Posted on 03/01/2006 10:35:38 AM PST by Full Court
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Tradition catching on with BaptistsProtestants begin to take part in Ash Wednesday for its theological lessons
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
GREG GARRISON News staff writerIt used to be that Baptists had nothing to do with Ash Wednesday, a liturgical holiday they associated with Catholics. No more. "It's a good way of putting the congregation in the right mind-set to prepare for Easter," said the Rev. Christopher Hamlin, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Smithfield. An ecumenical service at 6:30 tonight at Our Lady Queen of the Universe Catholic Church will include participation by three Baptist churches - Baptist Church of the Covenant and Trinity Baptist, both on Southside, and Tabernacle. "For us to go to the Catholic church, that's something new as Baptists," said the Rev. Sarah Jackson Shelton, the Covenant pastor. "It unites us as the bigger church, and with a larger tradition. ... It's being part of a sacred story that belongs to all of us." Other Baptist churches observe the tradition on their own. Fellowship of the Valley, for example, will have a service at 7 tonight at the Lake Cyrus Clubhouse in Hoover. "It's an appreciation for the symbols of our faith, an opportunity to see, feel and touch those symbols," said the fellowship's pastor, the Rev. Michial Lewis. Lewis said the Reformation of the 1500s, when Martin Luther led a reaction against abuses in the Roman Catholic Church, resulted in rejection of traditions such as Lent by many Protestants. "We do emphasize that our relationship with Christ is through faith alone, and the reformers wanted to avoid the appearance that we gain acceptance with God through rituals or symbols," Lewis said. "Now, people can understand the difference. These symbols come alongside as holy reminders." Robert Hodgson, dean of the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship at the American Bible Society in New York City, said many evangelicals are beginning to see the biblical roots of Lent. "Jesus goes into the wilderness for 40 days and disciplines himself with fasting and prayer." The 40 days of Lent are preparation for Easter, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Easter is April 16 this year for more than a billion Western Christians and April 23 for Eastern Orthodox. Baptists are taking an increased interest in the liturgical season for its theological lessons, Shelton said. "It's important for us to take the opportunity to confess our sin." During many Christian observances of Ash Wednesday, the minister rubs ashes on the foreheads of congregants and says, "You are dust and to dust you shall return," quoting a verse from Genesis. The wearing of ashes is prominent in the New Testament with John the Baptist, who called for repentance and wore sackcloth and ashes. "It's the outward, visible symbol of something that's happening internally," Shelton said. "We too will return to ashes," she said. "There's life beyond that, and hope beyond what we experience in this life."
E-mail: ggarrison@bhamnews.com
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Ping to article.
Baptist and Catholics together ping.
My guess is that the confusion comes from the overwhelming number of Baptists of convenience in Birmingham.(they're Baptists because everyone else is and the church has nice activities)
So9
Baptist Don't Miss Prayer Meeting tonight Ping
This is Birmingham, Alabama. There was previously not a lot of mixing Baptists with Protestants and/or Catholic traditions.
Amen about prayer meeting! My pastor is teaching through Revelations, and we are on chapter 2.
Obviously not Southern Baptist churches. A woman minister?
They were probably SBC at one time, but are very liberal now.
"Remember that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return".
Ecumenical ping!
But do you think that's good? After all, one group has a woman preacher.
And then along came ....
and Alabama changed forever. God bless Mother Angelica!
Not sure what they mean by 'service', do you?
He did?
Mother Angelica used to come in the card shop where I worked, back in the early 80's. The manager of the store was Catholic and would just about bust a gut when Mother Angelica came in the store. I mean, she was just beside herself.
I, being non religious at the time, sort of got confused between Mother Teresa and Mother Angelica. It all kind of ran together to me. I was far more interested in boys and rock and roll music at the time.
So the next day I told one of our co workers "Oh, by the way, that famous nun, Mother teresa came in yesterday and Mary gave her 50% discounts on everything she bought."
The stunned look on my co workers face will always stay in my memory!!!
Not sure what they mean by service, no. I wonder if the lady preacher will get to participate?
I think, if the truth be known, this is more of an advancement of an intra-racial movement than a religious one.
Not that anything is wrong with that.
When I was a kid in Catechism class, we used to make up names for churches, like: "Our Lady of Perpetual Motion", "Our Lady of the Pyrrhic Victory", "Our Lady of Bingo", etc.
Yep they are liberal former SBC. They are now affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
http://www.fellowshipofthevalley.org/aboutus.html
Fellowship of the Valley is a Baptist faith community with an ecumenical perspective. Our current strategic partners are Shades Crest Baptist Church, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and American Baptist Churches (USA).
Baptist Church of the Covenant
http://www.bcoc.net/home.shtml
Baptist Church of the Covenant exists
To worship God.
To educate and to learn.
To serve others in the name of Jesus.
To proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
To welcome all who seek Christ.
To promote justice.
To love one another.
***********
Why is it that you do not consider Baptists to be Protestants?
Baptists
(Greek, baptizein, to baptize).
A Protestant denomination which exists chiefly in English speaking countries and owes its name to its characteristic doctrine and practice regarding baptism.
I. DISTINCTIVE PRINCIPLES
The Baptists consider the Scriptures to be the sufficient and exclusive rule of faith and practice. In the interpretation of them, every individual enjoys unrestricted freedom. No non-Scriptural scheme of doctrines and duty is recognized as authoritative..
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