Church Traditions: Good or Bad

He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” (Mark 7:6-8)

Does your home church have traditions that are so honored that the purpose of your church is twisted or people are not being led in the right direction?  Perhaps there is a person who wants to command and "lord it" over others?  Or maybe someone, or a group, are trying to keep something alive that does not make sense.  And maybe others are not willing to allow positive feedback, or accept help from others, and so the process of mutual faith and cooperation is absent.  I would call this traditionalism and define it as, an attitude that resists change, adaptation, or alteration.

We have all been there

But I believe some traditions can be a good thing.  They can often remind us of where we came from or help us to focus on Jesus during our church services.  Unfortunately, they can also cause trouble and even chaos in the church.  Churches have split because one group won’t let go of a tradition, while the others see no need for it.

Sometimes churches will split over traditionalism?  It happens when we hold a tradition as a commandment from God that cannot be changed.  Jesus was responding to how the Pharisees looked at Him as a bad person because He was breaking their traditions.  Their traditions seemed good and were meant to honor God.  But, they judged people by how well they kept the traditions and not how much they loved God.

As far as "sacred cows" go (programs that people cling to so much they are unwilling to review or improve them), remember that we should honor the past, and yet embrace the future!  "Sacred cows" are best “put out to pasture” by encouraging their founders and leaders to think about how their time and energy can be better spent in a more useful direction, one they may not have considered previously.  Allow them to brainstorm and then share the vision; let them consider other potential projects.

As we hold on to our traditions above anything else, we are not honoring God with our hearts. We are in reality honoring Him with just our lips.  Are there things you are judging others by that are not commandments of God?  It might be what people wear to church, the version of Bible that they read from, or maybe the music a church plays.  Remember that traditions can take many different forms in our lives and our churches.

I like how Chuck Lawless describes the concepts of good tradition versus bad traditionalism in light of the local church.  [i]  

Why tradition is good:

1) It honors God for what He has done.  Tradition, by definition, is tied to the past.  Ideally, though, it focuses on God and what He has done, not on what we used to do in the church.  Healthy tradition is concerned about glorifying God only.

  

2) It celebrates the past while pressing toward the future.  There’s nothing wrong with celebrating yesterday as long as that rejoicing encourages us to move into the future.  I have attended small country churches that had an annual homecoming service that retold God’s work to encourage their people to capture God’s vision for tomorrow—and that’s a good kind of tradition.  

3) It grounds the next generations in the work of God.  Tradition is good when it helps next generations appreciate what God has done through His people in the past.  For example, the Hebrews marked places where God worked so their children and grandchildren could know of His care and guidance. (See Joshua 4)

4) It offers wisdom when making change. Sometimes, the traditions of a church cause leaders to carefully and prayerfully consider options before making a change.  That’s not a bad thing.

5) It evokes gratitude and unity.  Because it celebrates God’s work in the past as a means of faith for the future.  Our response ought to be thanksgiving as the family of God.

Why traditionalism is not good:

1) It emphasizes what we (or others) have done more than what God has done.  Traditionalism fights to save traditions, but the traditions are what we’ve done, what our forefathers did, or what our denomination has “always” done.  It assumes that our preferences are God’s commands.

2) It elevates the past over the future.  Traditionalism is protective and reactive.  It guards yesterday’s turf at the expense of making a difference today and tomorrow.  It fears the future more than it influences it.

3) It hinders reaching the next generations.  Traditionalism assumes that almost anything new is a threat to the gospel, even if the gospel itself is never compromised.  It requires younger generations to become us if they want to follow God.

4) It blocks making necessary change.  Traditionalism fights change, often without honest consideration of the options.  It doesn’t inform change like tradition does; it obstructs it.

5) It leads to division.  Traditionalism is elevating tradition to the level of a commandment as if it equals the gospel.  The emotion behind such a position usually creates conflict and disunity.   

Tradition, in my opinion, is a good thing in our churches.  Traditionalism, though, is a problem.  What are your thoughts?  Remember, it’s better to focus on what Jesus has called you to do, and not what a tradition calls you to do.

 [i] http://chucklawless.com/2017/09/why-tradition-in-a-church-is-good-and-traditionalism-is-not/

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