Thursday, September 23, 2010

905 - Traditions - do they have any place in church?

Nowadays driving down the road one will see a church sign that explains the contemporary service is at 9am and the more traditional service is at 11am.  Never has it been a strange thought to me to read that.  Actually after reading it I usually sigh in relief that there is one service with a little life.  Sorry, honest truth there.

I find these days of traveling all over tarnation that there is much pride taken in the kind of service one "performs".  I am not sure what is more wrong with that statement - "pride" in a service or "performs" in a service.  Oh well - honest truth again.

There are many churches that divide and split hastily not just over the kind of music in a service, but if the whole service is now taking a more traditional roll or contemporary.  People will walk out because they are not comfortable, don't agree with the new ways, or just flat out hate change.........never to return........to any church.

Needless to say - this is something that needs to be considered and certainly prayed over.

If I am most honest, I prefer a contemporary service.  I am not so much a hymn girl anymore.  But I come from the era that praise chorus, for example, were being introduced and hymns were being used less and less.  I remember hearing about the churches that allowed drums in there service and thinking wow, I am not sure if they love Jesus.  ha ha  I also remember hearing that some churches were moving away from offering an invitation each and every Sunday.  YIKES!  And here is a BIG one - some churches were even moving away from not having a bulletin.  Holy cow - what in the world was i going to doodle on, what was I going to check off as we go along, what was I going to write notes to my friend about??

Traditions - they provided comfort!

This morning I was in 2 Thes. 2 and Paul is addressing the people whom he had ministered.  He was admonishing them to hold fast to all that he had taught them........even the traditions.  Verse 15 - "So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."  The word "teachings" there can be interchanged with traditions.  Of course, Paul, a good Jewish boy, knew all the traditions and knew they had their place.  Of course he also was one that so often preached the freedom in Christ, but knew we shouldn't neglect or abandon the things of old entirely!

So I see this morning that traditions do have their place in this world.  They certainly have their place my personal walk with the Lord.  Can I be free to have freedom as I serve and worship Him? Certainly!!!  But I think the important thing is to remember how we got to where we are.  Remembering why we do things instead of doing things just because it feels right or makes us more comfortable!  Modern day scripture, New Testament, implore us to not let go of the old ways that brought us to this saving grace, but at the same time be willing to learn new and adopt new as times are changing!

Above all "STAND FIRM" in the faith and work it out - constantly!!

Headed to Evansville today to see my gyno - JOY!  ha      Now that is one tradition I would love to abandon!  Praise you Lord - my heart is so full!!  What a wonderful Wednesday night!

2 comments:

livinginbetween said...

Like you, I enjoy contemporary worship and for a while, I sort of scorned the old stuff. But now I see that there is a place for new alongside the old. There is joy in singing a song that's been sung by generations, and there is joy in doing a new thing. We worship in spirit and in truth, and that looks different across the world!

timsarmywifey said...

While I enjoy worship songs I miss the hymns ... so many times we just repeat and repeat the chorus without it meaning anything! Hymns have such great theology we are losing something precious by not including both in worship!