Last week, Issues, Etc. asked the question, “Where were you when Matt Harrison was Elected President of the LCMS?” Here’s my answer as best as I can recall.
My head was slumped. I had just pushed #3 and the send button on my voting machine. What hope was there that Pr. Harrison would win? We had just finished the first 2 and half days of the convention and Dr. Kieschnick had presided over it masterfully. He was fair, he was humorous, he was in his element. He had even given his “President’s Report” which was as good a stump speech as I’d heard from any secular politician give. His pet project, restructuring, had just passed the previous day in the form of Resolution 8-08A. The convention was divided. The mood of many was that we had a lot of work to do and debate was slowing us down. What hope was there that Pr. Harrison would win? Lord, have mercy.
I looked up. 4 more seconds. If Dr. Kieschnick wins, what would it mean for me and my congregation? The lack of ecclesiastical supervision which, I believe, has lead to a lot of the mistrust within the Synod would continue. Would practices become more aberrant? Would the restructuring create a political class within the Synod focusing on being convention delegates instead of churchmen? Would TCN, Ablaze, et al. continue to dominate? Could these changes cause my congregation to reconsider its membership in Synod? Could they do the same to me? If Dr. Kieschnick wins, what would it mean for me and my congregation? Christ, have mercy.
Here come the results. What will this vote mean for the Synod? We had already made so many changes in the form of 8-08A that we didn’t know what the Synod looked like even at the moment of the vote. What staff had been let go of? What program boards were gone? We were continually told that the functions still existed even without the staff. Huh? How would the divisions that were so obvious in these close votes be healed? Would it just get worse? Would one side just leave? What will this vote mean for the Synod? Lord, have mercy.
Matthew C. Harrison – 643 Gerald B. Kieschnick – 527 What?!?! Pr. Harrison won!?!? The release of tension mixed with joy, relief, excitement caused unwanted tears to well up in my eyes. The problems of the Synod were by no means resolved by the election, but Missouri got what she needed and that is a pastor. A pastor to call us to repentance and proclaim the Gospel. A pastor who trusts the Word of God to do what it says it will do. There’s a place for programs and structure, but our hope lies in Christ and what He has done for us. Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord, have mercy. Amen.
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I was driving back from spending a short “weekend” (Sunday Afternoon-Tuesday Morning) with my family up at their cabin. I was following via twitter… and occasionally I got the audio to work on my cell through the live feed (video wasn’t working… but that’s a cell phone thing). For the most part I just saw some of the updates and was anxious to hear the results. I got in just before the vote was to happen and rushed in to boot up my computer…. which took longer than it ever has… by the time the live stream was up they were just announcing that he had won and I got to hear Pastor Harrison speak. What a great and humbling speech.
A good leader gives direction. A great leader inspires. Pastor Harrison has inspired a renewed confidence in the sufficiency and efficacy of God’s Word… not simply for that moment of coming to faith… but in all things. I also was greatly encouraged by his promise not to settle things by coercion. This has been a fear of many who did not support him.
Well that is enough thoughts for now. I do appreciate the tweets you and others provided when you were able to keep the rest of us up to speed.
Pr. Lorfeld,
Tweeting at times was great stress relief so it was a pleasure. I think you might have mentioned that it would the ban on messaging should probably have been lifted. Before the convention I felt the same way, but the pastor next to me was texting because he was dealing with a dying member and even knowing that it was tough to handle because some of the resolutions really had substance. I will admit on the last day I missed a couple of amendment and procedural votes because I was tweeting. Without the ban, I could see lots of potential problems.
Great take on those 8 seconds. What struck me was those micro seconds as the video faded out and then the seemingly infinite time for the slow fade in with the results. Then, that very quiet gasp. I do not know if that gasp was for Harrison being elected or Kieschnick not being re-elected, or if it was just for the moment of the issue finally being settled. It sure seemed quiet for a long moment. Hope you’ve found some time to work on that golf swing. That’s a vocation too!
Michael,
You’re right about that gasp. My guess was disbelief from all sides.
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