what is church tradition?

Introduction, Part 1

It was the First Sunday of Advent, 2017 (not that I really knew what that meant), and I had heard that one of my favorite authors would be speaking at the local Episcopal church. So, I played hooky from my non-denominational, evangelical church (where the dress code was something along the lines of "wear clothes"), donned a button-up shirt and some slacks, and pointed my motorcycle downtown.

As I walked into the nearly century-old sanctuary, I could tell that I was stepping into a world with a strange combination of the familiar and the… well, new wasn't the right word, because this room felt distinctly ancient, far older than the storefront sanctuary I was used to. Stained glass depictions of the Disciples stood high on each wall, with dark wood paneling throughout the room, and the pipes of a magnificent organ dominated the walls around the altar.

I wasn't sure I had actually ever been in a church with a genuine pipe organ.

Needless to say, this was a new experience for me. And yet, as I said, there was an element of familiarity to it. Sure, the music and decor were different, and I hadn't seen a choir robe since I was a kid! But as they read Scripture, sang the Psalms, and even recited the Lord's Prayer, I was reassured that these were my brothers and sisters.

My first experience in a liturgical church service was a bit of a culture shock. But it was also a refreshing experience, one that made me feel connected to the body of Christ. The experience awakened a new interest in church tradition.

After that visit, I took some time to learn about the Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican tradition. I learned about the Book of Common Prayer, one of several books used during the service. (They also used hymnals, which my church did have when I was growing up.... We never used them, but they were there!)

A couple of years later, I stumbled across a video where a guy from a non-traditional background visited a Greek Orthodox church, and I was enthralled! Here was an even more ancient tradition, utterly foreign to my own church experience, and yet we worshiped the same Christ and held the same fundamental beliefs.

Both of these experiences, and my subsequent studies, have helped me discover a richness to church tradition and history that I'd just never seen before. Now, I know that the forefathers of my branch of Christianity abandoned some traditions because they believed it was the right thing to do. They believed they were returning to the heart of Christianity. Other traditions were allowed to die perhaps because we lost sight of the meaning behind them, allowing them to become rote and empty.

But I was starting to get the sense that we'd thrown the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.

so what do we mean by church tradition?

Christian traditions fall into two broad categories. A handful of traditions are commanded by Scripture, such as Baptism and Holy Communion. If we call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ, disciples, these are the things that are required of us by Christ.

But many traditions have developed over the centuries as customs of worship, devotion, and fellowship. None of these traditions are required of all Christians at all times, although they may be required of all members of a certain church or denomination. Even those traditions that are commanded by Scripture may be done differently by different groups.

For example, some churches sing hymns and songs with vocals only. Others only use a pipe organ or piano, and others use a full modern band. I once heard a priest say that adding instruments risked turning worship into a performance. I've certainly been in worship services where it felt more like a performance than worship, so I won't deny that there is a risk.

Am I sinning, then, just by playing bass on my church's modern worship team? Certainly not, but I will admit that it is easy to get distracted or shift into a performative mindset. I could combat that temptation by quitting the worship team, maybe even finding a church that didn't use instruments. Or, I could take more time to prepare my heart, with the help of the Holy Spirit, for worship, and make more of an effort to stay in a mindset of worship.

I have a massive respect for the tradition of worship of that priest, who would exclude instruments to try to prevent distraction. But it is a tradition in which we differ, and that's OK.

a plea for charity

Christians have argued -- and churches have even split -- over important disagreements. But let's be honest, divisions within the body of Christ have also happened over issues that are not truly important. One of my hopes for this project is that it will bring more understanding between brothers and sisters of Christ who come from different traditions. In chapter 17 of John's Gospel, Jesus prays for unity amongst his disciples and those who would follow them:

"I do not ask for these only [the disciples], but also for those who will believe in me through their word [that includes us!], that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."

John 17:20-23

As we look at church traditions that are different from ours, let's approach them with a sense of respect and love (charity). When a tradition rubs us the wrong way, let's give some serious thought to whether that's really because it contradicts Scripture, or if it's just unfamiliar to us.

Next, we'll discuss the potential benefits and dangers of traditions.