This is a mini-rant. I've been asked to preach on Palm Sunday. I imagine that we'll have little sago palm fronds for the little kids to wave around, I'm sure that at least one of the songs will contain the words "hosanna" in it one or fifty time. I'm sure that everyone will be on pins and needles to hear, once again, about Jesus' "Triumphant Entry" into Jerusalem. "yea, Jesus." Tradition. Destroying truth. How tragic that while their Master weeps and sobs over lost people -- an entire city that was going to be utterly destroyed for refusing to seek God when He called to them -- his Disciples are having a party. Jesus, sitting on a simple donkey with his feet dragging the ground, looks into the future and see the legions arrayed against Jerusalem.... The city of Peace... and knows of the stubborn religious zealotry that will result in the death of perhaps more than a million people from famine, disease, and the sword. How tragic that things haven't changed much in 2000 years. Gotta make sure we get the float decorated for the parade.
And in a month tens of millions of people in churches all over the world will wave palm branches or sing about the "Triumphal Entry", but few will give a tinker's damn about the plight of the people who, having been called by the grace of God during their "day of visitation". Meh. My new prayer. God, help me to be mad about the things you are mad about. Help me to weep over the things you weep over. Help me to rejoice over the things you rejoice over. And nothing else.
Since I'm preaching on Palm Sunday, someone suggested this song... Verse 1 Outside of the city There's a party in the street Palm fronds and robes and coats Laid down at his feet Hosanna in the highest The crowd is heard to say They are shouting and singing and dancing... But Jesus weeps. (Instrumental turn around) Verse 2 Murder in the streets Violence in our homes Danger in our neighborhoods Danger in the womb Safe within our churches Comfortable and at ease We are shouting and singing and dancing While Jesus weeps Bridge Let me dance when you dance Let me cry when you cry Let me see this world Through your eyes Let me shout when you shout Let me praise when you praise Let me see this world Through your eyes (Instrumental turnaround) Verse 3 The homeless on the street The helpless in our schools Afraid with a hard brave face Lonely in a crowded place Take us from our comfort zone Help us live through You alone Loving and serving and weeping When Jesus weeps.
This rant stirs up two reactions from me. 1. There is nothing wrong with "tradition" in of itself. As long as it doesn't violate scriptural commandments or principles, I'm fine with people having "traditions." If it's elevated to, or even above, the status of scripture, however, then, I have a problem with it. For instance, many churches (mine included), by tradition, teach it's wrong, even "sin," to drink alcohol. That's not what scripture says, though. Scripture says it's wrong to be a drunkard and to be intoxicated. One can drink alcohol responsibly and modestly and not become a drunk. And, no, I don't buy some Christians' lame attempt to say Jesus didn't turn water into alcoholic wine at a wedding feast, but, instead, made "grape juice." The word in that account was "oinos," which, in Greek, denotes alcoholic wine. And, since it was alcoholic wine Jesus made, we have one of two conclusions we are required to come to. Either drinking alcoholic wine is sin and Jesus directly and deliberately contributed to sin by making alcoholic wine for people to get drunk on...OR alcoholic wine, in of itself, is not sinful to drink, and as long as the guests weren't drinking with the intention to get blitzed they weren't sinning by merely drinking it. 2. Though I can understand having some concern about preaching the Gospel, I don't constantly get too sad or worked up about the "lost." Many really don't care about God or anything to do with Him. Even Jesus Himself acknowledged there is a time to "shake off the dust from your feet" while preaching the Word to people. In other words, yes, bring His message to people, but, when those that want nothing to do with what you have to say inevitably make that clear, it's time to move on and there is no obligation on our part to get mopey, sad, depressed, etc., because they reject the Gospel. Feelings are not always easy to control, though, and if some Christians are broken and grieved in their spirits over the lost, so be it. They are not doing anything "wrong" in being sad. I choose not to let that happen to me, though. I refuse to let it drag me down in despair. Life is hard and miserable enough as it is. I see no need to add to it by intentionally making myself depressed.
What I'd like to know from RK is if it's particular traditions he has an issue with or if it's the concept of traditions in general.
Any tradition that leads us to a practice or scriptural interpretation that is not supported by the text. Like celebrating Palm Sunday like we don't understand just like the disciples didn't
Ok. I can understand that. Some traditions, like brides wearing white gowns to symbolize virginity when most brides are not virgins at their weddings now, are pretty stupid and outdated. But, hey, if that's what they want to do...
Not if they're ignorant of the origins of white wedding dresses. Not everybody's ignorant about those sorts of things.
I know plenty of people who are aware of what people think white wedding dresses used to symbolize, and simply don't care. But yours isn't an example like RK's; to be it would have to be something like, white symbolizes the atonement but we've made it about virginity, or something like that. Historically speaking, white wedding dresses are a relatively new thing (19th century onward for the most part).
I wasn't trying to make my example EXACTLY like RK's. I was just pointing out that there are various "traditions." Some of which, like white wedding dresses symbolizing virginity, are a bit outdated now since most brides are not virgins anymore on their wedding day. People have just kept the tradition for some reason that I'm not aware of.