HELEN SANDERS
11-27-2020
TRADITIONS OF MEN
Every family has some traditions. It may be something simple like getting together at Thanksgiving or opening Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. Other traditions are the way that you may eat together. Perhaps it is a tradition of going to Grandma’s house for a particular holiday. Whatever the tradition is they aren’t necessarily bad, they become a part of “who we are.”
Some traditions aren’t so good though. I remember moving to a city and became an active participant of a Church. I was always involved with music, so I joined the chancel (adult) choir. On the day of choir practice, I went into the choir loft and sat in a seat. Immediately I was rebuked because that seat was always used by a certain lady. Of course, I moved, and wasn’t offended, but wondered about it.
Then there are those that go to church and have to sit in the same place each Sunday. That is probably just as bad as the choir seat. Then there are church services where everything is done by “menu” or rather the bulletin, and nothing can be out of that order. It seems to me that these kinds of “traditions” take the Spirit out of the service.
When we make no room for “change” we become hardened to traditions of men. We must always allow God to be part of everything we do. If we don’t allow God into our church service and have the freedom to speak, we lose the whole purpose of the Church. I Corinthians 14 gives us some hints as to what a church service should be like. When was the last time that someone had the freedom to sing a song spontaneously in your church? When was the last time that tongues and interpretation were part of your service? When was the last time that a prophetic word was given? If we become fixed in tradition, then we seldom see the move of God in church or in our personal lives.
I remember one day that my adult children came to my home. We had a tradition of putting up the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving. I was getting some ornaments out that had been made by my children when they were little, and rather than put them on the tree I decided to give them to my children. Immediately they thought that I was going to die or something horrible was to happen. I had to laugh at them and say, “No, I just wanted you to have what you made.” The tradition had been so deeply set that they didn’t see my heart.
What traditions are you bound into? Are you willing to let go of some of them to make room for God to bring change to your life? I pray that you are. We are never too old to change, and never too old to learn something new. Be daring my friends. Do something you’ve never done before. Let your life be like the butterfly, always emerging from the cocoon of death and ready to take your new wings and fly! Be blessed!