<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder I've taken care of some of my civil obligations. Early voting started Wednesday, and I've filled in my ballot and dropped it in the box. Now I can watch the completion of the campaigns with the eye of one who is already done, waiting for the rest to cross the finish line. Q: What do you do if you don't have a question to answer? Do you answer all the questions you get? How long do people wait? A: All these have been asked of me by many people several times. I figure it's about time to answer them for those who might be wondering. To answer the first question, I either write a straight essay or else pose a question of myself. I try to do it so that it is clear that I am asking a question of myself. Often, I paraphrase questions that I've received during the week and have already answered, at least in part, by mail, E-mail, or in person. If the question is appropriate for a wider audience, I may ask if I can use it and expand upon it in the column. Some questions you read were not presented to me in such fashion as they were asked in this space. Maybe because of an extended discussion in which I was involved, a column theme came forth. Some have come out of Bible studies I've been leading (current ones include Proverbs, James, and the Corinthian Epistles). A good number have been posed by people I talk with at restaurants, football games, or soccer practices. I'll jot down a couple notes on a piece of scrap paper, then set them aside until I can answer. As for answering everything, I do try. I leave alone those who keep trying to force one point of view on me, or who are trying to get me to accept their personal agenda. Likewise, those who ask the equivalent of "are you nuts?" don't usually get an answer. In their minds, I am; in my mind, I figure it's better to continue being thought a fool for the sake of the Gospel than to prove I'm one by continually arguing with someone. If you're looking for Scriptural references here, Paul's comments on the crucifixion being a "stumbling block" and "folly" and some of the admonitions of Proverbs and James fit quite neatly. Sometimes, I only answer the person who asks. Some of what comes in is too personal or too specific for a column like "Ask the Pastor." At times, I wait until a situation is resolved, then ask permission to summarize what another person and I have gone through in a column. I don't bring such an issue to print unless I can protect the privacy of those involved. Concerning how long you wait, I try to respond within a few weeks. The recent question on depression sat for several months because I wanted to get things right. I'd talked a little with the person involved beforehand, but waited to do the column until I had an answer with which I was happy. It turns out that this column drew more comments than any other I've done. I now have questions on our treatment of immigrants and on predestination. These are sticky, complex questions which require researching, soul-searching, and tight writing to cut them down to column size. The constraints of the format argue against a few questions. They are too broad or require too much space. This is the *Newsboy*, not *Pastor Snyder's Newsboy*; I don't get eight pages each Sunday for one question. Sometimes I'll subdivide a question, answering it in parts over two or three weeks. I may ask the questioner to rephrase, or I take the broad question and look for a specific which lurks at its heart. Because new readers come to the *Newsboy* all the time, and because people sometimes need to hear something again, I might come back to an already-answered question. I may find more to say on the subject, or could find a better way of saying something. You'll also notice that if no one poses a question specific to a major Church festival, I'll skip the Q&A format so as to talk about that topic. This is especially true at the high feasts of the Nativity and the Resurrection of the Lord. I believe that they are too important to ignore, even if no inquiries are at hand. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" by mail at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951 or E-mail to or by stopping me on the street. I'm down to the last few questions once again. Of course, now that I think we're done, we'll probably get a flood of new subjects. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas, and coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 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.