When we use the word "traditional" - what do we mean?
Traditional as in....we feel comfortable with it?
Traditional as in....it's the way we have always done this?
Traditional as in....better?
What is traditional kids work? Get your flannelgraphs out....
(that sounds a bit rude!)
Someone's just asked me if one of our Easter services will have a traditional flavour. Ummmm. Does that mean marching, shouting, dancing, blowing trumpets and horns, sacrificing animals with still-beating hearts or....? My point is: at which point in history does "traditional" refer to?
One thing I know - at Easter we focus on the cross and on all that was accomplished there and on the power and might of God who resurrected Jesus from the dead - and what relevance that has for us today.
If that's traditional, I'm all for it!
Traditional: owned and meaningful communal practices by which through participation we express and are formed into the people of God.
ReplyDeleteI quite agree!
ReplyDeleteYou have an award over at my blog :)
Oooh Lucy I'm away over to see, sounds exciting. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHey Stuart, glad to have your helpful definition.
One question - and this is me bandying this thought about rather than being difficult - can meaningful communal practices become binding traditions when carried out by rote?
(thinking of Luther's catechisms - is it possible that tradition could become unhelpful legalism?)
Or is tradition always positive?
I feel some writings on the marks of the church coming on.....