Tradition of the Church

Why does it matter what our worship looks like? The Old and New Testaments depict what Biblical worship should look like. Much of this is reflected within the Early Church's worship as well. This was slightly altered as they didn't meet in Church buildings, because they had those pesky Romans running around trying to kill them, and so they met in the catacombs. Though, even during these early years, we received books like the Didache which contain elements of how the Church was to worship. As time advanced and Christians were no longer outlawed, the ritual in Scripture is evidenced more in their worship. Church buildings began to reflect the magnificence prescribed in the Old Testament for the Temple of the Lord. In the fourth century, priestly garments began to set apart the clergy and incense became a regular part of worship.

As the church's ability to reflect Scriptural worship grew, so did its practice. These traditions were then carried along in the Church's history. And, as it goes with the territory, abuses and misunderstandings of these rituals emerged. Even in the Old Testament, we had the prophets correcting people about the role of ritual. Some of the Reformers, in the attempt to purify the Church of its abuses, end up finding it easier to toss the baby out with the bathwater, rather than sift through it. Hyperbole has always had a place in rhetoric, even though we have forgotten how to interpret it. However, it seems to me that the misguidedness of others in the past and personal tastes are not grounds for dismissing the instructions of God outlined in Holy Scripture and handed down to us in the Tradition of the Church.

We are given an example in the life of Moses of what happens when we do what we think is best contrary to what God has prescribed. In Numbers 20, we are told of when the Israelites are struggling in the desert without water, complaining to Moses saying "Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?" Moses and Aaron went and fell upon thier faces before the tabernacle and God told Moses to bring the people to the rock "and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink." Moses did as the Lord commanded him, but instead of speaking to the rock, Moses "smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also." Well and good, it seems, even though Moses didn't obey completely, everyone still received water. But, in the following verses, we are told "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them." God was still gracious to his people, gave them drink from living water, and sanctified them. Adherence to every dot and tittle of the liturgical textbooks is not required for the validity of the service; God is still gracious and merciful to give himself. Obedience from the leader, however, is required for the sake of their own spiritual life.  

But "faith without works is dead." So how do we apply this principle in obedience as a response to God's grace? When it comes to something like the Holy Eucharist, Christ instituted it with bread and wine and said "This is my body" and "This is my blood." And St. Paul tells us "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." The task for each leader in the Church and each Christian is to believe and obey to the best of our ability. This is why the topic of gluten-free or low-gluten has been a discussion in the Church in recent years. How must we obey to the best of our ability, not just by offering low-gluten or no-gluten, but with respect for the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrament.

Now that we have run out of the gluten-free containers, which were offered to those with gluten intolerances and have served their purpose, I have discovered, along the way, that the containers make it nearly impossible to care properly for the consecrated elements during the ablutions. As a way to help us in caring for the elements, we will offer those who have gluten intolerances a low-gluten host (containing .001% gluten) and chalice. How this will work is I have a pyx (small container) that will have consecrated low-gluten hosts in it. I will open it before the person for them to take and consume a host and I will then offer them a chalice for them to drink from that has not had contact with gluten. This way we attempt to fulfill all righteousness while caring for the needs of others, providing a way that is in line with tradition, cares for the elements, and is in obedience to our Lord's institution.

Pax,

Fr. Aaron