November 14, 2005

CHICAGO – The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) commended "Evangelical Lutheran Worship" – a new primary worship resource – to the church's 10,657 congregations for use as an "enriching addition" to ELCA worship patterns.

The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. The council met here Nov. 11-13. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is here Aug. 6-12, 2007.

Evangelical Lutheran Worship is an outcome of a five-year project initiated by the Church Council in 2000 to renew the worship life of the ELCA. The "Renewing Worship" project invites the 4.9-million-member church to discuss, explore, review and engage with new worship materials.

Evangelical Lutheran Worship includes 10 musical settings for Holy Communion; more than 700 hymns, songs and service music pieces; original works of art and design features and more. The red color of the hardcover worship book "relates to the two (worship resource) volumes that foreshadowed" it – "This Far By Faith" and "Libro de Liturgia y Cantico," the Rev. Michael L. Burk, executive for ELCA Worship and Liturgical Resources, told the council.

The council received a report on the liturgical review of the proposed contents of Evangelical Lutheran Worship. The contents were complied and developed as part of the Renewing Worship project.

The council expressed its gratitude for the "conscientious efforts" of reviewers and "the insights and observations offered by a vast number of people in helping to shape and refine the content" of the worship book. It called for continued development of plans for the publication and introduction of Evangelical Lutheran Worship throughout the ELCA.

The Rev. Jeffrey B. Sorenson, council member, Garretson, S.D., commended "Burk and team (for) paying attention to the voices of the church."

ELCA News Service