Old Traditions

     When I was young my parents attended a religiously conservative church. We are talking very conservative and restrictive. Their premise was always, "bible and bible alone." It was the Holy Word of God and not open to interpretation...I will let that sink in for a while. The only true version to utilize was the King James Bible as that was the proper bible to use. No Questions. There were strict structures in the way the worship would be conducted and there would be no deviation from that. None. A welcome, three songs and a prayer, another song or two and then the Lord's Supper, then another couple songs and the sermon. Always concluding with an invitation, which usually included 2-3 versus of 'Just as I Am'...finally, when no one responded, there would be a closing song and prayer and the worship was over. Everyone trooped out the back and shook the Preacher's hand expressing how wonderful his sermon was.
     I was raised to believe that the bible 'condemned' musical instruments in the worship service. We were not allowed to dance as that led to sin. We were not allowed to drink as that was forbidden as well. We were not allowed to smoke or chew tobacco as that was sinful.  There would be no clapping or standing up and praising or lifting up your hands to God during service. Any noise that was made was usually met with the offending child taken out back for punishment, spanking. All because the bible stated that we were to worship our Lord in an 'orderly' fashion.
     We raise our children like this and then wonder, why they are no longer following our teachings? First, let me make clear that I am no saint and I am no bible scholar but I have learned to question what I was taught at an early age. So let's look at the issue of music to start with...does the bible really state that there will be no musical instruments in worship to our Lord? No. Actually, what is stated is that, "the Christians will sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord." That verse has been used over and over by those opposed to musical instruments in the service to keep them out. Yet, I can also show you where the bible states that each person is to, "utilize the talents they have been given for the Lord." That verse has always been used by the church to mean monies yet it was not just talking to money. It was also talking about individual talents that Father blessed His children with. Now I am not musically inclined and would not be able to lend much assistance to a choir or band or any other musical type of worship, yet I sing along with the church in praise to the Lord. Do I think it is wrong to have singing only in worship to our Father? No. However, let me ask you this, when we get to heaven and each of us must answer for what we have done or did not do, I do not want to look at my Lord and try to explain why I condemned the use of a talent that He had blessed one of His children with and why I was responsible for the quenching of that talent, the Gift God had blessed His child with. We have a responsibility to nurture and to encourage our children to use God's blessings, which He gave to them to use for His glory, and not quench their fire to fulfill that Father inspired dream of enriching others by the use of those talents. As for reference purposes, walk back into the Old testament and look at David. His playing of the harp was a God given talent that eased the troubled mind of King Saul. This was all part of God's plan. What would have happened if Jesse had said, "No, you cannot play the harp nor will I allow you to learn to play it because you are going to be my Shepard boy only." See the issue when we interject our own understanding of what is needed and necessary?
     And what about dancing? Was dancing truly the devil's design? Was it truly evil personified? Or was it fear that the youth would forget their upbringing and sin 'in their hearts' if not in body from being so close to each other? Honestly, dancing is not condemned in the bible. You cannot show me where it is. I have had smarter men than me take me to the story of the beheading of John the Baptist and claim that this was the result of dancing and they also took me to parts of the bible telling us to be modest and decent. Okay, if that is your stance, then why is your spouse wearing clothing that is too tight? Or why do you go watch movies you know will have language, nudity and sexually suggestive content? How many of us have honestly cleared our homes of the filth that causes our minds to think of women or men as sexual objects to be lusted after? Be honest with yourself...you are the only one who can answer and God already knows! So what we were really saying is, "I don't trust the other young people to not lust after my son or daughter. Or that I know how I was and I am not going to allow my child to be tempted like I was." If that is true, then say so. Lying is lying. Tell them why you won't let them go to the Prom. However, let me refer you back again to David in the Old Testament and note that, once in celebration of victory, David danced naked in the street while playing the harp in worship to the Lord and it was ACCEPTED by the Lord. Just a thought...
     What about that demon alcohol. Well I will just touch on this one as I have had it drilled into me since my youth that it is the devil's brew. Truthfully, I do not drink much if any alcoholic beverages these days as a choice because I like some of them too much. However, Jesus started His ministry by turning water into wine. Now I know and have been preached at, that the first fruits that were discussed in translation was not actually wine but grape juice. You can accept that if you wish but the truth of the matter is this, if God caused His Word to be an inspired translation for all men. Then even you have to acknowledge that God chose the wording. Therefore, wine was wine, and not only was it wine it was the BEST wine of the wedding celebration. The reason even the guests were surprised was the fact that usually the best was served first and after everyone was already drunk or under the influence they would not notice the lesser quality wine being served later. However, not so in this case, this time the best was provided by our Lord. You can also refer to Timothy were Paul tells him to drink a little wine for his stomach. This was not an uncommon remedy in those times.
     I could continue and probably should say that smoking and chewing were not mentioned in the bible in either testament. However, the question you must ask yourself is this, "is this what I should be doing with the residence of the Holy Spirit?" We each are the residing place for the Holy Spirit today. He will come and dwell inside each of us and make His home in us. Is this what you want to offer Him as living arrangement?
So now that I have brought myself a lot of contention and consternation from the religiously conservative who do not like things to change, let me ask you all a question if I may....what if I am right and none of these issues that we have split and argued and debated for years means anything to our Father in Heaven except when you quench the fire of a talent He purposefully gave to one of His children? What if we by our own desire to worship God in an orderly fashion have quenched the fires of conversion and love that some would have given and made to our Father? Does clapping and praising God by song and dance and music  really detract from worship to our Lord or does it just make me 'uncomfortable' because we have never done it this way? Does God really frown upon choirs? Or pianos? Or organs? Or even guitars and drums? Did He not inspire their construction? Does Father really look down upon your drinking? Or dancing when out with friends? Our Father told us that He wanted us to live a life of joy and freedom. Why are we now creating chains to bind ourselves and enslave ourselves to a life of religious rigidity and regulation. That is not what I read about in the Holy Word. That was not a life that He called us to. He called us to a life of freedom in Him. A life of acceptance and compassion. If we cannot accept each other as who we are and lift each other up in our use of the talents given, then how are we going to inspire the world to want to come be like us? God wants us to share His talents with  our fellow Christians. He wants us to dance and sing to Him as David did. Not necessarily naked but with joy and praise for God's victory. God loves each of His children and for too long we have quenched the fires of devotion that we are to be writing upon our children's hearts because we are Pharisaical about some things that truly do not seem to matter. So here is something for us all to think upon as well, in the story where David is dancing in the street naked in worship to the Father, who is the one that God curses and punishes? Look again at the text and contemplate on whether you are a David or a Michal. You see his wife rebuked David for his actions and God judged her harshly for it. We are warned many times in the bible about quenching the fires of love and devotion of others due to our own attitudes and traditions. Revelations gives us strong warnings of never adding to or taking from the Holy Word...are we in our traditions taking from? We need to determine what is biblical and what is worth standing upon to ensure salvation and hold firmly to that. I do not believe that my soul will be lost due to a pianist playing accompaniment in the auditorium. However, if it is a vital soul saving issue to another christian who TRULY does not understand or questions, rather than standing on old tradition, then we are told to give up those freedoms for the sake of that one individual. Yet, that is also a freedom, to be able to give up a freedom for the sake of another. That in itself is a sacrifice and worthy of God's favor. He knows our hearts and so will know what resides within.
     I know that I have crossed many lines of traditions and boundaries with this one but sometimes these need to be brought forth and questioned in a manner that hopefully is logical and provides my perspective on old questions that still divide our Body and cause deep pain and hurt to many. If what I wrote offended you, I will apologize for the offense as it was not intended to offend but to provoke thought and discussion. May our Father watch over and guide us as we continue to walk daily in His presence.