MEMORIALS ARE CULTURAL PRACTICES, SO, DON’T BREAK YOUR LEG OVER THEM
Kellys Kaunda
Memorial services are human inventions. As the word itself entails, it’s a way of remembering the dead.
Some go to the burial site, some go to church and others choose to meet at home or any designated place.
The church doesn’t own memorial services because there’s no divine or scriptural support for it. So, whatever a church leader says about it can only be taken under advisement. And don’t lose sleep over it.
Sometimes church leaders pronounce themselves on matters that are essentially cultural but with a tone that give them scriptural authority. This can be misleading.
In fact, the church has appropriated memorial services so much so that, it feels ungodly if they are not held in church and the men and women of God do not preside over them.
I can understand. Not many Christians study the Bible for themselves to understand it well enough to distinguish traditions from matters of salvation.
If you don’t hold a memorial service today, listen, you haven’t sinned against heaven. Yes, you may feel like something is wrong because it was expected to be held as per tradition. A departure from known practices does just that. The symbolism they carry, if missed, can psychologically disturb you. But you will be alright.
Memorials, like death, are private or family matters. The Lungu family are the right authority over ECL’s memorial service just as they are the authority over his burial. The church may shut its doors to their desire to hold a memorial service for their loved one, but they may do so in another venue other than the church