ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 14, 2005

ELCA Council Commends 'Evangelical Lutheran Worship' to Congregations
05-218-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- 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."
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     Information about "Evangelical Lutheran Worship" is
available at http://www.renewingworship.org on the Internet.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news