hymn to help Lutherans learn who wrote the text and music. Included is several recent hymns and liturgy that does sing well from LBW, but includes for the first time information regarding the composer and writer. Our own Augsburg Fortress, in getting copywritten materials, gave much help to me.

What is in store for the ELCA regarding a new hymnal? Who knows? There are no plans to replace the LBW, but perhaps my book can be an inspiration to help. In this time, the LC-MS has decided to do a new hymnal, due out in 2006. They are planning to restore the Common Service as a liturgical base, and disregard the LBW liturgies they share with us in their hymnal, Lutheran Worship (LW). They feel they need to get back to their roots.

Perhaps that is something we need to address in the ELCA at this time. We are not growing in membership, and babyboomers are not staying nor returning. Last year, 26 ELCA churches disbanded, five switched to the Association of American Lutheran Churches (AALC), and the number of ELCA members dropped. With the introduction of contemporary music in With One Voice, and singing 1970's unison liturgical tunes with no past to them in LBW, people are not staying or coming in. I believe that new people sense that we don't know who we are anymore liturgically when the first thing they face in Lutheran worship is the music. Many ELCA churches are doing their own thing because they are trying to find themselves. I recently attended an ELCA church that was doing contemporary praise music with a western country style. It turned off a lot of people, but did inspire others. It seemed we were entertained instead of being the work of the people in the liturgy. There was no liturgy- and the pastor even said a "Yee hah" after the benediction! Jim and Tammy Bakker would have fit right into that church that Sunday! If we don't know who we are as Lutherans anymore, how are we going to attract new people to our churches, and yet keep those who are searching within for meat and potatoes for their Lutheran identity through worship?