I was thinking about some of the ordinances my church practices and was filled with fresh appreciation. Many of these biblical practices have faded away in most churches, I am blessed to be with a group that has kept them alive and led by the Holy Spirit.
Historically, the conservative Anabaptists have been known for upholding such things as foot-washing, the holy kiss, women’s head veiling, and anointing. From a contemporary standpoint, I appreciate them more and more as secular culture seems to leak into the church so easily.
Even in my congregation, the Holy kiss is fading off. My concern is that if we regard it as a social custom, we will soon view the covering as the same thing. So many churches already do. We take foot washing very seriously, and I am glad. It means so much more than a ceremony of going through the motions. You have to really stop and think about why we do it. And if we are really paying attention, we can work the concept into our everyday lives as we live to imitate our Servant Savior, Jesus Christ.
During my 20-year journey with chronic pain and illness, my gratitude for anointing really grew. As complications and detours came along, I could relax in knowing that each one had come through the permitting Hand of my Father. I also gained a keener awareness that my journey was also a gift to my church. The act of anointing not only invited God’s hand into my medical situation, but it also gave the church body an opportunity to enter into it and reap the blessings and tears right along with me. I have never felt so ‘un-lonely’ in my life!
The fact that I wear a head covering is a testimony in itself that I believe it to be more than ‘just a tradition’. If there is interest, I will write about that transition in another blog soon. Thirty years ago, I felt I was the only woman in the county that did it. Last year I met a sister that lived on the other side of that very same county that was going through the same thing at the same time. Our paths never crossed until last year.
I would love to hear your thoughts on these topics or other things you would like to read about here. Please leave a comment and share what these things mean to you.