Half a Tradition...?

is it possible to have half a tradition? i don't know - technically speaking. but today got me thinking about traditions and half traditions.

this morning we went to our friends, the rathbones, for brunch. this is normally a tradition that takes place every new year's day - the tradition being that they have open-house for their wide circle of friends to come around to theirs, they cook bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, and put on croissants, coffee, tea, mince pies - you can imagine....and tons of people turn up. the tradition continues with everyone leaving the house after about 2 hours and meeting somewhere in epping forest to walk off (supposedly) the food consumed, while talking with all and sundry for the period of the walk - about 1.5 hours.

well, i reckon this was only half a tradition for us today, as it wasn't new year's day for starters. it couldn't happen on new year's day this year, as new year's day was sunday, and rathbones were needed in church (jonathan is st mary's music director). it was also only half a tradition for zoe and me, as we didn't do the walk. we fed our faces - or rather, i fed mine - and headed into town for the day. zoe was keen to photograph one of her ancestor's homes in battersea, so that's where we went.

i hadn't been to battersea, or battersea park before, and was amazed yet again at another side of london. in the this huge, magnificent city lies another fabulous public park that seems well used by londoners. and in the midst of the park we came across a really wonderful example of english tradition. it was 'carter's old english fair ground', a travelling fair. it wasn't your usual 'carny-type-fair', but a truly classy set-up with real, old-fashioned rides, shooting galleries, and arcade. the trucks and caravans were in immaculate condition, and it was fascinating to see the old arcade machines. they were in the park from boxing day until today. it was their first year there, and they were hoping to make a new tradition of it, though they are hoping that in the future it will be in the summer rather than winter. so, was this half a tradition for them? is a new tradition half a tradition, or is it no tradition at all...? is tradition real, or have the deconstructionists done away with it for good?

i've just finished reading a fabulous old novel, 'thomas'. set nearly 900 years ago, its about the great english archbishop, thomas becket, written by the american shelley mydans, 40 years ago. you can't be an anglican (i still feel a bit weird calling myself that) and not be caught up in the traditions of the english church, or church in england (rather than church OF england) as it was then. the novel deals with the relationship between thomas and the english king henry. i'm no great shakes on history - ecclesial or english - but i think it goes some way to helping understand the traditions of relationships between church and state. so i'm encouraged by that book to attempt something a little more ambitious and learn some more about tradition by taking up my diocesan bishop's challenge to read 'reformation - europe's house divided, 1490-1700', by diarmaid macculloch.

anybody fancy reading it with me? could be good to engage with some others about church history through a very tumultuous period, especially as we consider the contemporary tumultuous debates around sexuality, women's episcopacy, and the fate of the anglican communion....how can tradition help us to engage with the debates and navigate through these particularly turbulent waters?

and tradition is fundamental to the anglican expression of the christian faith as it forms part of the trinity of anglicanism's formation through scripture, reason, and tradition. i will take part in a fundamental tradition of christianity this sunday when i baptise a child. this tradition goes beyond anglicanism and reaches back into the very heart of christianity. baptism remains one of the two fundamental sacramental acts participated in, and commanded by jesus himself (the other being holy communion). so by participating in baptism we will be consciously engaging with the traditions of the past and seeing them live today. this is not about a dusty old religious activity that has no bearing on contemporary life. there is a vital (in the life-giving sense) difference between tradition and traditionalism: tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living! so, is there any sense in which baptism could be half a tradition?

is rathbone's tradition reduced to half a tradition because it was a day late? would the tradition of christmas be reduced to half a tradition if it was held a day early (dec 24)?

hope you had a good bank holiday!

Tags: tradition, contemplative, baptism, communion, rathbone, reading, church of england