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By: Pastor Berg

I’m sure you all remember my story from last month, the one about the ham.  The point of that story was to show that we should have a reason for doing something and that reason should still apply today.  However, that story was not at all meant to lessen the value of tradition.  Tradition is a wonderful blessing that God has given to us.  Tradition is indeed valuable.  So our question this month as we consider why we do what we do when we do it is: “What is the role of tradition in our liturgy?”

Lutheran worship is naturally drawn to tradition.  The reason for that is because we place such a high value on the Word of God.  The Word of God has traditionally taken the top priority in Lutheran worship and so naturally, the other traditions that are connected to this truth are also valued.  This is one reason the liturgical tradition in our church has such great value.  It forces us to put the Word in a primary position!  And that’s a wonderful thing! However, some Lutherans, even myself sometimes, cringe when we hear the word “tradition.”  And the reason for that is because sometimes “tradition” becomes “traditionalism.” It’s used as an excuse not to try something a different way or perhaps change something that has lost its value.  Just like anything, “tradition” can be abused.  But that doesn’t mean we should simply throw out every tradition because there’s a chance it will be abused.  There is great value in tradition.  What is that value?

 First, tradition is a way that the Word is given to us.  Much like the favorite family stories are passed down from generation to generation, the story of Jesus and his love for the world is passed down from Christian to Christian.  The tradition of sharing the Word in Sunday school, VBS, and Bible studies is a wonderful thing to hold on to.  Why in the world would we ever want to stop hearing the Word?  The same can be said for the liturgy.  As we learned last month, the liturgy proclaims the gospel to us every week.  The songs and lessons connected with that tradition serve that role.  Why would we want to give that up? Second, tradition shows our respect for the past.  There’s something to be said about traditions that have stood the test of time.  We all know that if we don’t learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat their mistakes.  The tradition of the liturgy allows us to learn from the past.  The tradition of the liturgy is not a “dead rite” that we as the living simply repeat by rote.  The tradition of the liturgy is the “living faith” of the dead who have learned how to proclaim the gospel in the face of error everywhere. Third, tradition connects us to the greater “Church.”  The fact that these same words and verses have been spoken and sung for up to 1500 years shows the beautiful thread that the gospel has woven throughout history.  The same proclamation that was valuable for the early church has great value for today! Finally, tradition provides perspective in our ever changing world.  Just think of how fast society changes!  Tradition provides us with the powerful acknowledgement that change is neither new nor is it always good or bad.  Everything changes; except for God and his Word.  Looking at past traditions, especially the means of proclaiming the unchanging God and his Word, can give us perspective on the changes of the present and look forward to the changes in the future. 

So what is the role of tradition in our liturgy?  Tradition plays a very important role.  Change is inevitable. Updates to musical tunes and language should always be looked at. At the same time, we should think long and hard before radically changing the liturgical pattern that has served the church so well for 1500 years. May God continue to bless the proclamation of his Gospel among us!