is a significant freedom. Yet, St.

EXCERPTS FROM Paul also suggests that there are

parameters or boundaries in
matters of worship. In his
discussion on worship in

Text, Music, Context: 1 Corinthians 14, he states that

all things should be done for
edification and that, because

A Resource for Reviewing God is not a God of disorder

but of peace, worship should
be done in good order (1 Cor.

Worship Materials 14:26, 33, 40).

Our Lutheran Confes-
sions acknowledge these
twin poles of freedom and

H ow can pastors and church musicians go about assessing worship materials

from non-LCMS sources? What kind of guidance is available from the
Commission on Worship as they engage this important task? These are some of
responsibility in worship.
On the one hand, they
reject all traditions in
the essential questions raised by a new resource provided by the commission: worship that obscure the
Text, Music, Context: A Resource for Reviewing Worship Materials (TMC). saving work of Christ,
TMC was developed in response to 1998 synodical convention Res. 2-10, condemning traditions that
which resolved that: seek to merit God’s favor (AC XV,
. . . the Commission on Worship enable a process by which songs 2–4). On the other hand, traditions
and liturgical materials from sources other than LCMS publications that do not detract from Christ and
might be reviewed for acceptability so that congregations may be that contribute “to peace and good reality, such diversity—and the dis-
assisted in their goal of using doctrinally pure worship materials. order in the church” should be ob- agreement that often accompanies it—
served (AC XV, 1). can be found in every major denomina-
Thus, the purpose of TMC is to provide a process for pastors, musicians,
The Commission on Worship tion in North America today. It is one
and others involved in worship planning to work through in assessing a variety
recognizes that there are divergent of the issues of our age, an issue that is
of worship materials. Far from simply providing lists of what is and is not
worship practices in our Synod. In not static but continually changing.
appropriate for use in worship, the questions and commentary contained in
TMC identify important issues regarding the theological content of texts, the
nature of music in worship, and larger issues concerning the nature and purpose
of corporate worship. Of course, not everything will apply in every circum-
stance. Yet, it is the conviction of the commission that these are important Considering the Text
questions to be asked if the worship of God’s people is to be both faithful and
beneficial. ■ When examining a hymn, song, or ■ If a text includes statements that
What follows are excerpts from TMC, including three sample diagnostic a choir anthem, it is important to are contrary to the Word of God,
questions that TMC uses to assist the reader. Copies of TMC may be ordered remember that no single text can then it is not suitable for use in
from Concordia Publishing House (see sidebar on Page 4). A TMC Study Guide cover every point of Christian worship. This is the case even
will also be made available on the commission’s Web site by March 1. doctrine. Different texts will have when a text is acceptable in every
different emphases and different other part. The words of St. Paul
strengths. are instructive here: “A little
■ Nevertheless, even among texts leaven leavens the whole lump”
Theological Overview with a particular focus, it is often (Gal. 5:9).
“Our Lord speaks and we listen.” to dwell among us in the person of the the case that the best of them point ■ There may be situations when a
This opening sentence from the God-man, Jesus Christ (John 1:14). He to the chief article of the Christian text is not particularly strong but
introduction to Lutheran Worship was the fulfillment of all that had been faith—namely, Jesus and his saving can still be appropriately used. In
begins with the reminder that our promised. Through his sacrificial death, work on our behalf. many cases, context plays an
relationship to God is shaped by his Jesus accomplished what had been ■ While a text cannot say everything, important part in this decision.
self-revelation to us. In every aspect foreshadowed in the sacrifices of old it is incumbent upon it to say When looking at the overall
of the Christian’s life, it is God who (Heb. 9:11–15). Through his redemptive something about God and the context of a service, and even an
reveals the truth through his holy work we are justified by God’s grace and Christian faith. There are times accumulation of services over
Word. Certainly this is true in reconciled to the Father (Rom. 3:24ff., when the problem with a hymn several weeks or months, it is
worship where the life-giving Word 2 Cor. 5:18–19). Through Christ we are text or choral anthem is not with beneficial to the people of God
of God is joyfully proclaimed. given continued access to the Father. As what it says—that it perhaps sets that there be a balance covering a
Our Lord speaks and we listen. St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “God forth false teaching—but that it wide range of theological topics
And in response, the worshiper is really among us” (1 Cor. 14:25). doesn’t say much of anything about and concerns.
acknowledges through faith “the gifts What unites the Old and New Christianity.
received with eager thankfulness and Testaments in their description of worship
praise.” Like the leper who returned is God’s gracious giving of himself for our
to give thanks to Jesus for his miracu- salvation. In the Lutheran Confessions, Sample Question 1:
lous healing, so does the worshiper this is summarized with a succinct
offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving to confession of the means of grace, or what Does this text proclaim the forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus?
the God of mercy who gave himself might also be called the means of the
for the salvation of the world. Even Spirit:
this response, coming as it does from Does the text present Or is the picture of Jesus
Jesus as the Savior who merely that of a n/a
faith, is a gift of God, as the psalmist In order to obtain this faith, the
died for sinners? companion, friend, or
reminds us: “O Lord, open my lips, ministry of teaching the Gospel and model?
and my mouth will declare your administering the sacraments was
praise” (Ps. 51:15). instituted. For through the Word and
the sacraments, as through instruments, Does the text clearly Or is this “chief article”
God’s mercy is evident as he uses n/a
proclaim that we are absent or somehow made
the very gifts he has already given to the Holy Spirit is given, and the Holy
justified before God irrelevant or unclear?
provide his people with their response Spirit produces faith, where and when it solely for Christ’s sake?
of thanksgiving and praise. Thus, he pleases God, in those who hear the
receives the sacrifices offered in faith Gospel (AC V, 1–2).
as “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” Is the Gospel presented Or is the Gospel presented
In the Smalcald Articles, Luther in concrete imagery, in abstract terms, like n/a
(Lev. 1:3, 9, 13, 17). Through the
speaks of God’s self-giving by emphasiz- drawing on the biblical “love,” “joy,” or “peace”—
Word of his prophets, God instituted
witness? without any concrete
the singing of the Lord’s song. ing the abundance of his grace. Of the
connection to the forgive-
Through this song he both an- Gospel he says that “God is surpassingly ness of sins in Jesus Christ?
nounced his good and gracious rich in his grace,” and then goes on to list
presence among them and established such things as the spoken Word, Baptism,
and the Lord’s Supper (SA III, 4). Both of Does the text present Or are our works seen as
for them the means by which they n/a
good works as ends in themselves with the
could praise and thank him (2 Chron. these passages reiterate what the Scrip- a response to impression given that by
29:25–30). tures say throughout—namely, that it is the Gospel? them we merit salvation?
In the fullness of time, “God sent God who establishes those places where
his Son, born of a woman, born under he reveals himself to us for the purpose of
law, that we might receive the full granting us life.
rights of sons” (Gal. 4:4). In the Because the New Testament does not
miracle of the incarnation, God chose give specific directions for worship, there
 Considering the Melody
■ Martin Luther extolled music as
a great gift from God, second
only to theology. Since its
beginning, the Lutheran Church
has always acknowledged music
as a created gift of God that is
good and is to be received with
thanksgiving (1 Tim. 4:4–5).
■ Music, however, is not neutral. It
can be used for either good or
bad purposes. Music can and
often does convey meaning by
association within particular
contexts and particular times.
Hymn and song texts are best
conveyed when they are paired
with tunes that are reflective of
the text and do not overpower it.
■ In general, melodies that encour-
age vigorous singing must strike
a balance between what is
learnable and what is durable. To
be learnable, a melody must be
fairly straightforward, composed
Sample Question 2:
Does the melody support the text?
Is the melody reflective
of the text in terms of
temperament and style?
Do the words and
melody fit together
naturally?
Is the melody
memorable without
overshadowing the text?
Is the melody capable of
bearing the Word of God
in a dignified manner?
of melodic figures that are easy to
sing. And yet, to be durable, there
must be enough complexity and
interest in a melody to invite a
congregation to sing it repeatedly
over the course of many years in
order for the singer to assimilate
the message of the text.
■ Unlike the text of the
congregation’s song, which can
usually be read at sight by most in
the worshiping assembly, the
melody often has to be learned by
a public that is less and less able to
read music. A necessary ingredient
in the teaching of new melodies,
therefore, is an intentional plan
that gives the congregation the
opportunity to learn them.
■ Congregational song is usually
accompanied. Care must be given
that the accompaniment supports
and does not overshadow the
melody and text.
Or does it present a sharp
contrast with the text (e.g.,
a cheerful tune attached to
a text of lament or
supplication?)
Or are there irregularities
that result in confusing
syllabification from one
stanza to the next or an
unnatural accenting of the
text to fit the music?
Or does it dominate the
text to such a degree that it
becomes the melody and
not the text that is
remembered?
Or does the melody
trivialize the text, robbing
it of the dignity that is
inherent in any text that
proclaims Christ and his
benefits?
Considering the Big Picture
■ When examining a specific text or
melody, it is important not only to
judge it on its own merits but also
to consider its place within the
service. For example, on the basis of
the criteria provided in the preced-
ing sections, a text may be found to
be marginally acceptable but still
able to be used in a service. Yet, if all
of the texts sung by a congregation
in a given service were marginally
acceptable, this would not provide
the congregation with a sung
confession of the faith that is as rich
as it could or should be.
■ This attention to the larger context
needs to extend beyond an indi-
vidual service and take into consid-
eration the repertoire of the
congregation’s song as it is spread
over a period of weeks, months, and
even years. With advance planning,
a congregation can experience a rich
fare of song that is representative of
the church’s catholicity of both time
and place.
■ A frequent practice in contemporary
worship settings is to join several
songs or choruses together into a
medley. Given that many songs in
this genre have very short texts, this
n/a can be a helpful practice in that
there is the potential of pairing a
weaker text with a stronger one.
However, if all of the texts joined
together in a medley bear the same
n/a degree of simplicity, they are not
strengthened simply by being joined
together. Such a practice might be
improved by pairing a weaker text
with one that is theologically
stronger, perhaps in a way that
alternates between songs or hymns
n/a
that proclaim God’s saving deeds
and those that give voice to our
praise and thanksgiving.
■ When planning for worship, it is
important to choose hymns and
n/a songs that display the full range of
human emotion. The categories
according to which our hymnals are
arranged offer helpful instruction
here. For example, there are hymns
not only of praise and adoration but
also of cross and comfort. There are
society hymns and hymns of
judgment, love and obedience, and
justification. The congregation’s
Sample Question 3:
Is the congregation’s hymn and song repertoire balanced?
Is the Gospel clearly and
richly evident in the
service each week?
Within a service, is there
a balance of texts that
both teach and proclaim
the contents of the faith
as well as give the people
words of thanksgiving
and praise?
Is the full range of
human emotions evident
over a period of time?
song needs to give voice to these and
many other emotions, just as the
Psalter displays the fullness of the
human condition before God.
■ One of the unique features of
Lutheran worship is the balance that
exists between elements in worship
that are well-known with those that
are less well-known. For example,
the use of specific liturgical texts that
are sung or spoken repeatedly from
week-to-week complements nicely
the use of hymn texts that are
selected on the basis of the readings
and theme appointed for a specific
Sunday or occasion and may only be
sung once or twice a year.
■ This balance assists the average
worshiper by preventing an overload
of new materials from week-to-week.
More importantly, however, it helps
to prevent the service from uninten-
tionally disenfranchising a significant
number of people in the congrega-
tion. This includes those with vision
impairment, the elderly, children
under the age of seven or eight, and
the millions of American adults who
are functionally illiterate.
■ Another balance that is desirable in
worship concerns the participation
of the people. When planning a
service, the pastor and musician
should give attention to the places
where the congregation is asked to
participate. Rather than having the
congregation’s participation limited
to a few, intense moments, followed
by long periods of inactivity, the
congregation is best engaged when
their participation is distributed
evenly throughout the service.
■ Since its beginning, the Lutheran
Church has retained the church year
as a useful tool for teaching the faith.
With its yearly rehearsal of God’s
plan of salvation in Jesus Christ, it
brings us into contact with the very
essence of the Christian faith.
Through its appointed readings,
either in a three- or one-year cycle,
chief doctrines of the Christian faith
are regularly set before the people of
God for their edification, and over
the course of time, the full counsel
of God is set before them (Acts
20:27).
Or is the focus unduly on
the Christian’s response? n/a
Or is the congregation’s
song primarily limited to n/a
one or the other?
Or is the congregation’s
song predominately n/a
confined to a limited range
of emotions?
Conclusion
TMC concludes with a section
titled “Liturgy in Perspective,” giving
brief descriptions of the various parts of
the Lutheran liturgy (i.e., Invocation,
Confession and Absolution, etc.), as
well as an “Appendix,” which serves as
an expansion of the section “Consider-
ing the Text.”
In order to assist the reader in
applying the principles contained in
this document, a separate study guide is
also being prepared.
Through careful study, this guide
will assist the worship planner in
coming to a better understanding of
how to assess and evaluate hymns,
liturgies, and other songs for use in
worship.
In preparing this resource, the
commission chose not to issue direc-
tives containing lists of what is and is
not acceptable in corporate worship.
Rather, the questions and commentary
are intended to encourage those
charged with planning worship in their
congregations to deeper reflection and
study. The commission believes that
these guidelines will be of benefit to all
of the Synod’s congregations, no matter
the style of worship.
Where to Order Copies
of Text, Music, Context
Concordia Publishing House
Phone: 800-325-3040
Order no.: S05505
Cost: $5 each for single copies;
$4 each for 2-5 copies;
$3 each for 6 or more copies.
Shipping and handling is not included.
Table of Contents
Theological Overview
◆ What does the Word of God
say concerning worship?
◆ What insights do the Lutheran
Confessions bring to the
subject?
◆ What is the relationship
between unity and uniformity
in worship?
Considering the Text
◆ What are features that make a
text strong?
◆ What theological issues should
be considered?
◆ What are our uniquely
Lutheran teachings?
Considering the Music
◆ What makes a melody particu-
larly appropriate for congrega-
tional singing?
◆ What are characteristics of
good tunes?
Considering the Big
Picture
◆ What issues should be consid-
ered when choosing hymns and
songs for corporate worship?
◆ How does one set before the
congregation the full range of
theological topics?
The Liturgy in Perspective
◆ What is the function of the
various parts of the service?
◆ In what ways can variety be
added without losing the
overall structure and pattern of
the service?
Appendix: Considering
the Text-Examples
◆ In this section, the evaluative
questions from “Considering
the Text” are fleshed out with a
discussion of some examples.