Here is an expression of "walking together" in the faith (which is what the word "Synod" means) as expressed by the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church from the "unofficial blog of St. Andrew's Congregation" in Novosibirsk. There are many reasons why such an expression of unity among the clergy would not work in the Missouri Synod:
- The synodically approved cross would likely be a magenta corporate logo with a registered trademark notification.
- The "confessional" types would condemn a cross without a corpus to be Nestorian.
- No matter what the cross would look like, it would be politicized.
- It would become a "Formula X" issue that would bring out the secret desire of every Lutheran pastor to be Martin Luther nailing the theses to the church door and burning papal bulls while shouting "Freedom of the Gospel!" at the top of his lungs.
- It would have to be made so as to clash neither with traditional clerical garb nor khakis and polo shirts.
- It would be required for deaconesses, DCEs, DCOs and other "Ministers of Religion - Commissioned" to also be presented with the same synodical pectoral cross, thus ruining it.
- To work in the U.S., there would have to be a place for decals honoring one's favorite college or NFL team.
2 comments:
Silly Confessional types - If you have the Chi-Rho on a cross it is a Crucifix, just a stylized one. Especially with an Alpha and Omega on it.
And are you saying you don't wear a Triple-Bypass pectoral cross right now >=o)
As long as it isn't that weird crucifix with Jesus, having un-nailed one hand free, is chasing after a dove.
I wouldn't go for that one.
The Triple Bypass has become a historic relic, like brown shag carpet, avocado refrigerators, burnt orange counter-tops a la Carole Brady, long sideburns, foot-wide stoles with flannel decorations, the AMC Pacer, and leisure suits.
God help us all! ;-)
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