There are a number of theological aberrations in the major Lutheran hymnals. This page is intended as a guide for the pastor, organist, or music director in choosing hymnody that is in keeping with the doctrine that is taught within a local congregation. This page focuses on Lutheran Worship (LW) © 1982.
P. 162-164 "This is the feast of victory for* our God..."
* From the perspective of the biblical doctrine of Gottesdienst (God serving us during the divine liturgy), the conjunction "for" is inappropriate, even misleading. Thus, we suggest changing "for" to "of", in order to convey the truth that the Feast is what God has accomplished for our salvation, the benefits of which He continues to offer through the feast of His Supper.
P. 168 & 187-188 Offertory - "Let the vineyards be fruitful Lord, ... Gather the hopes and dreams of all* unite them with the prayers we offer now..."
* That which is in italics is ill defined and subject to interpretation and insertion in any number of good and bad ways. Suppose one has the hope of eternal life through good works? Suppose one has the dream of disproving the resurrection with fabricated physical evidence? We'll let a good lyricist suggest a better set of words which would be much more acceptable to God. We may not always get our words and music in response to the gifts of God right, but when we know we are wrong and vague, shouldn't we improve, right our wrongs, and clarify our vagueness?
Hymn 436 All Creatures of Our God and King" This is one of those texts altered in LBW but not reverse-engineered to remove the new-age naturalistic religion. Verse 4 includes the words, "Dear mother earth…" As would be the case for similar errors, one does not simply throw the whole hymnal out. You use this as a teaching opportunity for the people of God and simply NEVER sing THAT verse. (I heard this verse once sung at the installation of an LCMS pastor! It is for this reason these things should be documented for all to benefit.
Disclaimer: Information on this page is for entertainment informational and instructional purposes only and is not to be construed as the doctrinal position of the author or of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Consult your Bible (Greek and Hebrew preferred, but the NASB or NKJ is acceptable) and the Book of Concord. This information has not been approved by the LCMS. Please notify the compiler if there are any verifiable inaccuracies presented.
Comments or suggestions: (please no spamm or other time + bandwidth-wasting baloney!)
Last revised 6/18/2004 8:20 PM