Scripture vs Tradition
In one of the Scripture passages referred to in the Revised Common Lectionary for February 12, 2023, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, (please see here) God, through Moses, offers the Israelites (who were a foreshadow and precursor of the Church) two distinct things, two very identifiable things. God offers the Israelites (and the Church by extension) life or…
Read More
The three wise men from the East that we have all heard about all our lives are an interesting part of the story of the Christ child. As with many of the stories and events depicted in the Scriptures, it seems to me that tradition once again trumps biblical reality. Firstly, it is only an…
Read More
Have you ever wondered why when Jesus was born that angels appeared to shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem and announced to them that the birth had taken place? Why didn’t the angels announce it to the thousands of people in Jerusalem that was just a few miles away and where the Temple stood…
Read More
In Matthew’s gospel there is a very interesting statement that John the Baptist directs to some of his followers while he, John, is in prison and Jesus is engaged in his own ministry. From his prison cell John sends his disciples to present Jesus with a question. Through them John asks Jesus this curious question:…
Read More
John (the Baptist) was in the wilderness baptizing at the Jordan river in the year that the prophet Daniel had written the Messiah of Israel would appear, a time late in 26 A.D. Many in Israel were also aware of Daniel’s prediction and were thus heading out into the wilderness in anticipation of the Messiah’s…
Read More
In the gospel of Mark (Mark 7:1-8) Jesus calls out the religious leaders of his day for placing centuries old traditions ahead of explicit, biblical directives. (See Mark 7:5-8) I would say not much has changed since Jesus’ day. So many of the churches today still place age-old traditions ahead of God’s written word, or at the very least add superfluous rituals, holidays (holy…
Read More
Ash Wednesday – A Tradition of Men (but a good one!)
Ash Wednesday is a traditionally important day within the life of many church denominations. Ironically, being one who is not overly friendly to non-biblical, man-made “traditions” within the current church calendar, I find Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season to be, rather appropriate, meaningful, and significant in the Christian experience. In fact, I think they are practices that really do define and explain just what Christ’s message and…
Read More