tell me the traditions of your (non-Catholic) church

[mark_a]

I recently got hammered on this forum for making a rather broad sweep of a statement that tradition is a dirty word to most non-Catholics.

It was pointed out to me that most main line Protestant churches do embrace some tradition(s).

So I’m curious to know about yours.

Thanks in advance!

 

[TriuneUnity]

I recently got hammered on this forum for making a rather broad sweep of a statement that tradition is a dirty word to most non-Catholics.

It was pointed out to me that most main line Protestant churches do embrace some tradition(s).

So I’m curious to know about yours.

Thanks in advance!

I guess I would have to ask how you’re defining tradition? Do you mean rites, and customs, or doctrine, Scriptural interpretation, etc?

 

[choy]

is bashing Catholics considered a tradition?

 

[Joe_Brown]

I believe he is talking about customs not scripture.

 

[JonNC]

I recently got hammered on this forum for making a rather broad sweep of a statement that tradition is a dirty word to most non-Catholics.

It was pointed out to me that most main line Protestant churches do embrace some tradition(s).

So I’m curious to know about yours.

Thanks in advance!

Mark,
Sorry. It wasn’t my intent to hammer you.

Jon

 

[Lutheranteach]

My lutheran experience:

Great music (This is the feast…)

Great Bible study and debate

Potluck dinners

Congregational meetings where church business is decided openly

Pretzels and beer

The children’s sermon and noisy offering

First communion at 5th grade or 8th grade

Sitting in the back

Live nativity

Family night humor

Welcoming all who are baptized and believe to partake of the Eucharist

Pastors who aren’t afraid to speak their minds but at the same time don’t try to make decisions for you

Progressive dinners

Homecoming Sunday

Harvest Sunday

Luther’s small Catechism, Catechism classes in general were excellent

The Lutheran Book of Worship, the liturgy being memorized so well anyone in the building could have done the service by heart

Being an acolyte

 

[richardeekw]

In the Roman Catholic Church,

Tradition (with the capital ‘T’’ )refers to 2 things:
(1) The Resurrec5ion of Jesus Christ; and (2) The Eucharist. and these are non-negotiables.

tradition with the small ‘t’ refers to Customs and practices as prescribed by the Church.
E.g. Inculcuration or forms of worship with candles, joss sticks (I have seen in the Catholic Church in Thailand)
Celibacy
Days of Obligation
Days for Fast and Abstinence.

 

[Miserys_Fence]

The non-Protestant Christian church that I attend traditionally lights 4 candles at the beginning of the service, each one representing a core belief. At any time during the service–during the sermon, prayer, reflection, whenever–one may go to the altar and light a smaller candle to celebrate a joy, or honor a sorrow. We also gather in a circle and hold hands at the end of the sevice and sing a closing song (it’s a rather small congregation).

Miz

 

[mark_a]

Mark,
Sorry. It wasn’t my intent to hammer you.

Jon

I need a good hammering once in a while. But I was talking about the other poster who responded to one of my responses to one of your posts.

Anyway, how about those traditions?

 

[JonNC]

I need a good hammering once in a while. But I was talking about the other poster who responded to one of my responses to one of your posts.

Anyway, how about those traditions?

Scripture, The Book of Concord, the 3 ecumenical creeds, the early councils.

Divine Service, the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, Confession and Holy Absolution

Lutherteach mentioned a number of small t traditions that Lutherans of all synods seem to share.

Jon

EDIT: I forgot Confirmation, the Priesthood of all believers, and the special priesthood of the called and ordained.

 

[Steel_Arrow_1]

As a member of the Church of Christ, we adhere to the Bible and what it says about what proper worship is to God. In otherwords, we practice First Century Christianity.

 

[the_hazel_nut]

As a member of the Church of Christ, we adhere to the Bible and what it says about what proper worship is to God. In otherwords, we practice First Century Christianity.

There wasn’t a Christian bible until the 4th century AD.

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

As a member of the Church of Christ, we adhere to the Bible and what it says about what proper worship is to God. ** In otherwords, we practice First Century Christianity.**

And what do you believe the Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists and Episcopalians are doing?

God bless

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

My lutheran experience:

Pretzels and beer

I approve of this Lutheran tradition. In moderation of course. Pretzels cause water retention

God bless

 

[TriuneUnity]

My lutheran experience:

Some other things indicative of Lutheran tradition:

…you only serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color for the season.

…you didn’t know chow mein noodles were a Chinese food.

…when someone mentions red and green (in terms of Christmas), you immediately think of a battle over hymnals.

…during the entire service you hold your hymnal open but never look down at it.

…during communion you hum the hymns so you can see who’s at church that Sunday.

…rather than introducing yourself to a visitor at church, you check their name out in the guest book.

…you think Garrison Keillor’s stories are totally factual.

…you have your wedding reception in the fellowship hall and feel guilty about not staying to help clean up.

…a midlife crisis means switching from the old hymnbook to the new one.

…you forget to put water in the baptismal font but never forget to put water in the coffee pot.

…the pastor skips the last hymn to make sure church lasts exactly 60 minutes.

…you make spaghetti at your house with the little macaroni noodles because they’re not so messy then.

…you don’t make eye contact when passing someone in the hall because you think it’s impolite.

…your choir believes volume is a fair substitute for tonality.

…Jah don’t know what was sooo funny aboot dat dar “Fargo” movie then.

…in response to someone jumping up and shouting “Praise the Lord!”, you politely remind him or her that we don’t do that around here.

…you think a meeting isn’t legitimate unless it’s at least three hours long.

…peas in your tuna noodle hot dish add too much color.

…you make change in the offering plate for a ten.

…your dad’s name is Luther N., your brother is Luther Hahn and you are Lew Theran.

…you think butter is a spice.

…the church is on fire, and you rush in to save the coffee pot.

…you have more than five flavors of Jell-O in your pantry.

…you know what a “dead spread” is.

…you talk to someone else and look at their shoes first.

…you have more than three friends whose first names have the letter “j” as the second letter.

…the only open pew is up front, so you volunteer to shovel the sidewalk.

…Ole and Lena are really the names of your relatives.

…you know what a Lutheran Church Basement Woman is.

…you give a party and don’t tell anyone where it is.

…you think hot dish is one of the major food groups.

…luthbro.com is one of your bookmarks.

…your five-year-old recites the Old Testament books as Genesis, Exodus, Lutefisk…

…someone asks you after church if there’s any “decaf coffee” and you laugh because you KNOW that if it doesn’t have caffeine, it can’t be coffee!

…you think anyone who says “casserole” instead of “hot dish” is trying to be uppity (or maybe even Episcopalian!)

…you think the term “Jell-O salad” is redundant.

…you freeze the leftover coffee from fellowship hour for next week.

 

[blazerdave]

Here are the traditions of the Anglican Church, set to the tune of “The Church’s One Foundation”:

Our church is mighty spikey
with smells and bells and chants,
And Palestrina masses
that vex the Protestants.
O happy ones and holy
who fall upon their knees
For solemn Benediction
And mid-week Rosaries.

Though with a scornful wonder
men see our clergy, dressed
In rich brocaded vestments
as slowly they process;
Yet saints their watch are keeping
lest souls be set alight
Not by the Holy Ghost, but
by incense taking flight.

Now we on earth have union
with Lambeth, not with Rome,
Although the wags and cynics
may question our true home;
But folk masses and bingo
can’t possibly depose
The works of Byrd and Tallis,
or Cranmer’s stately prose.

(Here shall the organist modulate)

So let the organ thunder,
sound fanfares “en chamade;”
Rejoice! For we are treading
where many saints have trod;
Let peals ring from the spire,
sing descants to high C,
Just don’t let your elation
disrupt the liturgy.

 

[MarkBrown]

As a member of the Church of Christ, we adhere to the Bible and what it says about what proper worship is to God. In otherwords, we practice First Century Christianity.

Which synagogue do you worship in and do our Jewish brethern know you are there?!
Which scripture do you use? I ask since neither the Jewish or Christian scriptures were canonized until after the First Century. Does your Rabbi know and approve of your belief in Jesus as the Messiah?

Fr. Mark

 

[mark_a]

Which synagogue do you worship in and do our Jewish brethern know you are there?!
Which scripture do you use? I ask since neither the Jewish or Christian scriptures were canonized until after the First Century. Does your Rabbi know and approve of your belief in Jesus as the Messiah?

Fr. Mark

 

[tweetymom]

is bashing Catholics considered a tradition?

HMMMM Is bashing Protestants a traditions?

 

[Bluegoat]

It isn’t clear to me from the OP whether Tradition is meant, or tradition?

As far as Tradition goes, in classical Anglicanism, we look to the three-legged stool of Tradition, Scripture, and Reason for our doctrines. We consider that Scripture contains all that is necessary for salvation (but that Tradition is required to understand it.) We put our doctrine into our liturgy rather than into systematic documents, and the liturgy holds us together doctrinally and also physically. We maintain an apostolic and catholic vision of the Church, we maintain the traditional Creeds. In the hierarchy the main locus of power is in the Bishop. We are a Sacramental Church that maintains the Real Presence.

At my parish church, we have a number of traditions too. We maintain an active liturgical schedule of daily offices and the Eucharist several times a week. We put a lot of time and effort into the music and sometimes even get original compositions. We use the older prayer book and the old lectionary. We run or are involved in several inner-city ministries. We have long sermons. We have parish retreats and study groups. We have a simmel cake on Mothering Sunday, a donkey on Palm Sunday, a model of Christ’s tomb that the children decorate on Good Friday, and at Christmas the children dress up as shepherds and angels and process around the church. We have a lot of university people in the congregation. We have a large heating bill.