<> Ask the Pastor by Rev. Walter Snyder Dear friends and regular readers, welcome back. And welcome to our new readers, as well. Before the questions, we'll go through a couple of corrections from last week. The first: In the section on discussion lists, a few words were omitted in one sentence. It should have read, "My 'private' lists are one for conservative Christians who are also politically conservative and one especially for Christians in scientific professions and a few Christian non-scientists who try to keep up with the science." Since then, I've also subscribed to one on Liturgics (the study of worship) and one on religious humor. The second error was a typo first caught by a reader who tried to find my home page on the World Wide Web. My correct address is "http://home.aol.com/Xrysostom" and not "alo" as the article said. Our first question is seasonal, and it also points out differences as we visit other congregations. Q: I'd like to sound you out on something related to The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. (We normally attend a reformed Baptist church). We enter the sanctuary and there's a huge--15'--evergreen, all decorated. I view a Christmas tree in a sanctuary where the church gathers for corporate worship to be inappropriate. But, we're guests, so I grin and bear it. Having spent 40 odd years as a pagan humanist prior to conversion, I react strongly to humanist symbols as they crop up in the church. One would think Christianity has sufficient symbols of its own without having to borrow the pagans'. Then, as an announcement, the pastor invites everyone to the tree dedication ceremony later in the week. Tree dedications? To whom? Are tree dedications standard LCMS practice or just a local phenomenon? Thanks for your input in advance. A: Generally, Lutherans (and many other Christians) view Christmas trees in the same way as stained glass windows, banners, and such. They are used to enhance the worship setting, to help in instruction or contemplation, or to respond with joy and thanksgiving to God. While the origins of the Christmas tree may be pagan, it's long had a place among Christians. Many people believe that the reformer Martin Luther may have introduced the Christmas tree in its present form, so Lutherans especially hold them near and dear. As for the dedication, I'll have to take a few educated guesses. Lutherans normally dedicate those things which will be part of the worshiping community or the Divine Service. This is a common practice in much of Christendom. Our Agenda, a book of occasional services and special rites, has dedicatory rites for buildings, organs, bells, church furnishings and such. Since the tree will be used as a focal point in corporate worship, perhaps they are following this tack and doing the same with it. Is it "normal?" If you mean, "Do most of us do it?" then the answer is no. If you mean, "Is this something that falls within the confines of accepted Lutheran practice?" then the answer is probably yes. As an aside, much of what we take for granted as "Christian" has pagan roots. The very title "Christian" was initially used as a slur by unbelievers. And we cannot forget that the symbol of the Church that's most universally recognized and held in esteem--the cross--has an ugly pagan history. Q: I've always called the worship area of my church the "sanctuary." In a visit to a Catholic church, they used the word "nave." What does this mean? A: A "sanctuary" can be any holy place. Some churches use it to identify their area for worship. "Nave" is Latin for "ship," and is so-called both because of its general shape and because it is a visual reminder that Christ's Church is the Ark that floats us safely above the storms of this sinful world. There are many other special words used in church architecture. Among them are "chancel," which is the area surrounding the altar, "narthex," or entry area (sometimes called the "vestibule"), "vestry," which is where the minister "vests," or dresses in the clothing particular to the worship, and "sacristy," which is where the vessels for Holy Communion are kept, and are often filled and cleaned. That finishes another week. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" your questions at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; e-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Jasper and Faith Lutheran Church, Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1995 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.