Tradition!
If you have ever seen "Fiddler on the Roof", you are already singing the song just based on my title. In the musical, the Papa is explaining why things "are the way they are". No matter the question, the answer is simple: "tradition". I remember the first time I heard the song. I was a college student, and I was lucky enough to get a role in the ACU production. As a budding adult, barely 20, the Papa in the play struck me as stuck in his ways, old fashioned. "Tradition" had a negative taste to it. Back in those days, "liturgy" was an undesirable word to me as well. Where was the fun in that? Fun means "different" and "spontaneous". Right?
This morning was our annual Scripture and Song service at Bering Drive Church of Christ. The auditorium that recently has been "home" to 160 people, was filled with 210 people. There were founding members, out of town friends and family, new friends from across the street. They didn't come this morning because we were doing something different and spontaneous. They came for one reason: tradition! We shared an hour together hearing the story of the birth of Jesus. We shared bread and wine. The story was not "jazzed up" or changed in any way. It was completely scripted from the Bible. It was nearly 100% predictable. It was absolutely beautiful.
Part of the beauty of this service to me is that my mother is one of the readers. As I heard my mother reading the words she has read for many, many years, "May it be to me as you have said", I had to choke back the urge to cry. Life is so full of change. By very nature, it is unpredictable. But, for a brief moment, it was exactly the way it should be. I caught myself scanning the left side, fifth row back, almost expecting to see my Little Granny sitting there smiling. She was always a big fan of this Sunday too. After church we would always speak to her, tell her how pretty she looked, and then we would exchange compliments for mom. "Didn't she do a good job?" "Yes, she always does," she would answer. She would have been proud today.
Tradition makes you miss people too.
Now that I am approaching 40 and other changes on the horizon, I think this morning meant even more to me than usual. This church means a lot to me. It's family to me. Like any family, we have some unique characteristics. We do things differently. We sing without instruments. Sometimes, we do hokey things. (Like today at our luncheon, acting out the "Twelve Days of Christmas") These are things that people peeking in the windows might not understand. But, this is what families do! This is home to me. It was in this church that I was baptized. It was in this church that I was married. It was in this church that our children were dedicated as babies. It was in this church that we said goodbye to my Little Granny. This church has supported us as we raised our babies to school-age children. Our kids feel safe there. That is priceless.
There are certainly "glitzier" churches. But, I think my heart will always be here with this one. Although I never thought I would say it, I really love my tradition. And on mornings like this one, Papa and I find ourselves in complete agreement.
This morning was our annual Scripture and Song service at Bering Drive Church of Christ. The auditorium that recently has been "home" to 160 people, was filled with 210 people. There were founding members, out of town friends and family, new friends from across the street. They didn't come this morning because we were doing something different and spontaneous. They came for one reason: tradition! We shared an hour together hearing the story of the birth of Jesus. We shared bread and wine. The story was not "jazzed up" or changed in any way. It was completely scripted from the Bible. It was nearly 100% predictable. It was absolutely beautiful.
Part of the beauty of this service to me is that my mother is one of the readers. As I heard my mother reading the words she has read for many, many years, "May it be to me as you have said", I had to choke back the urge to cry. Life is so full of change. By very nature, it is unpredictable. But, for a brief moment, it was exactly the way it should be. I caught myself scanning the left side, fifth row back, almost expecting to see my Little Granny sitting there smiling. She was always a big fan of this Sunday too. After church we would always speak to her, tell her how pretty she looked, and then we would exchange compliments for mom. "Didn't she do a good job?" "Yes, she always does," she would answer. She would have been proud today.
Tradition makes you miss people too.
Now that I am approaching 40 and other changes on the horizon, I think this morning meant even more to me than usual. This church means a lot to me. It's family to me. Like any family, we have some unique characteristics. We do things differently. We sing without instruments. Sometimes, we do hokey things. (Like today at our luncheon, acting out the "Twelve Days of Christmas") These are things that people peeking in the windows might not understand. But, this is what families do! This is home to me. It was in this church that I was baptized. It was in this church that I was married. It was in this church that our children were dedicated as babies. It was in this church that we said goodbye to my Little Granny. This church has supported us as we raised our babies to school-age children. Our kids feel safe there. That is priceless.
There are certainly "glitzier" churches. But, I think my heart will always be here with this one. Although I never thought I would say it, I really love my tradition. And on mornings like this one, Papa and I find ourselves in complete agreement.
