If the pastor administering the Lord's Supper does not impact the benefit/power of this Sacrament (i.e., his sins or theological beliefs) then why is it wrong to take communion from a Methodist, Baptist pastor, since it doesn't depend on the pastor's faith?

Is the United States a Christian Nation?  Has the United States ever been a Christian Nation?

As a believer, how can I minister/share words of comfort to those who survive the death of a loved one who professes adamantly that he is an unbeliever? The same question would apply to acquaintances who are of the Muslim belief.  There doesn't seem to be any words of comfort for those who are not believers.

During a Lenten service, we had a printed prayer of confession that stated the following: "Forgive our sins great and small."  Twice this year that we have heard in a worship of "big and little sins" or "great and small sins." From my understanding of the Lutheran Confessions, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and Scripture, sin is sin.  Are there large and small sins in the eyes of the Lord?

I have a very difficult time praying.  I'm easily distracted, and my mind quickly jumps to other things.  Lately I've read some books by Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating on the practice of centering (or contemplative) prayer.  Is this type of prayer compatible with the Christian faith?  Does the LCMS have a position on this type of prayer?

I always love to visit your wonderful website for your insight into Christian doctrine.  I do have a question today that I don't see addressed anywhere:  Does the Lutheran church have an opinion regarding the Shroud of Turin?  Many Christian churches do not seem to take either side of the debate and so good information on the issue is hard to come by.

I was reading an article about Jesus dying on the cross.  It said that when Jesus died, only the human part of Him died, because if the Deity part of Him died with the human part, that would mean that God died, and that's not possible.  What does the LCMS teach on this subject?

Could someone please elaborate on Matthew 27:52-53?   I don't recall it ever being addressed in any of my Sunday school classes.  It seems like a pretty significant event!  

How can we be sure the Biblical accounts of Jesus' death are accurate? I understand the books of the Bible were used for basis of fact for the movie, "The Passion."  If so, were not they taken from the Biblical author's best recollections "decades" after the event? Even if these recollections were the "inspired" word of God, how then do we know for sure these Biblical accounts were not  "skewed"  because of the author's cultural/spiritual prejudices of his time, or simply subject to error because of the length of time after the fact?

Why doesn't it make sense to consider that man could have slowly evolved over centuries, rather than in an "instant" of creativity by God?  Just how long was a day--or a person's "life"--in the beginning?  Could not the sixth "day" actually have been thousands or millions of years?

My husband and I recently went to see the movie, "The Passion." I was wondering who the man was with Mary and Mary Magdelene.  My husband believes it was Jesus' brother, James. My mother and I were unaware that Jesus had a brother. Why isn't there more talk about Jesus' entire family, if it is true that James was his brother?  

I was wondering what the LCMS standing is on whether or not Judas went to Hell because he hung himself. Since it was all part of God's plan, wouldn't it mean he was saved?

Could you please provide the LCMS's stand on women serving communion in worship service to assist the pastor?