Pondering Pastor

Funerals for someone who has committed suicide are challenging for the Christian pastor.   For much of Christian history, and for much of modern Christendom, suicide is considered an “unforgivable sin”.  I’m not convinced that suicide has placed someone irrevocably beyond God’s grace.  There are examples of suicide in scripture where there is no negative judgment.  In fact, 1 Samuel 31:4 has the account of Saul commanding his armor bearer to kill him, and when the armor bearer refuses, Saul falls upon his own sword.  Some will argue that Saul was already out of favor with God.  Some will make a distinction that a situation where one is likely to be killed and abused by one’s enemy is different than someone who willingly commits suicide.

Let me simply say that suicide is not a choice I recommend.  I don’t think offering possible scripture passages for a funeral of a suicide victim contributes to suicide.

I’ve conducted at least 2 funerals for people who have committed suicide.  I don’t remember many details of the funeral for the first one.  The second one, I used Matthew 13:24-30 as the scripture text.

Matthew 13:24-30 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

The refrain, “An enemy has done this” can be very effective.  We know that mental illness, including depression, can result in suicide.  I’m convinced that “an enemy has done this” and the experience of the master in knowing the difference between weeds and wheat, what was planted and what was not, who a person is and what awful things have been a part of that person’s life cannot be underestimated.

At least consider it.

Pondering Pastor

The Gospel reading for Sunday, October 14th is the same as what is assigned to Thanksgiving Day, all three years of the Lectionary, Luke 17:11-19

¹¹ On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, ¹³ they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” ¹⁴ When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. ¹⁵ Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. ¹⁶ He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? ¹⁸ Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

Familiarity with a text often breeds boredom and banal preaching. So the options are to either use a less familiar lesson (the Old Testament lesson is fun) or to really approach the Gospel from a very new perspective. So, as I begin to look at this text early in the week, I’ve got some choices to make.

Options after the jump …

(more…)

Luke 17:5-10  5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  6 The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.  7 “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’?  8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’?  9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?  10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”

Early in the week observations, without study.  I’m not scheduled to preach this weekend in a formal church setting.

The lectionary skips the first 4 verses of Luke 17 … about forgiveness.  I’ll forgive the lectionary forgers.

Does Jesus suggest that faith is not something that needs to be increased?  I don’t know anyone with even a “mustard seed” sized faith according to what Jesus describes!

I’m not really sure how verse 7ff, ties to verses 5-6.

Is Jesus saying here that we don’t deserve credit for what we do?

… and then, thinking some …

Faith is an interesting thing.  If our faith was strong enough to plant a mulberry tree in the ocean, who would need faith … who would need God … what value is there in that kind of faith if it leads us away from God?

No matter how much we do, we can’t do more than is expected of us by God.

Increasing our faith might make us better slaves to Christ.

Pondering away ….

Pondering Pastor