Traditions - are they worth holding on to?

This paper originated as a discussion starter by Andrew Knight (EFCW Chair) for a meeting of the EFCW Executive, and is meant therefore to provoke debate rather than provide definitive answers.

If the secular world makes no connection between Christmas and Easter, Christians know better.  Year by year we tell the stories of Jesus’ birth and death, but link them with those of his life and ministry, valuing the chance to think again of his popular appeal and the growth of opposition leading to his condemnation.  Each of our congregations faces similar questions in their own mission: how can they ensure that Jesus is noticed and taken seriously, and where will the opposition focus?

The Evangelical tradition has valued simplicity, both in telling the stories, and in worshipping the Lord revealed by them.  Indeed, we have  been hostile to those who, by language or ritual, have created a “club” whose members see themselves as superior and keep others out, at least until they have served a lengthy apprenticeship and learnt “how to do things properly”.  In support of this we have not only quoted Jesus readiness to relate seriously to all sorts of people, but also used texts like Mark 7, where Jesus refuses to endorse the “tradition of the elders” to condemn his disciples, but instead condemns those who “abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition” – a serious failure of faith (Mark 7:8).

There are two points I would like to make about this.  The first is that we all have a “human tradition”, even in Church.  It doesn’t have to be fussy or elaborate to be a barrier to people who don’t know about it, and hesitate in case they do the wrong thing.  This is why there have been many efforts in recent years to understand the problem, and make it easier for “outsiders” to come “in” with less difficulty and embarrassment.  This is good, because it means that we are trying to take the “commandment of God” – in this case, to make Jesus known and honoured – more seriously than the human tradition of “the way we have always done things”.

But this is harder than it might seem, as the gospel again shows.  In Luke 9:49, John tells Jesus of his attempt to stop someone using Jesus’ power, and Jesus tells him not to do this.  Clearly even the disciples tried to protect “their group” against outsiders: it was a natural thing to do.  We do the same, and have all sorts of reasons for it (not all of them are bad – we want to protect the teaching ministry, or the standards of behaviour, or…).

You might like to reflect on what this means for you.  I suggest that any attempt to reach out in mission means facing the fact that success will change our “group” (congregation, organisation, church).  If it changes our group, it will also change us.  Even the best of our godly habits may need to adapt, or we shall be left in the position of the Pharisees opposing Jesus.  They said, about the habit of hand-washing before meals, “Do it properly, (in the way that makes us important!)”  Jesus said “What is important is to do what God tells you.  If you can’t recognise that, you are not doing it properly, but getting in God’s way.”  Christian discipleship has to be ready to change patterns of habit and behaviour if it is to be faithful to Christ.