I’ve set myself a difficult task I feel; as I want to address a number of intertwined issues all at once. Firstly, I want to speak about a few Church practices, mixed in with aspects of volk Christianity; that is corrupt understandings or practices of the faith; and why in the increasing pace of Islamisation – we need to make Christian culture more real and meaningful; but first a word on ritual.
Rituals despite what some Christians may think – is most certainly apostolic and ‘biblical’ (as some like to refer erroneously to things permissible). Christ underwent ritual, practiced ritual and instituted rituals. However, he condemned along with old testament prophets ’empty’ rituals – the going through the motions when they don’t mean anything to you kind of ritual; and when they do not mean to you – what they are supposed to embody. Take for example confirmation – which will be our go to example in this article. Confirmation is supposed to be a moment of initiation into the Christian faith; when one who has been baptised earlier in life (usually as a child) then owns the faith for themselves; taking to themselves the obligation of the new covenant. The gravity of this event, suggests that one doing it, needs to be mature enough to understand what they are taking on to themselves; which would suggest; such a ceremonial ritual should be done when someone is mature. However, in many Churches; it has been reduced to nothing but a civic ritual; that amounts to being an excuse to dress up our children (at an age when they will still let us) take photos, and have a party; not that any of these things are in and of themselves bad; that is definitely not what confirmation is about.
Confirmation, is a ecclesial development, built on another ecclesial development; which is child baptism; which may or may not have started in the Apostolic era; but most assuredly did start very soon afterwards. I do believe in child baptism for the record; but I accept, the evidence of its practice in scripture is weak – not that Christianity works, by finding proof texts in scripture; that is helpful, but not necessary, for Christian practices. The early church clearly adopted child baptisms quite early, but was stuck with a dilemma – baptism necessitated in its earliest form a personal commitment to the new covenant; it also was understood by all; to ‘wash away sins’ and as such; many adults delayed their own baptisms until towards the end of their lives (a volk/corrupt understanding of its own kind and time; of the understanding of baptism). Families, were bringing their children to the Church; and understanding Baptism was the initiation into the community of the redeemed, wanted their children to receive the graces of the sacrament; and also to be assured their children were also amongst the saved; the church by its legitimate authority; accepted children to be baptised; and then instituted ‘godparents’ to catechise them into the faith; and then the practice of confirmation; to make sure they at a proper age took the faith – that was given to them as an inheritance; because they were being raised amongst the people of GOD; for themselves. Today in volk/corrupt and almost at time superstitious expressions of Christianity; by the unlearned; baptism is seen to drive out the devil; and it was not long ago, that you could not enter someone’s home with the child if they were not baptised; god parents are seen as someone who will take on your children if you die prematurely; and baptism and confirmations are used as excuses to have a party, and take cute photos. No one is taking any of it seriously – including the priests; functionally at least.
We are hearing this days legitimate grumbling by Christian commentators from the political right about how Ramadan which is basically a month of feasting comically renamed Ram-it-down; due to the excess eating that occurs before dawn and after sunset; is taken more seriously by statutory bodies and celebrated more publicly here in the UK by the King, the Welsh government, a number of NHS trusts and a number of Police authorities. However, I want to pose a question to everyone; is it possible, that a chief contributing factor for why Shrove Tuesday and Lent; are being eclipsed by Ramadan is because – we collectively do not take them seriously. Take Shrove Tuesday; which comes from the idea of shrived, shrivel; due to the fact that it is supposed to be an annual day of confession of our sins; and a final day of preparation for great Lent. Yet to most people – shrove Tuesday – is just a day to indulge in pancakes; the seriousness of the day is lost. Lent, rather, than being a time of increased prayer, fasting, and alms giving; a time of intensified repentance; when we campaign against the sin our own lives, has instead become, a time when some might dare to give up chocolate, sugar, or some small thing; to be picked up again immediately upon the start of Easter. Now, I realise a number of things, firstly, there are many Christians; that do take these things seriously; the church is not without its spiritual athletes; and many Christians understand and practice these things with the gravitas they deserve. I realise also, that this sop to Ramadan is because our Liberal Elite, see which way things are going – the islamification of the UK; and because they have no Liberal reasons to oppose it or reverse it; are simply going along with it; and not just because they are utter cowards; trying to placate the bully boys in the umma. However, the only reason why Islam has such traction in our Liberal culture, is because the Churches spiritual elites; themselves for the most part (there are exceptions) do not cultivate either a seriousness about these things or know how to.
Lent is a time in which the Christian is entering into a campaign of repentance against their own sinful habits and all the things that enable that sin. It is a time of serious fasting: doing one meal a day, going hard strict vegan, fasting until a certain hour of the day, abstaining from food every other day; it is a serious commitment – or should be. It is a time when we enjoin onto our fast – increasing giving to the causes of the church, to the poor and those in need. It is a time when we increase our prayer life; and work on our soul; to leave sin behind not just for Lent but for good. Christians also use it as a time to cultivate better habits in general. It is a personal MOT for the soul; not to be taken lightly; and not to be trivialised through ‘I’m giving up chocolate for Lent’ boasts. Children, and the infirm; who can not be expected to seriously fast; can give up tokens, like chocolate, sugar, or desserts; like ice cream; so that they might track with the practice of Lent without enduring its rigours. Simply put – if we do not take Lent seriously – why should anyone else! The whole Christian calendar gives Christians an opportunity to re-engage with wider society, by living out a distinctive culture; and a clearly different identity; but that can not be accomplished properly, if we do not dive more deeply behind all of the meanings and significances of all its jewels, and embody them with seriousness and gravitas.
We need leaders who can navigate these things; and cultivate the seriousness around them; that means Churches should not baptised children – unless those children belong to committed Christian parents; we should not accept as godparents anyone but committed Christians; confirmation should be turned into a proper rite of passage, an entry ritual into Christian adulthood; in which the child becomes an adult; and is seen to be taken on the rights, rites, history, culture, traditions, customs, practices and responsibilities of being a full member of the Church – as such; it should probably not be given to children but to late teens (at the earliest). Marriages should not be offered to anyone in a church – but to practising Christians; and no, non of the sacraments should be used as an opportunity to evangelise, where we prostitute the sacrament for a bit of contact with someone. One way to do this – is impose a Church discipline, which says, the Church will not give sacraments such as marriages, confirmation or baptism; unless people have attended at that congregation for a whole year as a committed member of the Church. The CofE, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches; often treat the sacraments as mere civic formalities and this must stop; and Protestant Churches, have often no sense of ‘culture’ at all; which fails them at every turn. A more serious commitment to meanings, significance and of these rituals, traditions and customs need to be practiced; and that starts with understanding them properly; and letting that understanding inform again, and refresh again; even reform; how we implement them; and under what conditions. GOD parents should be chosen because they know the faith; live it, and can teach it to our children; who should meet for catechesis with their GOD parents.
I will give one final example; I think Ramadan is being given a month in the spotlight of the state because of the volk corruption of Advent; which rather than being a pre Christmas Lent; has been turned into an early Christmas; in which the first day of Christmas is treat as the last day of Christmas; and Christmastide itself, is not celebrated at all! Christians need to return to a real Christian culture; in which Advent is the pre Christmas Lent; and Christmas – which goes through January, not December; is celebrated properly; so Advent Carols in December, and Christmas Carols in January. This kind of seriousness, about our own calendar, rituals and practices – will carve out for us a distinct identity; and when we can be seen as the Christian Peoples; we will begin to be treat as such. This will then – for those brethren – who obsesses about preaching the gospel; over getting caught up in these things; will open up countless opportunities to have meaningful spiritual conversations about why we Christians do what we do! In short summary then; we will not treat seriously until we take our own faith seriously; and volk Christianity, is not serious, its a series of cliches; and caricatures; to be serious, is understand and apply what is true in a meaningful way; that thinks its application through – even if that means changing the way we do things.
