Recent letters to the Courier attempt to address traditional vs. non-traditional issues affecting the church. I would like to take the middle ground and say that, while some tradition is good, it must grounded in biblical truth for it to be enforceable or worth following (1 Corinthians 11:2).
For instance, in a recent letter (“Let us give God our best,” July 7), Mr. Ken Wallace wrote: “Quite frankly, if your neighbors look out on Sunday and can’t tell if you’re going to church or to the lake or to Grandma’s, then there’s a testimony problem.” This is simply Mr. Wallace’s own opinion, with no grounding in biblical truth or tradition. He feels that one should dress a certain way when “going to church.” (I hope he would also remember that Christians do not really “go to church,” we are the church no matter where we go – again, an example of his traditional understanding substituted for actual biblical teaching.) It is fine if Mr. Wallace wants to wear what he feels are his best clothes. I am sure he grew up in an environment in which one’s best clothes were the norm for Sunday worship attendance. And, as he has read the Scriptures, he has reasoned that one of the ways he can glorify God is to dress up nicely. There is no fault in that.
However, Mr. Wallace is playing a dangerous game when he attempts to impose his tradition on anyone else, due to said tradition’s lack of biblical grounding.
Perhaps I feel as strongly about “dressing down” when “going to church” because it conveys my inward poverty and humility, instead of showy clothing, which I never wear. Maybe my “best” is a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. And maybe I feel that by dressing down, I am following my non-tradition. But if I look down on Mr. Wallace because of his nice three-piece suit and tie, am I not allowing my tradition to color my opinion of him and others?
Clothing, service times, music styles, etc., are, by and large, our own preferences and traditions. We’d do well as Baptists to embrace each other’s traditions and respect them, even if we don’t follow them.
What matters is that we follow the Bible, and allow accommodation where accommodation is due.
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