Category: Ask the Pastor
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What is the point of incense? Can Lutheran use incense?
Ask the Pastor Incense is the burning of aromatic gums to produce fragrant smoke. It first appears in the Old Testament as a command of the Lord. In the tabernacle and later in the temple, God instructed Moses to build an altar of incense (Exodus 30:1–10). Morning and evening, incense rose before the Lord as…
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What is the unforgivable sin? Why is it unforgivable?
Ask the Pastor Several passages in the New Testament mention sinning against the Holy Spirit, including: Matthew 12:31–32; Mark 3:28–29; Luke 12:10; Hebrews 6:4–6; 10:26–31; and 1 John 5:16. At first glance an unforgivable sin appears to contradict the fact that God can forgive all sins through the Jesus. We read about God’s forgiven throughout…
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Angelic Saints?
Question: Why is the archangel Michael called a saint? I thought only people were saints. Reply: Good question. The word saint simply means holy one. The English word “saint” comes from the Latin word sanctus, which means “holy” or “set apart.” Many of us refer to the hymn, “Holy, holy, holy” as the Santus because…
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Making the sign of cross at start of Gospel
I notice before reading the Gospel that the pastor is cross himself three times, once the forehead, once on the lips, and once over the heart. Why? This practice began between as early as the 9th century. It is the outward sign that correspond to a prayer that silently say. “May the Word of the…
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What does the Bible have to say about cremation and burial practices?
Answer The Bible presents a variety of burial practices. In the Old Testament, we see examples of mummification, burning, and burial. Joseph was embalmed in Egypt (Genesis 50:2-3), reflecting Egyptian customs rather than Hebrew practices. Typically in the Old Testament, burning the dead was associated with judgment and disrespect (Joshua 7:25; Amos 2:1; 2 Kings…
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What is a Sanctuary Lamp?
Answer Ok. No one asked this question yet, but we will soon be installing one, and I thought everyone would like to know about this new fixture. It has various names, Sanctuary Lamp, Chancel Light, and even Eternal Flame. A Sanctuary Lamp is a small lamp or candle holder suspended from the ceiling or mounted…
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Tell me about the creeds? (part 2)
Why do we have more than one creed? Last month we discussed how the Apostles’ Creed is a baptismal creed. It was used to instruct new converts in the essentials of the faith. This month, we will consider the Nicene Creed. I consider it the jewel of the creeds. Technically, the Creed we say is…
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Tell me about the creeds? (part 1)
I notice that we use both the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. Why do we have more than one creed? Where do they come from? As Lutherans we actually have three creeds. Currently, we rotate between the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed. The third creed is the Athanasian Creed, which is found in the…
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What do we mean by the word ‘catholic’ in the creed?
The word ‘catholic’ comes from the Greek phrase ‘kata holos’, meaning “according to the whole.” In about 110 AD, Ignatius wrote, “Where Christ is, there is the catholic Church.” In 381, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed used it to describe the church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” In the fifth century, Vincent of Lérins defined catholic…
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Beyond the Small Catechism
Question I remember learning the Small Catechism when in confirmation class. Is there a large version? If so, how can I get it? Answer Yes, Martin Luther wrote a Large Catechism as well. We will find it, and all the other Lutheran confessions in the Book of Concord. The Book of Concord is a collection…