The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Those Traditions!

The post on Sunday night service has reminded me of a discussion. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/chatter.gif" alt="" /> My friend who was a Calvinist recently embraced the Luthern church and the banter has ensued. I've only been to a Luthern service a couple of times but I have studied their doctrine some. In Luther's Small Catechism, he talks about getting up in the morning, signing the cross, and reciting the Lord's prayer and the same thing when going to bed. This helps, especially young Christians to maintain a good habit of praying and staying focused on God.
Well, our discussion led to the topic of imposing rituals" or "traditions" upon the church. He said the reason Luthern doctrine is Biblically correct is because of the traditions that have kept or help to keep it that way. IMHO, it doesn't seem right to say that traditions or extra-biblical traditions are what help to keep doctrine pure.
It seems that I find nontraditional traditions in the Baptist church I attend. Every Sunday morning we have a "greet your neighbor" event and sometimes I don't feel like greeting my neighbor. And when I do feel like going to greet my neighbor that I haven't talked to in a while, then the music for a song starts before I finish my conversation. But I must say that the Church does take communion every Sunday.
I really have enjoyed the presbyterian worship service and Luthern service(s) that I have attended because of the quality of reverence that I am about to partake in a very serious matter. But what about using extra-Biblical traditions for matters of worship? Are they inescapable no matter the denomination? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Banghead.gif" alt="" /> Can traditions be enjoyed within the church to promote godliness and worship of Christ?<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" />

Ehud

Ehud,

Perhaps this article, Tradition: Romish and Protestant, by John Murray might help. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In His Grace,

Hello, Ehud

I've only recently begun posting on The Highway, so this is the first opportunity we have had to interact with one another. Could I ask you for a clarification? Depending upon your clarification I would like to say a few things in favor of tradition.

The question is whether you are asking: 1) whether all traditions can be justified equally; or 2) the correct place for tradition; or what is similar, 3) should tradition always give way to Scripture should the two be found to conflict in some way.

I'm a Presbyterian, but kind of a "barebones" Presbyterian, so I don't think your reply will hurt my feelings in any way.

Hi Richard,

Welcome to the Highway! What is a "barebones" Presbyterian?

Thanks for the welcome, gotribe. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bananas.gif" alt="" /> In the context I meant that I am not one of the Presbys who hold to a very elaborate form of worship. I'm also "barebones" in the sense that I'm not a big one on ecclesiastical centralization (having a greater trust in the elders of the local congregation than I do generally for synodocrats 1000 miles away). There are some who object to my terms "barebones" and "minimalist." I wouldn't argue with those who simply wanted to call me a constitutionalist.

Our worship is simple, our church building is not very ornate, we dress and live modestly. Hmmmn. I guess I invest the term with more meaning than I originally thought. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif" alt="" />

I like the article <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/BigThumbUp.gif" alt="" />


So if a church recites the creed every Sunday as tradition, they are not doing so because it is expressly laid down in scripture but b/c it is inferred that the statments made in the creed are the most plainly laid out in scripture and that it is good to confess what scripture teaches? I'm not sure that looks like a question at all but try and read it as such.

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" />How do Luthern traditions infer their physical traditions such as crossing the chest and and the ceremonial candles and kneeling? If the Luthern church has its traditions and a Reformed church has its traditions can we say at this point <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers2.gif" alt="" />"to each his own" as long as these traditions are inferred or grounded on the authority of scripture?

In Christ,
Faris

Just thought you would like to know that there are reformed churches, who are not Lutheran, who hold similar traditions. The German Reformed churches, of the Heidelberg persuasion also observe many of these traditions. As the article stated, they need to stand the test of Scripture.

As an aside; I was reading this week that people with dementia often maintain a spiritual life after other faculties are gone. The ones who had traditions, liturgies, creeds, etc. fare better. They recall those things when then can remember little else.

SDG

I as a Baptist believe it is a shame that many Baptist Churches have gone away from tradition. By tradition I mean confessions such as the LBCF.
If more Churches would look to there traditions, there probably wouldn't be the factions within the same denomination as there is today, a case in point is the SBC.

Many anti-traditionalists seem to believe that traditionalists (other that RC's) believe their tradition is on par with Scripture. When nothing is further from the truth.

Tom