Lutheran Book of Worship: successes and failures—a review for pastors and musicians

Currents in Theology and Mission, Oct, 2003 by Carlos R. Messerli

7. Additional canticles. The poems of the Bible called canticles have inspired many musicians through the ages to provide settings for worship. The host of available settings of the songs of the Daily Office, such as the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis, are testimony to the power of these texts. The LBW provides settings of these and other standard features of the Daily Office. In addition, the book includes seventeen new settings of both old and new biblical canticle texts and four that are printed without music but pointed for singing with psalm tones. All are intended for use particularly in the Service of the Word. But they may also be used at appropriate places in the Eucharist and Daily Office. Only a few of the canticles printed in LBW seem to have found favor with pastors and musicians. This is a loss for the people, for the texts of the canticles are timeless, and the printed melodies are memorable.

8. Historic hymns and Hymn of the Day. Although the historic Lutheran chorales were not popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in some areas of Lutheranism, they did appear in their original rhythmic form in TLH and some other pre-LBW books as one of the most treasured parts of Lutheran liturgical and confessional practice. A number are found in SBH in the iso-rhythmic (all quarter-note) form. LBW has retained many Lutheran chorales in their original rhythmic form.

Lutheran leaders of the sixteenth century developed lists of popular hymns (chorales) that reflected the thought and spirit of certain Sundays, festivals, and seasons of the church year. Such core hymns contributed specifically to the liturgy and "taught the faith." These hymns of a certain day or festival often were sung in alternation between choir and people or performed on the organ alternating with the congregation. The practice took hold, and the "hymn of the day" became the chief hymn of the service. A modern adaptation of a historic list with many newer hymns added is identified by those hymn numbers marked with an asterisk in the LBW index (pp. 929-31). While it is admirable that hymns of the historic tradition are present in their original form in LBW, it seems that relatively few pastors and musicians have followed the discipline of regular singing of these classic Lutheran treasures. Also, for the most part the concept of the Hymn of the Day as presented in LBW has been only partially utilized. Selection of a Hymn of the Day now usually reflects only the theme of the sermon and possibly the day or season of the church year.

9. Broadened hymn selection. The SBH and TLH contained mostly hymns that reflected the largely German or Scandinavian ethnic background of Lutherans, as well as many from nineteenth- and early twentieth-century English and American Protestant sources. Some of the latter possessed a scant association with Lutheran doctrine and liturgy and were weak in theological content and musical substance. LBW, following the earlier lead of the Worship Supplement, attempts to keep the best of the various European Lutheran hymns while also expanding the repertoire to include, among others, hymns from India, Liberia, Japan, Poland, and Wales, as well as some from the Anglican tradition. American contributions are greatly increased, especially those from the black and the white spiritual and folk traditions. Added to this ecumenical influence is the large number of new hymns written by contemporary American authors and musicians.