We will remember them… but should we pray for those who have died?
The Church of England resources for the commemoration of World War I encourage us to pray that God would grant “the departed rest” and “grant to those who have died in war your mercy and forgiveness”. Andrew Goddard helpfully highlighted some of the theological issues surrounding this liturgy on a blog, while also wondering out loud whether evangelicals were bothered about this issue any more.
Certainly for open evangelicals, Tom Wright has spoken perfectly clearly on this topic: “I see no reason why we should not pray for and with the dead, and every reason why we should – not that they will get out of purgatory, but that they will be refreshed, and filled with God’s joy and peace. Love passes into prayer; we still love them; why not hold them, in that love, before God?” (Surprised by Hope, p. 184).
But what about conservative evangelicals? Do these liturgical innovations bother us?
In short, I believe the answer is yes.
In our archives, we have some valuable resources to help us grapple with these issues. For a quick overview, see David Philips’ CrossWay article. For a more in-depth analysis of the situation in the late 1960s, Arthur Bennett’s Churchman article provides a thorough discussion of the issues in their historical, theological and biblical context. In some ways there is little critique needed beyond what Goddard says and what these articles observe.
What is lacking, as far as I am aware, is work on a pastoral, evangelical alternative to prayers for the dead. We are too often heard saying no, and this must change! Here are some positive steps that might be developed by some enterprising soul:
Guidance on how to encourage appropriate remembrance and thankfulness in our intercessions and annual programme, so that those bereaved can continue to bring the loss to the Lord in pastorally and theologically helpful ways. Such a ministry could prove evangelistically fruitful and well as pastorally helpful, and there might well be existing examples of good practice that could be shared.
We ought to appreciate the educational value of public prayer and liturgy that should shape and develop our private prayer lives in healthy ways, wherever people may be starting from in their distress and confusion. There are wonderful riches in our formularies of appropriate ways of mentioning the departed in our prayers, such as the prayer for the church militant in the BCP Communion Service. The New Testament would encourage us not to pray for the departed, but rather for the return of the Lord Jesus.
Finally, it would help to have the wonderful assurance of the Christian gospel of justification by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone set out in such a way that those who have experienced bereavement might find comfort in the resurrection hope for those who have died in Christ and learn to trust the merciful justice of God for those whose standing before the Lord was unclear or even appeared hostile to the end. Anything less would be a failure in the pastoral duty of gospel ministers to show love to those who grieve.
Phillips, David. What should we pray? Prayer for the dead in Anglican liturgy, CrossWay 106 (2007).
Bennett, Arthur. Prayer for the Departed, Churchman 81/4 (1967): 252–64.