[Twenty-Third in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: When people speak of the Second Advent of Christ, the focus almost always is on his descent from Heaven, with all the angels and all the saints who had died. That is a natural thing to do because it is very dramatic. The skies parted, and the army of heaven, with countless members, descended with the Son of God in his full glory. The tombs are rent, the dead raised as the author of life calls them forth in the glorious resurrection of the last day. Then the drama of the destruction of sin, death, and the power of the devil, and the summons to all must obey at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Then the book of life is opened, all secrets are revealed, and those with faith in Jesus are pronounced “not guilty” before the throne of God, for the Son of God, the Lamb who took away the sin of the world, was slain for their sake. Then the unbelieving will be sent with Satan and his angels to the unending lake of fire prepared for them.
But the best is yet to come and gets little attention. Perhaps it is because we merge it in our minds with the state of the dead, who, in this age, die in the Lord. They are with him forever. And yet their state is not yet perfect. Their bodies are yet to be called by Jesus from their graves, so they may be fully restored and improved for eternity.
Perhaps it is because we really can’t understand it. So, the Scripture describes it for us and paints several images for us. Eternal life is — well — eternal! We will die only once and, once resurrected, live forever with the Lord. It will be without sin. Having been defeated on the cross. We are cleansed of it forever. There will be no more sorrow or sighing or grief or pain, for these things will pass away. God will dry every tear from our eyes. Our bodies will be glorified, purged of sin and its curse. We will shine like the stars in the joy of our Heavenly Father. We do not know what we will be like except that we will be like Christ.
Best of all, we will be with Jesus and see him face-to-face. Then, with joy, we will sing his praises forever.
[Twenty-first in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: Jesus had quite a bit to say about his return. The signs that we are in the last days are clear. He will return suddenly, so be ready! The angels will descend, the dead will come to life again, and we will all gather before his judgment throne. The lost will then be thrown with the devil and his angels into hell, and we will go with him to live forever. But where is the talk about the Tribulation and the Millennium? Jesus never speaks of seven years of special punishment of the world for their sins, or of an earthly reign at the end of time, much less a thousand-year one. So, where does the talk of a millennium on Christian radio, in endless end-time and prophecy books, come from?
The concepts of the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, and a one-thousand-year reign of Christ before the final judgment are less than 200 years old. John Nelson Darby first taught the idea that faithful Christians would be “raptured” — removed from the world at the end of the current age, just as God poured out his wrath in a seven-year “Great Tribulation” when the Anti-Christ would rule and severely persecute people who became Christians, mainly Jewish people. At the end of this period, Christ was to return to rule the world for 1000 years. After that, he was to judge the world, condemning the lost, the devil, and his angels to hell, while the saints would live with God forever.
These views, popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible and evangelical authors, became an established theology among Fundamentalist, Evangelical, and independent Protestant churches. Some pastors and evangelists speculated that current events fulfilled Biblical prophecies, treating the Bible like a giant algebra problem. Some even set a date for the rapture — and recalculated when the prediction failed. Yet the whole view of the end is not accurate.
All the signs Jesus taught apply throughout the time between the Ascension of Jesus and his return at the end of time. No one knows the day or the hour of his return (Mark 13:32). It will be a typical day like any other — until it is not. (Luke 17:26-35) Jesus calls on us to stay awake. We do not know when he is coming for us — at the end of days, or at the end of our days. Either way, we should be about what God has called us to do, so when he comes to take us home, we are ready to greet him.
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The theme is this: The Lord anoints a king from Bethlehem.
When you’re trying to pick someone for your basketball team, usually you pick the tallest person, the best shooter, or the fastest runner. You would never pick the short, stubby kid who’s just there to get out of the house for the afternoon.
Or when you’re trying to pick someone for a job, you usually want someone with experience, or someone who is responsible, or someone who has good references. You would never pick someone who is least qualified, least educated, or least able to do the work. There are no blind umpires; for example, city folk oftentimes are not ready for farm work.
We look at appearances. We judge the book by its cover. What did they just call it in the College Football Playoff? The eye-test? It’s no longer about how many wins you have, but how you look on the field. We look at appearances, but God looks at the heart.
That’s the case in our reading this evening. Saul was the tallest and the most handsome guy to be king, the very first king over Israel. By all appearances, he looked like a leader, talked like a leader, and he was anointed and appointed to be the leader. But Saul’s heart was rotten. Saul’s faith was failing. Like so many people in our world today, Saul believed in himself, but He did not believe in the God who anointed him.
It comes as no surprise that Samuel the priest was quite disappointed. Our reading says, The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Surely we have felt this way before. We picked the best player, but then he got injured. Or we picked the most qualified employee, but he left for a bigger and better job and was not loyal to the company. Bigger is not always better. Taller is not always faster. Stronger is not always smarter.
And so the Lord says to Samuel, Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Who? Where? Jesse from Bethlehem? Who is that? What about Jonathan, Saul’s son? No, it will not be Saul’s son. It will not be Jonathan. For as the Lord says, He does not look at appearances; the Lord looks at the heart. The Lord will anoint a king from Bethlehem.
But Samuel the priest is not up to the task. Like Moses, he is scared to death of the mission of God. He is scared to death of the power of the earthly king. And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” Aren’t we all like Samuel? Scared to death to invite our neighbors to church? Scared to death that we might be cancelled by the culture? Scared to death that we might offend someone we care about?
We all are. And yet God’s answer is simple. Do what God says. The text reads, Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. Do what God says. Priest, make a sacrifice and anoint my man to be king. It is often difficult to do what God says for all the reasons given above. But when we do what God says, we have nothing and no one to fear.
As we all know, Samuel anointed David, the son of Jesse. The Lord anointed a king in Bethlehem. But David’s brothers, who are not anointed, give us a clue about the coming King who is both David’s Son and David’s Lord. Each of these names points us beyond David to Jesus, the King of Israel.
Jesse’s firstborn son Eliab’s name means “God is my Father.”
The next brother Abinadab’s name means “Father who vows.”
And the third brother Shammah’s name means “loss.”
The fourth brother Nethanel’s name means “God has given.”
The fifth brother Raddai’s name means “Ruler coming down.”
The sixth brother Ozem’s name means “eagerness.”
And finally, David’s name means “beloved.” Let’s put it all together. God is my Father. He is a father who vows and makes promises. God will lose His Son. God will give His Son. God’s Son is a Ruler coming down. God’s Son is eager and willing to forgive and to save His people from their sins. And finally, Jesus is the beloved Son, with whom God is well-pleased.
Jesse’s sons’ names clarify the promises of God. Certainly, the Lord anointed David to be king in Bethlehem. And certainly the Lord anointed a king greater than David to be king from Bethlehem for the whole world. Certainly, David’s name means “beloved.” And certainly Jesus is the beloved Son whom God has given because He loved the world.
David would not be the first king we would choose, for he was the youngest, the smallest, and the shepherd boy. And yet God made Him mighty for the nation of Israel. And Jesus certainly would not be the first king of Israel that you would think, born in a manger and hanged on a cross.
And yet, the Lord anointed His King in Bethlehem, King Jesus, who lives and reigns still and always. And this King did far more than win battles and expand territory. Jesus saved us from sin, rescued from death, and defeated the devil. His territory is in your hearts and souls. For God does not look at outward appearances, but He looks at the heart, hearts of faith and joy in Him. And His territory is right here in this church and right there in the heights of heaven.
David was great, but Jesus was greater. David was a king, but Jesus is still King. David was anointed, but Jesus was anointed, the Messiah of the Old Testament and the Christ in the New Testament. David was beloved, but Jesus was God’s only begotten and beloved Son.
The Lord anointed a King in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, who reigns both now and forevermore.
Encore Post: Each Gospel identifies Andrew as the brother of St. Peter. I am the older brother, and I know my younger brother did not appreciate everyone knowing him through me. Many of his high school teachers knew him as “Jake’s brother.” Needless to say, he didn’t take it that well. He wanted to be known on his own terms. Sometimes I imagine Andrew felt the same way.
If you read the synoptic Gospels, you don’t hear Andrew’s name called all too often. He is simply Peter’s brother. But then you get to John’s Gospel. And John, being the one who also beat Peter to the tomb on the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may have this story to remind us all that Peter even needed to be brought to Jesus. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, and it was Andrew who introduced Peter to Jesus. It was Andrew to whom our Lord first spoke, “Come and see” where the Lord was staying for the night. Perhaps we should start at the beginning. A pattern has already been established. God the Father desires all people to know Him by His Word.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and He is your only light. Andrew heard the preaching of his teacher, John. And by John’s teaching, Andrew was made prepared for the Word to come in the flesh. And when John proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” That had to make Andrew curious enough to follow after Jesus. “What are you seeking?” “Rabbi (which means teacher), where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So, they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
What a visit that had to be! Andrew and Philip were there together with Jesus. And the pattern is underway. God the Father sent forth the Word, and the Word was proclaimed by the prophets, and ultimately the final prophet in the wilderness, John the Baptist. John proclaimed the message into the ears of Andrew, who saw Jesus and followed Him. And it gets better. Andrew, having heard the Word of Jesus from Jesus Himself, finds his brother the next day. “We have found the Messiah!” And He brought Peter to Jesus, so that Peter might hear Jesus too and believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, the One who has Words of eternal life.
The Lord wishes all to know Him by the proclamation of His Word. That is how the Lord has ordained it, even today, with the Office of the Holy Ministry. Faith is obtained via the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments. Andrew is remembered on the 30th of November, the first saint’s day in the new church year. He was not the most sought-after apostle. He is better known as the brother of St. Peter. He was not one of the inner 3 (Peter, James, and John). But even St. Peter needed someone to first proclaim the Gospel to him — that the promised Messiah of God had arrived in the flesh.
Andrew is like you. Indeed, an apostle, but one who is often forgotten in our circles. There are very few St. Andrew Lutheran Churches. You are not famous, but you are called by the Lord, known by name in the waters of Holy Baptism. You have been made Christ’s own there, redeemed from sin and death, prepared for the day of your death or for the coming of Christ in all of His glory, by the hearing and heeding of Christ’s Word and reception of His Sacraments. Like Andrew, you can point others to Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, just like Andrew did for Peter.
While Andrew may not be known for anything other than being Peter’s brother and probably was tired of such a distinction, I am sure Peter is still thankful that Andrew was more than happy to pass along the good news that Christ had finally arrived, just as the Lord promised He would.
Encore Post: Over the last week, American television personalities have been engaging in a kind of ritual. All of the hosts tell their audiences the things for which they are thankful. The typical items on their lists are: family, friends, health, home and other goods. One thing is nearly always missing: whom should they thank for these blessings?
The natural thing for people, as sinful creatures, to do is to assume that the blessings they have are theirs because they are good people. If you do good things, then God will reward you with good things. In the musical Sound of Music, the character Maria von Trapp sings:
Nothing comes from nothing Nothing ever could So somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good
In the eastern religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, the principle of karma is based on this idea: the good you do will return to you as a blessing and the evil you do as a curse. The Pharisees were of the same opinion. If you had a blessing, you must be especially righteous, and if you suffered from a disease, you must have sinned. In a parable Jesus told, the Pharisee’s prayer of thanksgiving is more of an act of self-congratulation. (Luke 18:9-14) Sinners are inclined to think they are entitled to their blessings and so, if anyone is to be thanked, it is ourselves.
Yet, the reality is that very few of the things we have are of our own doing. The people in our family, community, church family, and nation labored and sacrificed much so that we can have the opportunities to work, play, and enjoy our place in the world. Behind them are still countless others, and ultimately, to God himself, who made us and all things. All this comes to us because of God’s love for us and his mercy. Because after all, our sinful nature is in rebellion against God. We’ve forfeited our right to live, much less live forever in his presence or receive anything from his mercy. We deserve to die and be cast into hell.
Yet God loved us before he made the world, and in his grace decided not to destroy us, but to save us, and, in the end, fully restore us. He did this at the cost of the suffering and death of his son, Jesus. In his death, he destroyed death and, in his resurrection, opened the kingdoms of heaven to all believers. Our natural response to the grace is trust in his promises and, in thanksgiving, to him for the countless blessings in this life and in heaven, kept safe for us. So, we always give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever.
Encore Post: Giving thanks does not come naturally to sinful human beings. It is a learned trait. In traditional American etiquette, children are constantly reminded to say “please” and “thank you.” Part of the training that goes into professional life, since it is not a feature of working-class culture, is always to respond to a gift with a handwritten “thank you” note. It is part of every successful fundraising campaign. It serves to let the giver know you received the gift, that it was appreciated, and to allow you to let the giver know what use their donation will support. Even self-centered individuals soon learn that taking this step is likely to lead to another gift from the patron.
The Holy Scriptures are filled with thanksgiving to God for His mercies. They are part and parcel of the praise we give to him for his love towards us. God’s Word encourages us to thank him, exhorts us to do so, and offers endless examples of how to do so. By the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, it was a part of the liturgy of God’s people. The constant refrain throughout is familiar to every Christian: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his mercy endures forever.” Nearly every prayer began with “Blessed are you, O Lord, our God…”
Yet sinful human beings quickly forget that all they have has been given to them. Quickly, a blessing becomes something they are owed rather than something given to them, which will eventually be taken away. We enter this world with nothing and will leave this life with nothing. All depends on others and ultimately on God. Thanksgiving reminds us of this positively and helps us to appreciate everything as a gift, not a right. It encourages us to hold our possessions, lose them in our hands, to enjoy them while they last, and to be ready to give them when another needs them.
It would not be unjust for God to withdraw all our gifts since we are ungrateful, self-serving creatures, curved in on ourselves to the exclusion of God and others. Yet he loves us and is not willing that we should perish. So he sends sunlight and rain, seasons, and all that is needed for our crops and other foods to grow, even without thanks or prayer. And most of all, in the person of his Son, he became one of us, took our ungratefulness and all other sins upon himself, died to pay their full price, and earned for us the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. These he gives to us fully, along with the faith to receive them and give him thanks. So it is that we urge each other to give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his mercy lasts forever.
Encore Post: Four hundred-twenty-four years ago, the Puritan settlers of Massachusetts had much to be thankful for. They had survived a severe first winter that had killed most of the first settlers in their colony. They were befriended by the neighboring Wampanoag tribe, who fed them, taught them how to hunt, fish, and plant successfully in their new home, and with whom they made a treaty to defend them against their enemies. The treaty was honored by both sides for a generation, which allowed the colony to establish itself, grow, and thrive.
To thank God for these blessings, they invited their new friends to a feast. It was the first of many such feasts of thanksgiving, which Puritans would have after any great blessing. Other colonies in the United States would periodically celebrate days of thanksgiving, particularly at harvest time in October and November. The first nationwide day of thanksgiving was declared by George Washington on November 26, 1789, to thank God for establishing and blessing the new nation. The date of Thanksgiving celebrations varied from state to state, but in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln set the national day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt experimented with moving the date to the second-to-last Thursday in November. In 1941, he signed legislation that set Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November.
Today, Thanksgiving is increasingly a family event, where families gather from across the country to eat a big dinner together, watch football games on TV, and go shopping for Christmas gifts on the Friday following, known as Black Friday, when many American businesses show a profit for the first time. It is the unofficial start of the Christmas season in the United States.
Many Americans have completely lost track of the purpose of the day — to thank God for his blessings. Christian churches, however, still conduct services of thanksgiving on Wednesday and Thursday. We remember the source of our blessings and one most Americans do not remember — that our Lord Jesus took our sins upon himself, bore them to the cross where he suffered and died to pay their price, rose again to break the seal of the grave forever, and in Holy Baptism, made us his own. Now, at the end of our days or the end of all days, he will return to bring us home to live with him forever. Then at his return, the Great Day of Thanksgiving will begin, when he brings an end to sin and death forever, casts Satan and his forces into hell forever, raise us from our graves, transform us to be like him and live with us forever. So, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his mercy endures forever and ever.
[Eighteenth in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: It begins and ends with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The funeral service starts with a baptismal remembrance. At the graveside, we pray and rejoice in the resurrection promised to our deceased loved ones in their baptism. The obituary should be no different.
“Jason Matthew Kaspar, a baptized child of God, died (situation may be included) on Blurnsday, Septober 32, 20xx, (location), having lived [x] years upon the earth (sometimes years, months, days, and hours are calculated).”
Use Baptismal names up front. Short forms and nicknames are suitable in the body that follows. We ought to use baptismal names at the start and in the funeral, as a reflection of the name used in God’s claiming of us. He knows the day He called you by name, forgave your sins, and placed faith in your heart. He knows the name by which you were called.
“Jason was born on [date, location], baptized in the Name of the Triune God on [date, congregation], confirmed in the Christian faith on [date, congregation], graduated from [name of high school, college, technical school, or such institution] on [date], was married to Mandy on [date, congregation] enjoying and toiling [x] years as husband and wife together. [They were blessed in their union by the birth(s) of [x] child(ren)]. He was ordained into the office of Holy Ministry on [date], serving the people of God [x] years in full-time ministry and [x] years of pulpit supply in retirement.”
A listing of significant dates shall include the most important ones: those involving the Christian life in faith. This is also a good spot for a military service record and/or other public service like law enforcement, elected office, service organizations, term as king or queen, and the like. It makes for better reading to list activities dryly here and expound on them in the following section.
“‘Pacco Kappa’ as he was called by little ones struggling to learn their intervocalic ‘s’es and terminal ‘r’s…” [Fluffy details and glowing remembrances go here. Please avoid making the deceased sound like a flawlessly angelic figure in need of no savior. Definitely avoid saying they deserve admission into the heavens by dint of their deeds or character.]
In my case, this will be a short section. The life and times bit is very important to the surviving family. It will likely be the hardest part to write. No one is likely to get all the things they want into the obituary. Space limitations and the memory-blurring power of immediate grief are certain to truncate the data contained herein. Survivors, don’t beat yourselves up about a perfect remembrance. The years to come and your memories will serve far better than these paragraphs.
“He was preceded in death by [expand or abridge this section as desired], and all the host of those have died in the faith.
He is survived by [living relative and descendants are listed here, close/beloved acquaintances are also appropriate].
We, the surviving family, with certain confidence, entrust our son, brother, grandson, friend, pastor, (list exhaustively), into the arms of Jesus Christ, who called him by name on [baptismal date], and who is the Resurrection and the Life.”
The conclusion should absolutely recapitulate our only true hope and promise. There is no comfort outside of Jesus and his work for our loved ones, which has now been delivered! Double down on the thing that gives a lasting comfort: the deceased was promised salvation in their baptism. And they have it today!
Details for visitation, funeral service, interment, and memorials may follow. These announcements aren’t exactly “part” of the obituary. They’re more like obituary-adjacent material. Do your survivors a solid. Start working on your own obituary today. Even just a collection of dates and basic details will help them immensely.
Let us confess Jesus Christ, certain of the resurrection.
I’m compiling an ever-increasing list of errors, failures, and generally bad advice that rose to prominence in the 20th century. While the list is mostly church-related, there are familial and societal issues mingled in. This topic is more familial with theological undertones. Following are five good standards for young people to find a mate (or having one found for them).
First: Faith & Practice
Coming into the 20th century, the prevailing wisdom for young people was to find a husband or a wife within their church tradition, even within their language group (Wendish, German, Polish, Czech, French, etc.). At the turn of the 21st century, that wisdom faded into a hollow hope. Certainly, you’ve heard some statements like these: “At least they’re a Christian.” “I think they believe.” “They might convert when kids come along.”
An unbeliever or a noncommittal Christian is unlikely to have a proper moral compass either. Husbands and wives are bound closer or separated further from each other by their adherence to God’s law. Dishonesty and unfaithfulness are two major disasters that may be averted by similar faith, practice, and commitment to the faith.
Should we be surprised at the rate of marital failure? Is the lack of families growing up in church any surprise? No, in both cases, this is entirely predictable. Confusion or uncertainty about the church in a marriage will lead to confusion, uncertainty, or, more likely, complete apostasy (abandoning the faith) among any children.
The older course is the better course. A generic believer or Christian isn’t good enough for your kids. They need a suitable mate with a high likelihood of marital success. Young people should look for a mate in the churches of their tradition and of close practice to their own. It’s no secret that a huge church in Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio and a small church in Fayette County are unlikely to gather for worship in similar ways. Encourage the young to look in familiar-sounding and looking churches. There are endless battles in marriage. Every sword we can take out of the hands of a world that hates faithful marriage is worth doing.
Second: Money
The number one cause of divorce in the United States remains money fights and money problems. The value of agreeing on how to manage our money before we earn it can’t be undersold. Along with Dave Ramsey, I suggest that giving, eliminating debt, and saving are the most peaceful ways for couples to manage their finances. Regardless of how, we have to agree on how to manage our money. Well-managed finances in a marriage are actually a tactic in fighting off divorce. It’s another weapon taken out of the world’s hand.
This one has a unique ability to be rectified on the fly. Couples can change the whole trajectory of the marriage or the failure by straightening out finances. Working together towards a common goal helps rebuild trust and intimacy. Fighting off the wolves at the door will steel us in our resolve toward each other.
Third: Kids
How many children will we have? How soon will we try? As an extension of the first point, what church will they attend? How will we be doing schooling? How will we guide them in dating? Disagreements here can easily shipwreck a marriage.
I encourage young people to marry young and have children early. My own life is a predictable, negative example. Waiting to marry and have children can place you outside the biological window. The desire to have children doesn’t automatically agree with God’s blessings in opening and closing the womb.
Modern medicine may be a tool to fight back, but not necessarily always advisedly. There are moral concerns with the unnecessary products of fertility. In some cases, those “products” are fertilized human embryos, you know, living babies, unneeded and presumably frozen in a suspended, unliving state forever.
It’s far simpler to marry well, marry young, and have babies soon.
Fourth: Attraction
He ought to find her pretty. She ought to find him handsome. We often downplay these criteria among Christians. “We should look for what’s inside.” Attraction is far more complex than it looks. However, physical attraction is an inseparable element. It makes a suitable shorthand for the whole of attraction.
Fifth: Submission & Headship
This was largely taboo for discussion among Christians in the mid to late 1900s. Fortunately, Christian gender roles are seeing a resurgence recently. For gals, y’all need to be hunting for a man who’s willing to lead. Leadership is not simply authority; it comes with responsibility. A man doesn’t get to shift blame. His leadership comes with being the sole culprit in our failures.
For the fellas, y’all need to be looking for a woman who can follow and support you. Power struggles within a marriage are a recipe for disaster. This disaster comes to us from the fall into sin. The native sin of the man is to shirk authority. The native sin of the woman is to seize it.
“To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be over your husband, And he shall rule over you.”
Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.’” (Genesis 3:16-19 KNJV)
Bonus: Parental Approval
Yes, your parents do need to approve. It may seem fun or edgy to rebel against their wisdom. It’s not to your benefit. They are God’s gift to you. Some of the stupidity they’re trying to preserve is their own. Your parents want a better life for you than their own.
[Sixteenth in a series of posts on last things] Encore Post: The death announcement is as much a part of an obituary as it can be without being in it. The announcement quickly indicates who the deceased is and where they currently reside. The hopelessness and unmitigated grief in death for unbelievers is the opposite of what we get to confess as Christians. Here is a great standardised format of how we ought to speak of our loved ones in death, commonly used by many pastors in the LCMS. I learned it from my vicarage supervisor, Rev. Robert Smith formerly of the CTSFW Library.
“It has pleased Almighty God on September 8th, 2022 to call into His presence Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, who, baptised in the name of the Triune God, trusted in Christ, whose tears are gone and whose sorrows have been turned into joy. We pray God will comfort those who mourn her death with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord!”
“It Has Pleased Almighty God to call into His presence…” Our temporal death is a release from our bondage to the sin that remains in this flesh before the resurrection of all flesh on the last day. Our Lord loves us and is pleased to see us delivered from this vale of tears. Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to die for your sins. It shouldn’t surprise us to hear that our death and deliverance into His presence is His will and our blessing.
“…Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor …who, baptised in the name of the Triune God…” The pagan world has convinced us we can only find comfort in memory. In Christ, that’s not so. In the announcement, we say why we should take comfort. Memory can help us. But the only certain comfort, the only true comfort, comes from the knowledge that God has kept His word. He has saved the Queen, Aunt Hildegard, and Uncle Fritz. He saved them through their baptism, preserved them in the Christian faith, and delivered them to Himself.
In the case of the death announcement and the obituary, it is good to use their full baptismal name. Nicknames and/or titles may follow. Your baptismal name is the name God used when He called you His own and put faith into your heart. This is also true of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.
“Who… trusted in Christ, whose tears are gone and whose sorrows have been turned into joy.” Everyone who lives a Christian life has lived from the moment of their baptism in faith. They are forgiven and renewed in that same faith by the continued blessings of the Lord in His absolution and His Eucharist for the forgiveness of sins. In that promise, Jesus has brought her from this vale of tears into heavenly joy.
“We pray that God will comfort those who mourn her death with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead.” We’ve developed a lazy habit through social media of saying, “prayers.” It’s hollow, keeping up an appearance of faith. Christians and non-Christians alike share the sentiment, revealing its emptiness. Dear Christians, we pray in specificity. In death, we pray for comfort to the survivors. Their comfort comes from the Lord. It flows from the knowledge of God’s faithfulness to us.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord!” He has delivered Elizabeth from death into eternal life. He will do it for you, too. That’s the comfort of the resurrection. This separation through death is temporary. We will see it brought to resolution in Christ with our own eyes on the last day.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.” (Psalm 116:15-16)
