1.  What is the “Reclaim” Introductory Edition?
It is a transitional book that will lead, through feedback from congregations and individuals, to the development a final and permanent hymnal resource called Reclaim: Lutheran Hymnal for Church and Home.

2.  Why do we need another hymnal? Can’t we just project it with PowerPoint, make our own services from online sources, etc?

That is true. Electronic formats and resources open up a wide range of possibilities. We do offer an electronic (CD-ROM) resource options for portions of its hymnal resource at this time, for settings I and II. We are looking forward to offering the full hymnal resource online at the end of 2011.

Reclaim’s main goal is to provide solid, classic content for Christians in the Lutheran tradition—regardless of the format they like—such as electronic, online, or a traditional hardbound hymnal.

3.  Who is behind the “Reclaim” hymnal project?

Reclaim board and committee members have a background in the ELCA and its predecessor churches and have a range of experience in teaching, music, pastoral care, business, and publishing. These individuals include laypersons, pastors, and seminary professors.

In the spring of 2006, the committee was incorporated independently as Reclaim Resources, a non-profit organization.We have since applied for and received our 501(c)3, tax exempt status.

4. Why do we need a new Lutheran hymnal?

• Because Martin Luther's clear understanding of
  worship has been gradually lost to ecumenism.
• Because Luther taught that the center of our
  worship is about what God has done for us in
  Jesus Christ.
• Because every aspect of the worship service—
  whether the sermon, the Scriptures, or the
  hymns—should proclaim the Gospel.
• Because Martin Luther's work on orders for
  worship attempted to remove the idea that WE
  bring anything to the worship service worthy of
  celebration—apart from repentant hearts.
• Because people remember more stanzas of
  hymns than Bible verses, a hymnal with faithful
  theology is crucial.

Henry M. Muhlenburg, a patriarch of American Lutheranism, envisioned “one church with one book.” With that focus, the Common Service of 1888 was prepared by a committee of Lutherans who studied the best of 16th century German evangelical services. The resultant Common Service was widely used in the 20th century. The Common Service is at the heart of ReClaim’s Lutheran Hymnal for Church and Home.

5. What will the ReClaim's Lutheran Hymnal for Church and Home look like? ReClaim's hymnal:

• Maintains a faithful witness to the Common Service.
• Updates the language and music of the Common Service.
• Removes any notion that we participate in the death (and, therefore, atonement) of Christ.
• Removes the ceremony of bringing the gifts (elements) with the offering.
• Removes any ceremony in receiving the congregation's offering.
• Exhorts communicants on the meaning of communion and binds or looses the sinner in accordance with Jesus' commands.
• Recognizes the words of the liturgy to be of more consequence than its music.
• Provides several musical liturgical settings.
• Restores the proper baptismal emphasis on the Word of God rather than water.
• Proclaims the Holy Spirit coming by God's own Word, and promises it to the one being baptized.
• Returns the promises of the parents and sponsors to that of raising children in the Lutheran faith using the Bible and the catechism.
• Restores the promise of sponsors to attend to the spiritual nurture of a child regardless of what parents do.
• Focuses on what Scripture says about marriage, with the emphasis on the love of a man and woman for each other and their shared love for God.
  Adapts the service of marriage in The Book of Common Prayer with its use of the traditional marriage vows.
• Restores the funeral order to the traditional reading of Scripture, known as the Order of Salvation, so the living can hear the good news of salvation and be admonished to care for their own souls.
• Eliminates prayers of commendation for the dead.
• Utilizes words and hymns that are most comforting to mourners seeking the Word of God.
• Includes hymns that are favorites and usable for the complete church year, and that serve as an anchor for faith.
• Encourages frequent repetition of hymns so they are memorized and thereby available when joys or sorrows are encountered in daily living.
• Includes Luther's Small Catechism—faithful in its translation, updated for today, a central teaching tool for Lutherans over the ages.
• Includes lectionary resources, selected psalms and Scripture, creeds, prayers, matins, vespers, and the Augsburg Confession.

6. When will the ReClaim Hymnal for Church and Home be available?

We have been working hard to gather content including hymns, a variety of services, psalms and regular hymnal content for the past five years. We have also been raising funds to publish and print our work. All of this has taken time and resources, of which, so many people have been very generous and patient. With limited resources and volunteer time, we have slowly made progress. In the past year, 2010 - 2011 we have stepped into the final publishing stages and feel confident we will have a hymnal available by the end of 2011. Recent donations and loans have helped us reach 75% of our financial goal in the summer of 2011. With continuted donations and a lot of hard work, we will complete the book and be selling it yet this year!

7. What about the Online Worship Planning Tool and Customizable Hymnals we've been hearing about?

Changes in publishing through the wonders of technology have given us the opportunity to also make our work available online in a variety of ways, and also to print hymnals that may allow for a significant amount of variation or customization. We will be launching all these features simultaneously with the hymnal release. Contact us if you would like to be on our mailing list to be notified at that time.   Info AT ReclaimResources DOT org