Cremation and the Christian Body
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A Guide for Christian Burial Practices
More Christians are choosing cremation as a burial option for several reasons. Some choose it for financial reasons, some for practical reasons, and some because it is more socially acceptable. Cremation was not historically an option for Christians, so there are not a lot of longstanding Christian customs or traditions with regards to cremation. What should Christians consider when it comes to cremation of a Christian? Our actions and customs around death and burial say something about our belief in what comes next. Christians have a lot to profess when it comes to life after death in light of Jesus’ resurrection. The following hopes to serve as a guide to help Christians make godly decisions about how we treat the deceased human body. There is nothing in the Bible that forbids cremation. The church cannot make any new laws or commands that would burden people’s consciences. The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod has no official position on the matter. However, as Christians, we seek best practices that are informed by our faith and that give witness of our faith to the world. Why did Christians historically not practice cremation? Christians believe in a resurrection of the body, that our body is a gift from the Lord and part of His good creation. Jesus taught that when He would come again, our bodies would be raised up to eternal life. Jesus demonstrated this in His own resurrection, when He showed His disciples that He was not a ghost, but had flesh and bones that they could touch and feel. Likewise, our bodies are now a temple of the Holy Spirit and will be raised up on the last day. The Christian hope is not merely that our souls go to heaven when we die, but that our bodies will be raised to life on the last day. Christians consequently value the human body more than any other religion or philosophy. Greek and Roman pagans did not believe in a resurrection of the body, but that a person’s body had no use after death. This was demonstrated by burning the body and scattering the ashes, to show the utter disappearance of the person. In the Bible, burning is always a picture of judgment, and is associated with the fire of hell. Thus, in the Middle Ages, heretics were burned to show their judgment by God, and to burn someone’s body was to deny the possibility of their resurrection to eternal life. How do Christians treat the dead body of a Christian? Jesus (and St. Paul) resisted speaking of the dead as dead. Notably, Jesus referred to Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:49-56) and His friend Lazarus (John 11:11) as “sleeping.” St. Paul talks about those who have “fallen asleep” until Christ’s return, when their bodies will wake up to eternal life. The biblical word for death is “sleep” because those who are sleeping wake up! In addition, St. Paul speaks of how the natural body is “sown” before it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44. It is sown a perishable body and raised an imperishable body. It is sown in weakness and raised in glory. The image is that the body is like a seed that is planted in the ground, dead in appearance, yet sprouts to new life. How would a Christian have their body prepared for burial with this Biblical language in mind? In the Old Testament, the people of God had tombs where people’s bodies were laid to rest. The Old Testament phrase is “He rested with his fathers, and was buried…” Their existence was marked and remembered, and their bodies were honored. We also remember that our Lord Jesus was laid in a tomb before His resurrection. Christians have continued this practice by carefully preserving the body and marking its existence and resting place, where it would wait for the return of Christ. A Christian funeral give testimony to the resurrection of the body, and not merely that the soul is with Jesus. We take comfort in knowing that at the moment of death, the souls of our loved ones are “with the Lord.” (Philippians 1:23). But it would be incomplete to ignore the promise of the resurrection of the dead (the body), of which Christ is the first fruits (see 1 Corinthians 15). Can God Raise Ashes? There is no doubt that God can raise a body from the dead after it has been cremated. When Christ returns, the sea will give up it’s dead, and all who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake – even those bodies who have been turned to dust (as most bodies have). Daniel 12:2 says “those who sleep in the dust of the earth” will awaken to eternal life. The power of God is so great that he can raise up and restore to life any body, in any shape, in any place. The issue then, is not about the power of God to raise the cremated body, but the witness of our faith that is given in how we treat the deceased body of a Christian, cremated or otherwise. How is our Christian faith made evident in our burial practices? What About Cremation for Christians? If a Christian decides to have their body (or the body of a loved one) cremated, then they need to consider how to demonstrate our faith in “the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come” in the way they treat the cremated remains of a Christian. They should honor the body remains and lay them properly to rest until the return of Christ when they will be raised from the dead. Here are some ways that a Christian body that has been cremated can be honored in accordance with our Christian faith:
These four guidelines, along with counsel and guidance from your pastor, should serve Christians well as we adapt our burial customs yet cling to the same message of hope that we have in our resurrected and living Lord Jesus. Pastoral care will provide more wisdom on how to navigate the grieving process and look to the Lord for comfort and consolation. More and more, our customs and actions make us distinct from the rest of the world, and those who “grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” Christ has been raised from the dead, and so we stand in a living hope of our future with Him and confidently profess our believe “in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Adapted by Rev. Jimmy Riley from the website of Our Savior Lutheran Church and School-Lansing, MI originally written by Pastor Bill Wangelin. |
FAQs about LCMS ViewsWhat is The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s position on cremation?
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has no official position on cremation. Cremation is increasing in favor, in part because of space limitations in some cemeteries and because of health considerations. The primary reason for the increase in cremations is economic, however, since it avoids such costs as the purchase of coffins and cemetery plots and substantially lowers the expense of a funeral. Some Christians continue to oppose cremation, noting that cremation is never referred to positively in the Bible. It is true that early Christians rejected cremation and preferred burial because Jesus Himself was buried and because Greek philosophy looked down on the physical creation and thought that only souls, not bodies, survived death. The Christian burial of bodies was viewed as a way to proclaim the belief that our bodies will be raised from the dead. In their textbook Pastoral Theology (used at our Synod's seminaries), LCMS Pastors Norbert H. Mueller and George Kraus offer this perspective: "Not too long ago, the church viewed cremation negatively. Because the general public associated the practice with heathen religions and/or an attempt to disprove the possibility of the resurrection, Christians were reluctant to consider it. In itself, the practice has no theological significance and may be used in good conscience.” Synod’s Lutheran Service Book Agenda, approved by the LCMS in convention, includes an instruction (rubric) for the committal of a person’s ashes, encouraging burial or interment and discouraging the scattering of the ashes. Those Christians facing the death of a loved one or planning their own funerals are always encouraged to consider the opportunity a Christian’s funeral offers to give witness to our faith in Jesus Christ’s victory over death and His promise of the resurrection of our bodies for eternal life (John 6:40, 44, 54). It is therefore beneficial, as we face such occasions and the decisions they involve, to seek our pastor’s support, advice, and counsel regarding the entirety of the funeral, including the question of cremation. However, this is a matter of Christian freedom, and no Christian who chooses to have a loved one cremated rather than buried should be led to think that such a decision is sinful or in opposition to the Word of God. WELS Q & A What does Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod think of cremation, and what do you do with ashes afterwards?
Scripture is silent on the subject of cremation. It is a matter of personal preference when it comes to burial or cremation. There was a time when some voices in the Christian church cautioned against cremation. In a day and age when some unbelievers utilized cremation as a way to defy God (“Let’s see if this supposed God can put me back together some day.”), some Christians advocated that followers of the Lord not cremate their bodies, so as not to be associated with unbelievers or an activity of unbelievers. That type of taunting has largely disappeared, so Christians today who make use of cremation are not likely to be confused with unbelievers. The choice of cremation over burial often includes ecological, economical and convenience factors. In the end, cremation essentially speeds up the process that occurs with burial: “Dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). And, regardless of cremation or burial, “All who are in their graves will hear his [Jesus’] voice and come out” (John 5:28-29) for judgment on the last day. There is no church policy regarding the disposal of cremains. What a blessing to know and believe in “the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting” (The Apostles’ Creed). God grant that same blessing to many more. |
