[Magdalen] Here We Go Again.

[Scott Knitter]

On Sat, Jul 4, 2015 at 9:26 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> I hope they don't muck up the hymnal as badly as the ELCA has theirs.

I used to attend the annual Institute of Liturgical Studies at
Valparaiso U...a fine conference of mostly (but not exclusively) ELCA
liturgists, musicians, pastors, and lay people. I remember a lot of
talk about how the ELCA would probably adopt not a new hymnal as a
single book but a "directory of resources." This would include hymns,
various liturgical items, books on liturgical spirituality, etc. One
presenter was skeptical about this idea and turned out to be right: at
some point it was announced there would be a "core resource": a new
hymnal. One must realize the "hymnal" in the Lutheran world is
basically a BCP+book of hymns and service music. Some of the
less-often-used liturgical material (such as for ordinations) is in a
separate Minister's Edition that lacks the hymns section. So this
project was basically to replace both the liturgical and musical
resources.

Some complained back in 1978 that the Lutheran Book of Worship adopted
odd (or even bizarre) harmonizations for many hymns. The more recent
Evangelical Lutheran Worship brought further complaints about text
changes and hymn choices. But there are 10, count 'em, 10 settings for
the Holy Eucharist rite!

Scott, who remembers some deeply moving worship experiences with the
1978 LBW, including a series of Anglican-style Evensongs at Zion
Lutheran in Ann Arbor. Somehow it was very English-cathedral yet made
full use of the LBW resources. Helped that they had a fantastic choir
and director.

-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA