This Side of the Pulpit » Theology » The Latest from the Commission on Worship
The Latest from the Commission on Worship
I received an email from the LCMS Commission on Worship. It asked me to watch two video clips and then respond to a 22 question survey. Here are the two clips:
Lamb of God (CLIP ONE) from John Smythe on Vimeo.
Lamb of God (CLIP TWO) from John Smythe on Vimeo.
The survey determined what demographic I was in, what role in the church I served, who plans worship, what hymnal or resources we use, how many “lead worship” on a given Sunday, how we project hymns and video, if we use background images that are moving or static, what software we use, and then survey me about how much I would pay for the clips above for use in worship.
What do you think? How would you respond to this? How does this look to you?
I’ll tell you what I think after I hear from you.
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Filed under: Theology · Tags: consumerist worship, LCMS, worship
18 Responses to "The Latest from the Commission on Worship"
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The music is sentimental, emasculating, mawkish dreck.
To use a video resource like this for worship transforms the Eucharistic community into a karaoke bar. Don’t get me started on its devaluation of the sacraments or its understanding of the embodied human person as a mere consumer of religious feelings.
So how many of these videos are you going to order?
Can’t get the clips to play on my computer any more than from the e-mail sent from the commission on worship, so can’t comment…. I suppose it could be my junk blocker…?
I think it requires some flash component. Click on the “missing link” image, or check right under your toolbar for a yellow notification bar asking to install something.
But what if I don’t want to see them? <;O)= O.K., I'll try again tomorrow, after a good nights sleep (and maybe some depression medication
)
If you show stuff like that (those) please show them FIRST. That way I can make for the back DOOR – - and maybe get to a Lutheran Church before Sunday is over. Thanks.
A few thoughts.
First, I was unable to make it through either of them. To. . . sappy. . . although the setting to the first video was far more sappy (although it had better visuals).
Second, why would one use this in Worship? If anything it seems to be over-emotional filler. It would only be used to manipulate the feelings of an inactive congregation – to entertain. The music is not set to lead a congregation in singing. If one does not wish to sing, one could at least watch the actual Sacrament being distributed, I would guess.
And I use static images. They are the woodcuts or drawings that grace the cover of my bulletin. That’s it.
Eric, you really need to listen to the second one to the end so you can hear the wailing heavy-metal guitar solo.
First off, it should be noted that this song is #550 in LSB, and that the seminaries are promoting the use of visual aids during worship. If you think of the music video culture that is out there, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many folks swallow it, hook, line and sinker. In the most recent issue of Touchstone, Ken Meyers writes, “If Christians were truly culturally engaged, really serious about recognizing meaning in forms of cultural expressions, they would be much more reluctant to embrace certain cultural trends. Carelessly adopting cultural change without understanding the meaning of that change is to treat culture as something inherently frivolous. It represents a failure to take symbolic action seriously.” My favorite, “We couldn’t use heavy metal music to instruct listeners about the virtues of gentleness and humility simply by changing the lyrics.”
My comment to the COW: Why are there no wafers or chalice(s) seen in the video clips? Why are there no called and ordained ministers of the gospel in traditional vestments serving the Lord’s body and blood to His people?
Thanks for your comments so far.
One fundamental problem with this song is that the first stanza says, “And to become the Lamb of God.” I think this is pure adoptionism. Scripture says “Behold the Lamb of God…” Christ *is* the Lamb of God.
So…anyone else? Those of you who are not LCMS (nor Lutheran at all) want to weigh in?
Actually, it is probably more functionalist unclarity. . . “to become” in the sense to take up the action of being the sacrifice. To be kind. . . .
Mood music for Eucharist? I agree with previous posts-the music doesn’t lend itself to congregational singing, (unless you are wanting Karaoke…) I must say that I am biased, I am the wife of a church musician-hubby plays the pipe organ…
With the real body and blood of Christ present, we need to look at moving pics on a powerpoint? Fail…
Fr. Christopher wrote:
So…anyone else? Those of you who are not LCMS (nor Lutheran at all) want to weigh in?
This seems like an internal problem for you guys, one that doesn’t need the judgment of outsiders, unless you wish our theological predispositions to be imported into the issue.
You’re right…but I was thinking of some from the other synods and if this would float there… To me, this seems like ten steps in one direction. Those who have been away for a while have insight whether it’s way distant from where we used to be, if they saw it coming, or other thoughts. To put it bluntly then: that we go from “diverse” worship resources to these examples is like going from bronze age wheels to bicycle tires. Yes? No? Maybe?
Oh, I see. Then in that case, as one who has been gone but a mere six months or so, I can definitely say I saw it coming. I think it’s not way distant from where you all used to be. It’s just that now there is an extra sense of authority behind that stuff (the CoW). If you mark the LCMS according to what comes out of St. Louis, then it is way off from your immediate past, because you had a different sort of people in St. Louis telling you different things. If you mark the LCMS according to what comes out of its congregations, then this is just the inevitable growth of what is already a dominant feature in the LCMS. As for the word “diverse,” there are no limits on the height and breadth that that little word can cover. Soon you will see that your personal comfort zone within the new diversity spectrum presented by your fellow LCMSers is quite small and marginalized.
This offered a little bit of insight for me with regard to the power in community. I have a Twila Paris CD somewhere. I really liked it. I bought it at a time of great spiritual unrest for me. I was seeking a fuller life in Christ but didn’t quite understand how that could done so I merely copied those around me who I saw and understood as having a full, rich, deep Christian faith. Those people in my community listened to the Fish in their cars, had contemporary Christian music in their CD players, etc…so I thought that was the way. While it didn’t turn out the be the right way for me…I sure did a lot of praying in my car at the time so it wasn’t for naught.
BTW…I had the same reaction with regard to “become the Lamb of God”.
I cannot believe this is supposed to be in some way “seeker sensitive.” I certainly doubt today’s youth would be impressed. It sounds like a ramped up version of a song that would normally be sung on the old time gospel hour. I’m no musician, but the lyrics and melody don’t seem to fit rockin’ guitar. It seems forced and contrived to me.
The Commission on Worship: gettin’ their swag on.
Chris-
how about this for a response. “change the channel Beavis, this video sucks.”
Speaking on the layman’s side, I would even send these videos to my evangelical-leaning friends. Lets put the graphics to other musical settings, then at least I could justify it as personal devotion. I am speaking here about personal devotion, not corporate worship. Here are my suggestions:
*LSB 431: Not All the Blood of Beasts
*LSB 434: Lamb of God, Pure and Holy
*LSB 438: A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
*LSB 547: The Lamb
*LSB 633: At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing
*Any setting of the Agnus Dei. Good settings with faithful translations, that is.