Rod and Staff. Disorderly Children in Church. Golgotha. Does God Have a Soul?
by the Rev. Walter Snyder

Q: My dad is trying to find info concerning the staff and rod: What was the use of each or are
they the same thing? Where can I find Scripture concerning this topic also what is your take?

A: The Twenty-third Psalm pairs these two. The general consensus is that the rod refers to a type of
club with which to defend the flock and the staff is a longer rod or pole, like a walking stick, upon
which the shepherd could lean or with which he could guide the flock. Passing the flock under a rod
or staff was a shepherd's way of counting his sheep (see Leviticus 27:32; cf. Ezekiel 20:37). Some
translations of Revelation 11:1 also mention these two being used by John to measure the temple of
God and the altar and those who worship there.

Q: I was unable to find the answers I needed in your archives. Could you please help me with
why it is wrong for children to run up the aisles during worship and for grown adults to talk
during services? We have this problem in our church and I was wanting an article for the
bulletin or newsletter to get various peoples attention.

A: In short, it goes against Paul's command that worship be done "decently and in good order."
Allowing children to run amok and adults to carry on conversations is rude not only to the
congregation but to the Savior who is speaking to them through his called pastors. Shame on those
who get between Christ and his hungry sheep with their babbling mouths and disorderly children.
Notice that I do not say that children should be muzzled. However, they should be under parental
control and the adults should be self-controlled.

We should also consider who is hurt most by such behavior. It's not the adults; most of us can learn
to tune out the distractions. As a pastor, I can always talk louder. It's the children themselves who are
most affected. Those who are causing the disruptions are not being taught how to receive God's gifts
in Word and Sacrament, nor to respond to them in prayer and song. Furthermore, since the other
children are distracted and enticed by bad behavior, they, too, are not allowed the fullness of what
God offers in the service.

Q: Golgotha---could you please tell me what it is and its meaning or importance?

A: It's the hill, also known as Calvary, upon which Christ was crucified. It is mentioned in Matthew
27:33, Mark 15:22, and John 19:17. It is the Aramaic word that was translated to ~kranion~ in Greek,
rendered ~calvaria~ in the Latin Bible, and came to English as "Calvary." ~Kranion~ and ~Golgotha~ both
mean "skull." Three possible reasons for the name have been offered: 1) Skulls were found there; 2)
It was a place of execution; or 3) The site in some way resembled a skull. We know from Scripture
that it was outside Jerusalem, fairly conspicuous, probably not far from a city gate and a highway,
and that a garden containing a tomb was nearby.

Q: Does God have a soul?

The way Scripture talks about God and the way it mentions souls, it's hard to say. If yes, then I'd say
that He doesn't really *have* one, rather that He *is* one, in its purest form. However, I think it
more likely that as the Eternal God, He is without one, yet in the Person of Jesus, as true man as well
as God He has a living soul. This is confessed in the Athanasian Creed.

Confused? Me too. But I guess God decided that this wasn't essential information, or knew that we
wouldn't understand, even if He gave us all the facts.

To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send email to
askthepastor@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book
"What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor is copyright (c) 2001 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including
this disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and
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