Thoughts on liturgical renewal. . .

Now that I am old and have lived through the introduction of WS, ILCW, LBW, LW, HS98, and LSB, I have a few thoughts on the prospect of liturgical renewal.  I will try to keep them positive.

1. Nothing should overshadow or detract from the centrality of Scripture within the Divine Service -- not only within the appointed readings but also from the words of the Liturgy drawn from Scripture or paraphrased from Scripture or quoted directly from Scripture.
   
2. In this way, we also then protect the rightful place of non-scriptural texts as part of the organic whole of the Liturgy (the ordinary, creed, collects, prayers, hymns, etc).
3. Innovation should be done rarely, sparingly, and only where necessary; some of the innovations have proven themselves unworthy of the surrounding parts of the Liturgy.
4. We should not attempt to repristinate forms from a golden era but add the best of the present while honoring the best of the past; in this way we both honor the dead and show our respect for the living.
5. We need to protect the Liturgy from being view primarily in pedantic terms and remember that we are gathered by the Spirit and led to the holy ground of God's presence; there is here the best of what might be called mystery in the Liturgy.
6. While we make primary focus upon God's acting within the Liturgy to deliver to us His gifts, we dare not minimize or dismiss prayer and worship also engendered by the Spirit from the hearts, minds, bodies, and voices of the people of God.
7. Preaching is not simply an appeal to the mind but also an encounter with God's Word and good preaching leads us back into the Liturgy and not away from it and what happens within it.
8. The concern for the vernacular is not unfounded yet it can became an excuse to use words sparingly and to use simple words which may not quite honor or reflect the character of what needs to be there; eloquence is not an enemy of understanding.
9. It is good to remember that there is, strictly speaking, no such thing as Lutheran Liturgy.  We do not claim a sectarian order but in our Confessions insist that we reflect the best of catholic and apostolic forms and practice; apostolic custom is not something to be trifled with nor ignored.
10. Time is suspended within the Divine Service; we encounter here, as much as we are able, the kairos of God's grace and mercy which deserve our full attention unfettered by constant looks at a clock and the need to get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
11. The Liturgy preserves the roles of clergy and lay without defining them in terms of hierarchy; we serve in different places and differently for the sake of the Kingdom and not for the sake of ourselves.  This principle would be good to remember when also considering the differences in service of male and female
12. While we talk of joining the angels, archangels, and the whole company of heaven in their endless song of praise, if we do well they also join us.  The heavenly dimension of what happens in this earthly place and setting runs both ways -- ascending and descending. 
13. This last one is the best advice I ever got from a wise pastor to a new one; it came from the sainted Charles Evanson:  Do not take yourself too seriously but always take what you do seriously.  While it has application for clergy, it has a wider application as well.