ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 15, 2006  

New Primary Worship Resource for Lutherans Available Oct. 3
06-141-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- With the involvement and support of
thousands of Lutherans, a new primary book of worship --
"Evangelical Lutheran Worship" -- will be born to the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church
in Canada (ELCIC).  Five years in the making, Evangelical
Lutheran Worship and some supporting worship materials will be
delivered to congregations of both churches starting Oct. 3.
     Evangelical Lutheran Worship is an outcome of a project
initiated by the ELCA Church Council in 2000 to renew the worship
life of the ELCA.  The "Renewing Worship" project invited the 4.9-
million-member ELCA and 182,077 members of the ELCIC to discuss,
explore, review and engage with new worship materials.  The ELCIC
began its participation in Renewing Worship in 2001.
     Evangelical Lutheran Worship is published by Augsburg
Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis, the publishing ministry of the
ELCA.
     "My hope (with Evangelical Lutheran Worship) is fairly grand
and has less to do with the resources than the conversation and
the work that the resources will help us facilitate," said the
Rev. Michael L. Burk, executive for ELCA Worship and Liturgical
Resources.  "My hope and, I think, realistic goal is that worship
in and throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will
be renewed.  When worship is renewed among us, the whole church
is renewed," he said.
     Burk said having a primary book of worship is "a tangible
sign of our connection" as Lutheran Christians.  "Not only does
it demonstrate that we are connected, it brings to bear in our
own local worshiping assemblies those things that we hold in
common, particularly those things that are so important to us as
Lutheran Christians that we do not want to risk forgetting them
or neglecting them," he said.
     The "cranberry red" hardcover book or pew edition includes
10 musical settings for Holy Communion; more than 700 hymns,
songs and service music pieces; 15 new additional services;
original works of art and more.  Supporting worship materials
include accompaniment and leader volumes.
     "People who are not already familiar with the contents of
Evangelical Lutheran Worship will be surprised and blessed by
this work that so many people have done together for the sake of
our life and faith," said Burk.
     "Two worship resource volumes that preceded Evangelical
Lutheran Worship -- "This Far By Faith" and "Libro de Liturgia y
Cantico" -- foreshadowed the Renewing Worship effort and will
continue to be available as part of the family of ELCA worship
resources," said Burk.

Introducing Evangelical Lutheran Worship to expressions of the
ELCA
     Shipped on Sept. 8, congregations and rostered leaders
received an Evangelical Lutheran Worship "Introductory Kit" that
included a 15-minute DVD on the principles and diversity of
worship practices among Lutherans in North America and the
Caribbean.  The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the
ELCA, hosted the DVD.
     The kit also included two CDs featuring liturgical music
from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and text files designed to walk
the user through the liturgical section of the book, said Scott
C. Weidler, ELCA associate director for worship and music.  The
text files also feature a brief history of the Renewing Worship
project, an executive summary of the ELCA review process for the
contents of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, frequently asked
questions, an annotated list of hymns, and more, he said.
     Starting in mid-October the 65 synods of the ELCA will host
one-day introductory events designed to formally introduce
Evangelical Lutheran Worship to pastors, musicians, lay leaders
and others.  Every congregation will receive comprehensive
materials for the introduction of the new resources in their
local settings, said Weidler.  The events will be led by synod
leaders who received in-depth training here earlier this summer.
     "The synod introductory events are important since they
provides a live, hands-on experience of Evangelical Lutheran
Worship," said Weidler.
     "Worship Jubilee 2007," hosted by the ELCA churchwide
organization, will take place Aug. 3-6 at Chicago's Navy Pier.
The event will celebrate Evangelical Lutheran Worship and explore
the future of worship through presentations, hands-on workshops,
singing, worship, on- and off-site service projects and more.
The event's closing service will also serve as opening worship
for the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Aug. 6-12.
     The ELCIC worship conference will take place in Montreal,
July 25-29, 2008.
     The introductory kits for congregations, synod events and
Worship Jubilee are designed to reach the primary expressions of
the ELCA -- congregations, synods and churchwide -- with
Evangelical Lutheran Worship, said Weidler.

Augsburg Fortress
     "For those congregations who want to review the content of
the new pew edition of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, final proof
pages of the liturgies, plus a finalized hymn list in worship
book order has been posted for review on the Renewing Worship Web
site," said Beth A. Lewis, president and CEO, Augsburg Fortress.
     "Never before has the church had the opportunity to view and
review so much of the final content of a worship book before it
was published.  (It is) one of the many advantages of new
technologies being used to proclaim the gospel, much as Martin
Luther used the new technology of the printing press 500 years
ago," Lewis said.
- - -
     An audio report on Evangelical Lutheran Worship is at
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/060915.mp3 on the ELCA Web site.

     Information about Renewing Worship, ELCA synod introductory
events and Worship Jubilee 2007 are available at
http://www.renewingworship.org on the ELCA Web site.

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