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Ask the Pastor

† Theological musings and answers to selected questions by a confessional Lutheran pastor.






17 July 2007

Lutheran Carnival LIV Gains a Belated Entry


Evidently due to an email ending up in the Twilight Zone, at least one submission didn’t get to me in time for Sunday evening’s posting of LC LIV. To rectify the problem, I inserted mention in the proper spot and also told Pastor Wandrey of Theological Inquiries that I would make separate mention of his post on Multireligious Prayer.

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16 July 2007

Christian Liberty: Dungeons and Dragons


Q: I volunteer with Set Free Ministries at a Missouri prison. A Christian inmate asked me about Dungeons & Dragons and similar games showing violence and murder. Could you please help me get a better grasp on what you would like for him to know about the Christian viewpoint concerning games such as these?

D and DA: As I commented to the previous questioner, we may bind ourselves to our own invented laws. Most of the time, why we do something counts for more than what we do. You and this inmate are asking, “Does God say, ‘Thou shalt not play Dungeons & Dragons’?” I’ve read all 66 canonical books of the Bible and most of the Apocrypha and have never seen this prohibition.

I suggest that the inmate instead ask, “Is playing this game uplifting — or at least value-neutral?” He should be concerned about his reasons for playing and the message his play gives to others. The game itself has less impact than his reasons for playing and his actions while playing.

A game’s origin and content aren’t enough by themselves to prejudice me against them. After all, I regularly learn valuable information from nonchristian writers. They don’t bring harm because I come to them knowing my place as a baptized child of God.

Tamar and JudahEven the “violence and murder” you mention are not surefire signs of ungodly games or literature. J. R. R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings uses fighting and dying to tell a tale of good’s triumph over evil. While they don’t proclaim the Gospel, these books help illuminate its truth for those whose eyes are already opened by God’s Holy Spirit. Holy Scripture contains more violence than do many games, books, or films. Examine the lives of Jacob, Judah, Samson, or David and you begin to realize how much violence and immoral behavior was part of these men’s lives.

However, both the Bible and much good literature also remind us that we cannot view violence or other upsetting, often wrong behavior in a vacuum. If it’s not gratuitous but helps to tell a good story and make a valid point, violence may be a necessary part of the work. Similarly, the mere presence of sexual immorality doesn’t automatically make a text salacious or its readers sinful. For instance, would we appreciate the depth of God’s forgiveness if we didn’t fully understand both David’s sexual sin with Bathsheba and the violence he worked against her husband Uriah?

I encourage you to lead this inmate to examine his own motivation for playing to determine his reasons for playing, the effect he receives from the game, and the Christian witness he makes by participating in it.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book What Do Lutherans Believe.

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15 July 2007

How About a Carnival for Summer Vacation?

Welcome to the Lutheran Carnival of Blogs LIV.

Preface and Introduction

Pr. August KavelMeet this carnival’s un(der)known Lutheran, the Reverend August Ludwig Christian Kavel. Somewhat like Walther, Grabau, and others who came to America to avoid possible loss of Lutheran identity, Kavel led a group of confessional Lutherans to Australia because of increasing pressure to accept mandated unionism with the Reformed in Prussia. He was born in Berlin 3 September 3 1798, dying on 12 February 1860 in South Australia. Sources agree that August Kavel is the one person most responsible for an established Lutheran Church in Australia.

While he first investigated leading an immigration to either the United States or Russia, neither move proved feasible. However, Pastor Kavel learned in Hamburg that it might be possible to relocate to Australia. It took perseverance, patience, and the arrest of some of the confessionals before Prussia finally granted them permission to emigrate near the end of 1837.

Pr. August KavelSailing on four ships, Kavel’s party included 596 Prussian Lutherans seeking free practice of the Faith in Australia. They left Europe at different times, arriving Down Under in 1838 and 1839. In May of 1839, the elders of three newly founded villages met to establish an Australian Lutheran synod, the first forerunner of the Lutheran Church of Australia.

Some two and one half years later, an additional 224 “Old Lutherans” from Prussia joined Kavel and the original emigrating Prussians. This later migration was led by Pastor Gotthard Fritzsche.

And now, on with the show.

The (Un)Usual Cast of Characters

I’ve listed entries alphabetically by blog name (unless I goofed) rather than by theme. In keeping with a suggestion I made in a call for posts, there are a few entries dealing with vacation, recreation, and leisure — prime activities of our summer months — but I’ve left them scattered amongst the others.

Tent CampingAardvark Alley continued the commemorations, including one of the biggies of the Faith, The Holy Prophet Isaiah.

The Aardvark also got gastronomical with a brief essay on the differences between Chili Dogs and Chili Dogs.

Lacking the energy to write in the third person tonight, I’ll simply let you know that here at Ask the Pastor, I looked back at my ordination in The Reverend Snyder Turns Fifteen.

In response to a question predicated by a major false teacher, I also wrote Christian Liberty: What Would Jesus Rebecca Do?

Barb the Evil Genius had a particularly Happy Friday the 13th, since it also meant the celebration of “the last year” of her 30s.

Obviously, Barb’s Friday beat Mutti Beck’s Monday of the same week. Visit Beckfest to find out why Mutti said, I Smell Like Chicken Crap.

Browsing through volume 2 of The Abiding Word, Pastor Alex Klages (A Beggar at the Table) ran across a relevant bit from over 60 years ago and shared it with us in A Quote on the Gospel.

In One Novel Wonders, the Klages family discusses literature, inviting their readers to join in the discourse.

And Now, a Word from Our Founders ... so began The Black Cloister’s collection of writings from some of the patriots who brought the United States into being and gave the nation its form.

Bloghardt’s Reflector normally provides profound theological images. However, in We Wii, Pastor Borghardt rhapsodized over the new and very kinetic gaming system.

Joining the Klages in recreational reading, Blonde Moment also took a look at books — particularly a certain one due to be released later this week. My Harry Potter Book Seven Picks allows Liz to give her thoughts about tying up the series’ many loose ends with a combination of drama and a satisfied readership.

Pastor Stiegemeyer of Burr in the Burgh went to the cinema and came back with the seeds of God in the Ghost Movie, a look at life beyond death the existence and nature of God in the new release 1408.

He also provided one of the better Lutheran looks at Benedict XVI’s new page-turner, answering his own question in What Did the Pope Say?

A Summer's ReadNothing says “vacation in an exotic locale” like writing your post in the language of the land. Chris Pluger of Café Diem did just this as he asked ¿Qué hiciste durante las vacaciones?

After an extended break (can we blame his still new state of wedded bliss?), we’re invited back to Cantor’s Padded Balcony to examine Democracy and Faith.

It’s learning and recreation all in one as Emily takes us on Morning Walks with The Children of God.

This pairs nicely with Emily’s follow-up post, Nature Hunt with Kids.

The Confessing Evangelical took some time off to see the start of that big French bike race (that this year began in England) in Le Tour de Kent.

What Does an Office Give? So wondered the Confessional Gadfly, who looked at how being set in office “doesn’t give a person the ability to do something — it provides duties and responsibilities — and the authority to care out those duties and responsibilities rightly.”

Confessional Lutheran Ecclesiastical Art Resources announced that Lutheran Pictures Font Is Here, pointing out her newly drawn and rendered clipart font now available at By the Font. This new website developed by Pastor Alex Klages is for lovers of fonts and clip art designs. He and his wife Kelly provide original fonts for free. The first collection available for download is a collection of Lutheran-themed pictures, as you can see from this PDF. Where else will you find a font that includes drawings of Martin Chemnitz, the Six Chief Parts of the Catechism, and a pastor brandishing a beer stein?

Dr. Veith of Cranach took a brief but hard look at Religious Visas and the possible religious discrimination a crackdown on immigration could provoke.

At Cyberbrethren, Pastor McCain used A Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope in Refuting the Claims Made by the Bishop of Rome.

Many people in the LCMS wonder When to Leave Missouri. Pastor Petersen of CyberStones makes a short, sweet case for saying, “I am not leaving.”

46 WoodyNo Apologies. Period. L. P. Cruz of Extra Nos muses about the relative paucity of contemporary Luther apologetics and uses confessional theology, Christology, and a complimentary understanding of the pastoral office in making his points.

Extreme Theology tackled a continuing issue flowing forth from much of Protestantism, posting an essay written by Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller of Aurora, Colorado, Decision Theology: Can You Make a Decision for Christ?

How about watching a classic Disney movie as a favorite leisure activity? Sure, unless you’re trying to get your hands on Song of the South. However, Father Hollywood says that you can find the DVD overseas and opines that it’s worth the effort.

At A Fort Made of Books, Robbie used the new Potter film as a springboard for introducing Four Quirky Fantasies.

Robbie then updated a previous post challenging readers untrained in listening to classical music, asking How is Assignment 1 Going?

Has a Roman Catholic ever asked you to pinpoint exactly when the church stopped being “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic”? Weekend Fisher of Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength made a history-based case that It Happened at Chalcedon in AD 451.

Responding to the Bishop of Rome’s recent comments, Weekend Fisher also took a look at the infighting among the disciples following Jesus’ famous, “You are Peter” statement. WF showed how Jesus answered the ensuing question about who is The Greatest among the Apostles.

Was it vacation, break, or Hiatus? Whatever ... Rachel Engebretson of Here I Stand came back to the blog close out her high school memories and start preparing us to read her college blogging in the years to come.

Fr. Chadius of Hermenia expertly pondered Christian Catechesis through Water, New Roads, and Infant Baptism.

Involved in Summer Greek at the Seminary, Der Bettler of Hoc Est Verum ended his own rather brief break and now offers a collection of Miscellanea for his readers.

Still miss Beggars All? A collection of favorite lay Lutherans, including the core of Beggars, formed a new group blog, Honoring the Office of the Holy Ministry. Among their recent posts, check out what Tim the Enchanter said about Secret Ballots and the OHM and learn Erich Heidenreich’s answer to the question, Is My Pastor Valid and Due the Honor of the OHM?

Drive InKelly’s Blog describes her challenging Quest for an Aesthetically Pleasing Bible Cover, also providing a number of links to some of the stranger covers you’ll find on the market.

Lutherama discovered the news that “infants as young as six months are capable of lying” and marveled that occasionally, Science Catches Up with the Bible.

The Lutheran Hen relaxed on the eve of Independence Day and took stock of the Creation around her, including a most wonderful Sunset.

The Mrs. of The Moose Report hasn’t actually begun vacation yet. However, she let us know that she and her husband are certainly Planning a Road Trip — something that, after six years of marriage, each of them needs with the other.

With Coptic Christians and FGM, Dan of Necessary Roughness brings to light a practice normally associated with Islamic regions, female genital mutilation, that he discovered is also practiced among some Coptic Christians in Ethiopia.

Dan also makes the fantastic understatement that Praying for Conversion is Not a Bad Thing. While Liberal Roman Catholics are up in arms over Good Friday prayers in the Tridentine Mass that call for the conversion of Jews, he argues that such prayers are not evil and racist, but desirable.

Christopher Herren opened Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard and pulled out a plum. The Rational Response Squad, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins looks at a recent Creation vs. evolution debate on Nightline and illustrates some of the ongoing scientific problems for those who make science their god.

Tired of Methobapticostals telling you that your in-the-font infant baptism was “all wet”? Sam of Nerd Heaven has a good response to those who insist that you must be Baptized Like Jesus.

Every pastor should read what Paul Siems wrote in A Tribute Concerning My Wife at Not Alone.

Pastor Paul Beisel, One Lutheran ... Ablog™, was also one Lutheran ... On Vacation!!

Bike TourGod Gave Us Pastors, says Presbytera. Too bad some of them turn out like a certain Deliberate Interim Pastor whom she introduces to us. (If you’re a fan of crummy hymnody, you’re in for a special treat.)

At Putting out the Fire, Frank uses a DC Comics character to explore original sin and the lack of self-knowledge among many evil people as he introduces Sinestro’s Oath, the Human Condition, and Sin.

What Kind of Woman Does a Pastor Fall in Love With? Spurred by this hit from Google, the Rebellious Pastor’s Wife answered on behalf of herself and her not available at the time husband — but she’d love to hear from other pastors and their wives, too.

A short vacation is better than no vacation at all. Even a simple Mom & Dad’s Day Out can go a long way toward recharging a couple’s batteries, according to A Round Unvarnish’d Tale.

New Pastor Jim Roemke, a.k.a. St. James the Hoosier, compares feelings and faithfulness as he discusses a common pastoral struggle involving The Difficulty with Closed Communion.

Lacking God, People Will Try Anything, says Original Evangelical David Yow in reaction to the mass of people trying to get lucky in love last week by marrying on 7/7/7.

David also presents a new Hymn Text celebrating Jesus giving us His own body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.

It may not be a vacation trip, but Pastor Schaaf is in the middle of some major traveling In the Land of Sudan. Catch up with the good pastor at Schaaf’s Kopf.

What recreational facility might Scott of Schreiben von Schreiber be In Search Of? How about a summer camp for next year?

Pastor Bryce Wolfmueller of Theological Inquiries took a different than normal approach to the Lutheran understanding of prayer and unionism in Multireligious Prayer, drawing much of his material from Pope Benedict XVI’s recent Truth and Tolerance. (Note: This entry was originally “lost in the mail” and was added on Monday 16 July.)

RaftDo We Have Faith When We Sin? Edward Reiss answers in the affirmative as he briefly compares Lutheran and Reformed approaches to faith at Upstate Lutheran.

It’s time to get Movin’ to the place of his ordination and first call, says Jay Winters.

Jay also took time to point out his Baptized Identity T-shirts, wherein being baptized into Christ is vastly more important than are our individual names and identities.

Thanks to Barb the Evil Genius for hosting LC LIII these past couple weeks.

Next time, we welcome Prepare Ye as a new carnival host.

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Christian Liberty: What Would Jesus Rebecca Do?


Note: Although their queries involve different topics, the underlying issues for this questioner and the next are most similar: What must a Christian do and what may a Christian do?

Q: My boyfriend and I, both in our early 20s, sometimes find it hard to be Christians in today’s world. We love dancing but according to Rebecca Brown, going to a night club means going into Satan’s territory and in doing so we bring a curse on ourselves. Actually, it seems to us that Christians cannot do a lot of things. We have no intention of giving up our faith but what can we do to have fun? It seems that most movies involve swearing, sex, or violence — even among many “children’s” films. Secular music is Satan’s, meaning that we should avoid any place playing this music, including roller rinks or ice skating arenas. Our Sony Play Station is out since we like the martial arts games and we all know that martial arts are from the Devil.

How do young Christian couples have fun? How are we supposed to date? How do young married couples go out to enjoy themselves together? The food is better at home then a restaurant so please don’t suggest that option. Here in Australia, we don’t have a lot of Christian musicians, etc. that we can go and see. So my question again is this: Where can we go to have fun? Can anyone help us?


'Dr.' Rebecca BrownA: When did God change His holy name to Rebecca Brown? This woman finds Satan in every closet and under every bed. She replaces the freedom of living in the Gospel with the bondage of adhering to law — often not God’s holy Law but Rebecca Brown’s strange interpetations and outright perversions of it. She usually sounds worried that we Christians might possibly enjoy some part of life. Yes, there are things believers do best to avoid, but Rebecca often sounds like she’s trying to change the Scriptural attitude of being “in the world, not of it” to being “in a coma and completely out of it” — which is nonsense.

Living as forgiven children of God frees us from the shackles of the Law. Of course, we concern ourselves with what is good and bad, with the impression we make upon others, and with what we take in. I won’t recommend going to clubs to get drunk or to the movies to watch grossly immoral films. I don’t think that you should play the most vile, deviant, or satanic music imaginable on your radio. Nor will I suggest that violent video games are in any way uplifting or pleasing to God.

Saint Paul reminds us in Galatians that when we walk in the light of the Gospel, we don’t misuse our Christian freedom. He wrote, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (5:16)” Paul continued in verses 19-21, “The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”

The Fruit of the SpiritQuite frankly, much (most?) of what you see in the world could possibly tempt someone to abandon faith and decency. However, the Christian is free to produce “the fruit of the Spirit,” which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (5:22-23)” even among this world’s strongest temptations.

Obviously, if doing something leads either you or your boyfriend to sin, don’t do it. Similarly, if your conscience isn’t bothered by a specific activity while others think the action sinful, to commit the act in their presence means that you are “sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak. (1 Corinthians 8:12)” However, if you derive pleasure from the things of this world without turning your back on the Lord or damaging the faith of the “weak person, (v. 11)” then enjoy! God is not a frowning monster, waiting to strike you dead for experiencing pleasure.

Scripture and the Holy Spirit have firmly convinced me that there is no intrinsic evil in “drinking, dancing, and playing cards” (the bugaboos of many legalistic churches of days gone by), nor, per se, in video games or motion pictures. They can lead us into sinfulness, encourage lust and fornication, drunkenness, or other sins — but they just as likely won’t. Our relationship with Christ, our values, and our thoughts and attitudes that we bring to our various vocational or recreational activities will normally influence our actions more than will the activities themselves.

BibleLet’s face it — limiting yourself only to “godly” pursuits isn’t totally without risk. We must be spiritually discerning and focused on Scripture, not our own or someone else’s faulty interpretation of what God wants for us and what is truly godly. After all, not every “Christian” song is particularly Christ-centered. Many of these ditties are moralistic claptrap holding not a speck of genuine grace and forgiveness. The “God” they reference may be the “frowning monster” I already mentioned or He may be portrayed as an insipid do-gooder, a moralist, or some powerful yet vaguely defined entity who wants us to shower praise upon Him to earn His love and favor. Meanwhile, if you feel uplifted by classical music written by a pagan composer, does this mean that you have sinned and should swear off listening to such works forevermore?

Live in God’s love, with love for each other. Worry less that you might do something wrong and concentrate on the many avenues the Lord grants for doing right. Let the Scriptures be your guide, not your prison as you discover what true Gospel freedom means and how it can be expressed in your own lives. And if you do accidentally stray into sin, know that “ we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)” And remember that this same Jesus Christ tells us, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)”

Finally, if you would like something specific from me about Christian dating, please see How Far Is Too Far and linked material.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book What Do Lutherans Believe.

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14 July 2007

A Final Carnival Reminder


I gave folks an extra 24 hours to prepare submissions for this Sunday’s edition of the Lutheran Carnival of Blogs. So if you lost focus or initiative yesterday evening, you still have a chance to submit your own or another’s fine Lutheran writing on the topic(s) of your choice. Don’t forget to check the special house rules and refer to the main blog for general submission guidelines.

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13 July 2007

On the Air (and Online) on Saturday


Evan Goeglein, host of Tabletalk Radio on KNEC FM in Yuma, Colorado, invited me to join him this Saturday for an hour of questions and comments. At 11:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time (noon CDT, 1600 GMT) we’ll spend a half hour on the topic The Reliability of the Scriptures. The following 30 minutes will involve The Evidence of the Resurrection of Christ.

If you’d like to start an hour sooner, you can hear Evan interview atheist talk show host Reginald Fineley, Jr., nationally known as The Infidel Guy. Following Finley will be Pastor Glenn Niemann of St. John’s Lutheran, Pekin, Illinois, who will discuss The Faith of an Atheist.

A live feed and archived programs are available from the show’s website.

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Another Question on Cremation


Q: My brother suggested that I read your previous comments regarding cremation to help ease my conscience — now troubled after reading a review of Dust to Dust or Ashes to Ashes by Alvin Schmidt. My opinion was that cremation was an option for Christians but this review gave me pause. I asked my pastor brother whether he had seen this book review and what he thought about it, given that our mother has expressed her desire to conserve funds that may be left after the Lord calls her home, so that she may pass on a larger inheritance.

I read your commentary and now wonder if perhaps you have read Schmidt’s book or have seen this review. Are you fully persuaded that the Lord’s judgment on Moab was due in part because Moab did not respect the dead? Do other passages in Scripture teach us that we should show respect for the bodies of the dead? Is it possible that this text in Amos actually tells us what God thinks about the practice of cremation?

I ask these questions sincerely out of genuine concern for what my brother and I should do for our mother. If I understand your thinking correctly, the reason for a burial practice is more important than the actual practice itself. While I would agree that good practices can be done with a false heart, I am not sure that sincerity of heart makes bad practice good.

Your argument seems to be that cremation is neither commanded nor forbidden. If so, then the reasons for using this option, along with avoiding giving offense to the weak brother, are the primary determinants. But if God is not pleased by the practice of burning the body, then our protesting that we did it with sincerity of heart won’t count for much.

Please consider my questions, especially Schmidt’s arguments. Either I am the weak brother with a stricken conscience or my conscience is correctly informed and the practice of cremation is wrong. Either way, I confess that our Lord will raise up me and all the dead and will give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.


UrnA: I haven’t read the book but did read the review (Concordia Theological Quarterly Vol. 69 July/October 2005) — well before I wrote the previous column. While I respect Dr. Schmidt’s education and have learned much from reading his books and articles, I still think that he was wrong to categorically condemn all cremations. Personally, I prefer the idea of burial but if cremating my remains becomes a necessity for my heirs, I don’t think they’ll sin by doing it to what’s left of me.

While no passage of Scripture specifically says, “Thou shalt honor the corpses of the dead,” a number of readings point toward respect and order during the whole funeral process. Cremation itself wasn’t specifically forbidden by Mosaic Law although it was used as judgment upon crass sinners (see Leviticus 21:9 and Joshua 7:25). Josiah, one of Judah’s truly righteous kings, likewise used cremation to punish priests who’d offered pagan sacrifices during the reign of Jeroboam. He dug up and burned the bones of the corpses and “sacrificed all the [living] priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. (2 Kings 23:16, 20)” As for Moab, I’m certain that the condemnation was for their intent more than for their specific action because this nation wasn’t under the Law of Moses.

GamalielMy sources indicate that sometime around the time of Christ, Rabbi Gamaliel decried the excess spending at funerals. His dictate that the ornate and costly wrappings some used be replaced by simple linen garments remains part of traditional Jewish funerary customs to this day. Many Jewish funerals still include emptying a cup in Gamaliel’s honor at the post-burial meal.

Judea and Galilee both kept their burial places outside the cities, forbad using cemeteries as pastures, and ordered that no roads nor watercourses run through them. Hired mourners and flute players were quite common, as well. However, in Judea, they went before the bier; in Galilee, they followed. In most funerals, as we see so clearly in the procession at Nain (Luke 7:11-15), the women led the procession. This custom came from an ancient Jewish commentary that said women should go first because a woman brought death into the world.

The Raising of LazarusThe customs noted in the Gospels, such as the linen wrappings and face cloths belonging both to Lazarus (John 11:44) and Jesus (20:5-7) are likewise well-attested by other sources. So also the use of ointments and spices, both to honor the dead and to cover the stench of death in a time of no refrigeration or embalming.

Because contact with the dead made one ritually unclean, people wouldn’t casually come into contact with the dead nor with their burial places. However, carrying the bier was a privilege. A considerable number of people might serve as pallbearers during the procession, accepting the burden as an honor.

From Genesis onward we can read of burial customs, some which continued, others which fell by the wayside. For example, the preference throughout most of the Scriptures was to bury or entomb family members closely together. Normally, only distance prevented this and the family might later move the remains to a family plot.

Sarah EntombedWe see particularly in the family of Jacob how families remained together, even in death. Sarah and Abraham were both laid in the cave at Machpelah. Although he died in Egypt, Jacob’s remains were returned to the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 49:29-50:14). His son Joseph died in Egypt but made his family swear to take his bones with them when God took them “to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. (50:24)” Over four hundred years later, Israel kept this promise. “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. (Exodus 13:19)” Under Joshua’s leadership, Israel took “the bones of Joseph” and “they buried them at Shechem. (Joshua 24:32)”

While specifics varied among times and places, God’s people almost always followed certain rituals. Showing respect and sorrow might include tearing one’s clothes, wearing sackcloth and ashes, loud crying, and musical dirges. Normally, burial was on the same day, but some bodies remained in state longer. Certain haircuts, beard trims, and the like which were normally forbidden were allowed to most mourners, save the High Priest and those under the vows of a Nazarite.

The Last JudgmentStill, however, all of Scripture contains no “now and forever” command for Hebrews and Gentiles to always act exactly in one manner when dealing with the dead. At the same time, our burial practices should confess to each other and to the world our belief in the bodily resurrection of the dead, just as the Small Catechism so clearly states: Our Lord “will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.”

You correctly note that we dare not sin against the “weak person” and afflict his conscience (1 Corinthians 8:11-12). If the thought of cremating your mother leads you to sinful doubts, then you should not do it. If you and your brother can do so in good conscience before God and the rest of your family, I still see no reason not to.

Meaning of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed quoted from Luther’s Small Catechism, © 1986 by Concordia Publishing House.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book What Do Lutherans Believe.

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12 July 2007

Carnival Deadline ... and a Lifeline


So far, entries are only trickling in for the next Lutheran Carnival of Blogs and tomorrow at 7 pm CDT is the set deadline. Of course, I’m willing to be flexible (7 pm on Saturday, not 4 pm on Sunday flexible, however).

See the previous post for info on contributing your own material or suggesting others’ writings. Don’t make me come looking for “filler” posts — I might pick one about which you’re not particularly fond. And if you still cannot come up with a great post on a fantastic topic, consider the suggestion on vacations. Of course, you could also comment upon and speculate about the upcoming LCMS convention.

And if you haven’t yet stopped by, please visit the Evil Genius’s current carnival post.

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07 July 2007

O Frabjous Day!*

The Next Lutheran Carnival of Blogs Soon Dawns

Ask the Pastor gets to host the LIVth carny which, God willing, will be up on 15 July. While I also have a few house rules (see below), new submitters (and those who occasionally forget the routine) should check the general submission guidelines at the main Carnival blog. Email them to lutherancarnival at gmail dot com and they’ll forward them to me. Please try to remember to use the third person and all the other stuff the submission guidelines call for.

House Rules for this time include allowing submission of others’ writings by anyone else, including non-bloggers — just try to keep them to one or two apiece. While I’m not calling for a thematic explosion, I would certainly be interested in writings about vacation and leisure time during the heart of the summer months. Fond memories or foul taste in your mouth — either could make for interesting commentary. Maybe it’s something you already did or plan to do; maybe it’s a future hope or pie in the sky.

Of course, anything recently written by confessional Lutheran bloggers is fair game, whether overtly theological, vocational, humorous, or in other categories not listed. And if you find an older gem that just screams out its relevance to the vacation theme, go ahead and submit it as long as it hasn’t appeared in a previous carnival. I thought this final note might especially benefit those in the Southern Hemisphere.

I invite other bloggers to share the word and spread the invitation. If you haven’t already visited the current carnival at the online home of Barb the Evil Genius, please check it out. Finally, don’t forget that the Carnival is always looking for a few good hosts.

*Thanks to Lewis Carroll for the title phrase, a little snippet from Jabberwocky.

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04 July 2007

Remembering the Declaration

Reflections on “Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness”

Happy Fourth of July!

I guess I could have waited until our national holiday, but back in November of 2006, I responded to a question concerning these three central tenets of the Declaration of Independence. The comments from Kepler and Carl Vehse provide interesting additional reading and commentary.

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02 July 2007

Can You Take It with You?

A Peek Behind the Pearly Gates

On His DeathbedA man was talking to God while on his deathbed. He prayed, “Lord, I know the saying about not being able to take it with you. Yet I have spent my whole life collecting my vast wealth, giving much to the Church. I would be heartbroken if I couldn’t take at least some of it with me when I die.”

“Well,” said the Lord, “Normally we don’t allow such a thing. Such items are just not necessary here. However, since I can see how important your wealth is to you, I'll permit you to take one suitcase filled with whatever you wish.”

The man eagerly began planning for what he could take with him. Finally, to maximize his wealth per cubic inch, he decided to pack the case full of gold bars.

St. PeterThe next day he arrived at St. Peter’s desk by the pearly gates. Peter welcomed him and offered to escort him to his new room. “But,” said Peter, “you’ll have to leave the suitcase here. We don’t permit items from earth to come into heaven.”

The man said, “The Lord gave me permission to take one suitcase filled with whatever I wished.”

Peter checked his book. The man was right. There was a special exemption of the “no earthly wealth” clause just for him.

“Okay,” said Peter, “Let’s see what you have.”

The man laid his suitcase on Peter’s desk and opened it for inspection. Peter examined the contents and turned to the man with a puzzled look on his face and incredulity in his voice: “You brought paving stones!?”

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Second-guessing God

Evil from Perfection

Q: I have one question that I cannot for the life of me figure out; God is perfect, omniscient, and omnipresent, with a perfect plan for the world and for man. Why would a God with these characteristics create an imperfect being, knowing perfectly well that this being would need God to become human to save his imperfection from damnation?

Michelangelo: Creation of EveA: Your question ultimately ventures among the mysteries of God which we are not permitted to view or understand. Yet it is clear from Scripture, including the story of Creation in Genesis, that God made people holy and perfect in every way. Genesis 1:27 reminds us, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Man was not imperfect in any way. However, God gave the first man a choice — a choice which Adam made sinfully and lived to regret.

The Lord totally involved Himself in Creation. He fully utilized all of His divine attributes — those you mentioned and all the others. He exercised His perfect foreknowledge and His election of the saints to eternal life, tempering His decisions with grace and mercy.

We know that God created everything to glorify Himself. He also created man to be in a relationship with Himself. He intended that the history of His Creation would stretch endlessly through the years and made man to live in eternal harmony with other creatures and with their Creator.

The Devil Cast DownJust as He didn’t create evil, so God didn’t create imperfection. These were perversions invented by His creatures. Just as Adam was sinless in the beginning, so also God created the creature who would later be called “Satan” and “the Devil” perfect in every way. Satan chose to rebel against God and to lead others of the heavenly host into sin. He then moved to spoil the physical creation by misleading mankind into joining his unholy rebellion.

I marvel at a God who knew that this would happen and, from all eternity, planned salvation (not only for all people, but even for me). He knew before calling anything into being that His Son would assume human flesh and frailty and would grow up to suffer and die. God created while also planning to re-create; He formed man out of the dust of the earth while knowing that He would need to re-form him in the likeness of His Son.

We can never know exactly what guided God’s reasoning: “‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways’, declares the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8)” Dad simply would have said, “It’s none of your business.” I prefer the Lord’s way of speaking — it lets me down a bit more gently. However, when responding to Job (chapters 38-42), God sounds more like my father, daring Job to figure out His will for Job’s life.

Nine-ElevenPrevious posts dealing with the topic of evil’s origins include A Christian Response to Suffering and Death, How Can God Allow Evil to Happen, and others. In A Christian Response, I wrote, “God could rightly blame each and every one of us for every evil that has ever happened. However, He doesn’t!

“Instead, God blamed His innocent Son. To reconcile Himself to sinners, God ‘made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)’

“In His agony on the cross, Jesus cried out with and for us sinners, saying, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)’ As He quoted Psalm 22, Jesus identified Himself with every person who has ever been devastated by untimely loss. No one was ever more innocent, yet no one ever suffered more severely both the attacks of Satan and the divine justice of God. The greatest miscarriage of justice was also its highest expression, for in the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Christ, we are forgiven and invited to become citizens of the heavenly kingdom.

Weimar Altar Piece“Simply knowing that God knows best and that all things work out for good doesn’t take away our pain. But the pain Jesus felt sanctifies and gives purpose to our suffering. Believing in the resurrection doesn’t immediately call the dead to life, but it guarantees that the dead in Christ will rise. The Christian still asks, ‘Why pain, suffering, and death?’

“God still answers, not from the whirlwind, but from the cross: ‘Because I love you and desire to make My strength perfect in your weakness.’ He saps our strength through tragedy that He might provide His strength for this life and for life everlasting.”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

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Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book What Do Lutherans Believe.

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