Tradition vs. Traditionalism
- davidwperk
- May 17, 2024
- 6 min read
Devotional Reflection, Friday, May 17, 2024
The week of the seventh Sunday in Easter
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:
16No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’
You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 965)
AM Psalm 102; PM Psalm 107:1-32
Jer. 31:27-34; Eph. 5:1-20; Matt. 9:9-17
Today we celebrate the Feast of Thurgood Marshall. (See below.)
David's Reflections
Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan wrote, "Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living." * How do we relate the traditions of the past to the present moment? That fundamental tension lies at the root of much of our conflict within faith communities.
Jesus ran headlong into Pelikan's definition of traditionalism in the religious leaders. His healings on the Sabbath were consistent with the idea that the future kingdom of God would be a perpetual Sabbath and that God worked to heal and make whole on that day. The religious leaders' attempt to protect the traditions of the Sabbath had turned its observance from the living faith of the dead to the dead faith of the living. They had thirty-nine categories of work forbidden on that day, including healing (except under certain circumstances). Jesus sought to transform Sabbath observance, but he collided with their vehement resistance.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus' eating with social and religious outcasts was consistent with the image of God’s seeking love stretching the boundaries of saving mercy; yet, he ran afoul of the religious establishment with its traditions of clean and unclean and its traditional ways of maintaining boundaries until the unclean responded appropriately to the traditions. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.
The proverbial sayings at the end of the passage draw sharp visual images. New wine fermenting in previously used wineskins that had lost their elasticity would rupture the tired, unstretchable skins as it fermented. New, unwashed, unshrunk patches sown on old, shrunk cloth would tear apart the older garment when washed. The new life springing up in Jesus’ teaching and actions would break through traditionalism like a surging river through a poorly constructed levee.
Renewal in the worship and spiritual life of the church can stretch the boundaries of tradition. Worship may incorporate new language and new music into the liturgy. That worship may look alien to others who have been worshipping in a way they see as true to the tradition. Yet, if the worship follows the structure of the liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer, it may be that new patch or that new wine, even if the music reflects contemporary tune patterns and the worship focuses on more inclusive language and standing rather than kneeling.
A church that pitches itself to the unbelieving and unchurched in a community will be seeker sensitive, making its liturgy more fully accessible and understandable to those unfamiliar with it's structure and flow. Some may see that worship as untrue to the prayer book if the entire service is in print, or the ordinary (the fixed segments of the service) are in a worship booklet, or if projection is used to make the service easier to follow. Yet, that may be the new wine and the new patch.
COVID19 forced many churches into online formation and worship. Now, that learning has us continuing many of those innovations in an effort to include those unable to attend and to reach out to those without a faith community. Maintaining the primacy of in-person worship while extending worship outside the worship space through streaming—new wine requiring new skins.
I hope that we will have the courage of our convictions to honor the living traditions of our heritage and not to be bound by traditionalism, while maintaining loving relationships even with those who might be detractors. We are deeply indebted to our tradition for the core values of our worship, core values that find ever new expressions as they relate to new cultural contexts and new circumstances.individuality
"Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living."
*Jaroslav Pelikan, The Vindication of Tradition (New Haven, CN: Yale UP, 1984), p. 65.
Collect of the Day, Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (BCP, 226)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Thurgood Marshall, lawyer and jurist (died 24 Jan 1993 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Thurgood Marshall
Eternal and ever-gracious God, you blessed your servant Thurgood Marshall with grace and courage to discern and speak the truth: Grant that, following his example, we may know you and recognize that we are all your children, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Of the Holy Cross
Especially suitable for Fridays
Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 253)
In the Order of Worship for Evening
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, creator of the changes of day and night, giving rest to the weary, renewing the strength of those who are spent, bestowing upon us occasions of song in the evening. As you have protected us in the day that is past, so be with us in the coming night; keep us from every sin, every evil, and every fear; for you are our light and salvation, and the strength of our life. To you be glory for endless ages. Amen. (BCP, 113)
A Collect for Mission
O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 125)
Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 9:9-17
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
10 And as he sat at dinner* in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting* with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ 12But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often,* but your disciples do not fast?’ 15And Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’
Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
Comments