Blizzard’s Biscuit
When ladies make homemade biscuits, there is some dough left over that will not quite fit into the biscuit cutter. It is just kind of squeezed together, formed into a biscuit and set beside the others. When Dad was growing up, that biscuit was tossed out to the dog, whose name was Blizzard. Thus, that biscuit was called “Blizzard’s biscuit.” When Dad had children and Mom made homemade biscuits, that biscuit was called “Blizzard’s biscuit.” When I got married and Rachel began making homemade biscuits, that biscuit is still called – for the third generation – “Blizzard’s biscuit.” Who knows if Jewell and Ana will keep up the tradition.
Thus develops traditions. Traditions are not inherently good or bad. Paul warned the Christians in Thessalonica to keep the traditions: “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6). Earlier to the same group of Christians, he had said, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter” (2:15).
The word “tradition” comes from the Greek paradosis. It means something that is given over or handed down. In these two passages as well as others (1 Cor. 11:2; Colossians 2:8), it refers to apostolic teaching that was handed down from inspired man to uninspired man. The verb (paradidomi) is also used with this connotation (Luke 1:2; 2 Peter 2:21; Acts 16:4; 1 Cor. 11:23; 15:3; Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22).
“Traditions” is used in a negative way when those traditions are carried out in a way that sets aside the teachings of Jesus Christ. That’s the way Jesus used the concept in Matthew 15:3-6: “why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.”
The experts use their hands to sale viagra treat the condition. Vitamin E is important in maintaining healthy, generic viagra cheap youthful, responsive skin. There was an assortment to choose from for the more advanced http://downtownsault.org/news/page/3/?et_blog viagra levitra viagra user. In some rare cases, there are serious side effects such as those caused by sildenafil citrate. downtownsault.org cialis 5 mg
If God has told us what He wants, that is divine tradition and must be followed to the letter. If God has not told us what He wants, we are free to develop our own traditions. Yet, we dare not elevate those traditions to the level of God’s traditions.
Once, a woman came out after morning worship and said, “I don’t like it.” I had no clue what she had in mind. “You don’t like what?” “I don’t like it. We’ve never done it that way and I don’t like it.” “I’m sorry. To what are you referring?” Traditionally, when that congregation conducted the Lord’s Supper, one man gave the prayer for the bread, another for the fruit of the vine, and then the first man gave the prayer for the contribution. That Sunday, it was a third man who gave the prayer for the contribution. That’s what she did not like. Man’s tradition in her mind had been elevated to God’s tradition.
We need to study carefully the word of God and be sure we are following apostolic tradition and not making man’s traditions equal with God’s traditions.
–Paul Holland
