Petition Text: 22751-DI-NonDis-O

Understanding Petition Numbers

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Whereas, Jesus is quoted in Matthew 5:43-44: "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say unto you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"; and

Whereas, when John Wesley "sent a psalter to America for the use of the infant Methodist Episcopal Church, the last paragraph of his preface to his collection read: `Many psalms [are] left out, and many others, as being highly improper for the mouths of a Christian congregation'" (The Story of Methodism, Luccock and Hutchinson, page 189); and

Whereas, verses 7 through 9 of Psalm 137 culminates in the words, "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock"; and

Whereas, these verses, found on page 853 of the current United Methodist Hymnal, illustrate material highly improper for congregational worship as well as in sharp contrast to the spirit and teaching of Jesus;

Therefore, be it resolved, that the 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church delete the above verses from future editions of the United Methodist Hymnal and counsel churches currently using the hymnal to omit use in worship of verses 7 through 9 of Psalm 137 as was done in the previous hymnal.

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Petition Text: 22751-DI-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference