We are watching the sun come through these familiar windows. The sermon is in the middle of the worship service, as usual. All the chancel furniture is before us in a familiar way. It is tradition. Tradition is a hard, hard topic for us as Christians.
Tradition can sometimes be a life giving, vibrant thing in our lives.
It can be one of the important roots of who we are as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ. But tradition can also be stuffy and it can strangle our expression of worship and praise. Patrick Willson, who is the pastor at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, tells a story of one of those magical worship services. It was one of those moments that don't come to preachers very often. One of those moments when it feels as if the spirit has been speaking and moving, challenging and comforting.