Now that it looks as if there will be no special convention for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in 2009, I have a modest proposal. 2009 will mark the 4oth anniversary of the LCMS biting the forbidden fruit of popular culture, inhaling the spirit of the age, drinking from the well of feminism.
In 1969 the LCMS resolved that congregations could have women’s suffrage if they wanted to. How felicitous that after over 100 years of being convinced that women’s suffrage was not biblical, the LCMS found out that it was just as the second wave of feminism came to a boil!
It is amazing that any congregations at all still don’t have women’s suffrage. I am willing to bet that most of them also don’t have open communion, contemporary worship, or female readers. Not that I think there is a cause and effect relationship, but I definitely think there is a correlation. The spirit of the age is always a restless evil. It has a systemic effect in the Body of Christ. It’s the proverbial nose of the camel in the tent.
My modest proposal is that all of the congregations that do not have women voting meet in 2009. I suspect there is much we could talk about, much to celebrate, much to give thanks for. I would be willing to host and organize the event.
All I need is for those pastors who have congregations that have a male only franchise to contact me at pastorharris@trinityaustin.com I will find out if there is enough interest. If there is, we’ll call the meeting the Festival of Susan B. Anthony or the Elizabeth Caddy Stanton Conference. Our theme song could be “Marva Dawn What’s that Clerical You Have On.”
Not only would this be fun, it would be comforting.
