What do you think of when you hear the word “classic?” As a guy in his mid forties I tend to think of classic automobiles, such as the ’57 Chevy or the ’65 Ford Mustang. One of the more intriguing things about Disney World was its ability to retain all that is classic without becoming a historical land mark.
As a Baptist, I think there is great value in our tradition. The early church, after all, was rooted in the tradition of Old Testament Judaism. Those first and second generation believers retained important traditions that contributed to how they would worship, fellowship, and even govern themselves. At the same time they abandoned the practices that were no longer appropriate or feasible.
I think churches and individual Christians periodically need to evaluate matters of faith and practice with this illuminating question: Are we cherishing time honored traditions? Or are we merely perpetuating history?
Believe it or not, I am not against tradition. We all have them. As I reflect on how my family recently celebrated the Christmas holiday reveals that tradition is both helpful and healthy. However, we can quickly lose sight of the value of tradition when our lives, our families, and even our faith is reduced to perpetuating history. If all we do is perpetuate history, nothing meaningful is accomplished and we eventually end up alone wondering why the world has passed us by.
As a Baptist, I think there is great value in our tradition. The early church, after all, was rooted in the tradition of Old Testament Judaism. Those first and second generation believers retained important traditions that contributed to how they would worship, fellowship, and even govern themselves. At the same time they abandoned the practices that were no longer appropriate or feasible.
I think churches and individual Christians periodically need to evaluate matters of faith and practice with this illuminating question: Are we cherishing time honored traditions? Or are we merely perpetuating history?
Believe it or not, I am not against tradition. We all have them. As I reflect on how my family recently celebrated the Christmas holiday reveals that tradition is both helpful and healthy. However, we can quickly lose sight of the value of tradition when our lives, our families, and even our faith is reduced to perpetuating history. If all we do is perpetuate history, nothing meaningful is accomplished and we eventually end up alone wondering why the world has passed us by.
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