65 Things Southern Baptists Didn't Teach Me About Faith
I think about this denomination thing often. I joke that every time I read a book where an author tells stories about their Christian faith tradition, I decide that’s the denomination I want to be. Visiting churches has become a hobby of mine.
What am I really seeking in all this wandering?
Recently, I had this idea to list the things my Southern Baptist upbringing didn’t teach me. Beautiful expressions of faith, often exercising all five of our God-given senses. I immediately balked at the concept. Southern Baptists gave me a solid foundation and because of their teaching, I have a thriving, wonderful walk with Jesus. If I were a betting woman, I’d wager you weren’t taught about all the things on this list either.
Yet my heart cry is to commune with Jesus in every way I can. It’s not about criticizing the faith of my childhood.
Except that’s what it was. The faith of a child. For every aspect of faith the Southern Baptists didn’t give me, they still did give me good things. Through an emphasis on the Lottie Moon offering and GA’s, they gave me a heart for worldwide missions. I gained a wealth of Bible knowledge; including so many Bible stories, the memorization of verses and familiarity with important passages of Scripture. At seven years old, I asked Jesus to be my personal Savior and I meant it. I cannot say enough about the sweet fellowship and the amazing potluck dinners. (Where else can you go and get four different kinds of meatloaf in one sitting?) Perhaps most importantly, they gave me faith wings.
Did you know when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the doors of Wittenberg Castle Church, he didn’t plan on leaving the Catholic Church and starting a whole protestant movement? He wanted to start a conversation. Maybe John Calvin, John Wesley, and so many other church founders were just looking for more of Jesus within the walls of the church.
Perhaps I’ll never settle my denominational unrest this side of heaven. I don’t feel I can call only one faith tradition home, which should come as no surprise. After all, as believers, we aren’t home yet.
1) Liturgical tradition
2) Stations of the Cross
3) Ash Wednesday Service
4) Prayer Kneelers
5) Midnight Christmas Eve Mass
6) Praying the Rosary
7) Mantilla
8) Wine for Communion
9) Apostle’s Creed
10) Nicene Creed
11) Daily Examen
12) Anointing with oil
13) Blessings from a Priest
14) Infant Baptism
15) Holy Water
16) Church Calendar
17) Season of Lent
18) Fish on Fridays (during Lent)
19) Advent
20) Christmastide
21) Eastertide
22) Pentecost Sunday
23) Ordinary Time
24) Education about the saints
25) Confession
26) Prostration as an act of worship
27) Incense
28) Lighting of Candles
29) Lamentation
30) Feasting
31) Service in Latin
32) Passover Seder
33) Purim
34) Sukkoth
35) Hanukkah
36) Rosh Hashanah
37) Prayer Shawl (Tallit)
38) Mezuzah
39) Menorah
40) Bat Mitzvah
41) Tefillin
42) Service in Hebrew
43) Education about Martin Luther & other reformers
44) Apocrypha
45) Catechism
46) Homemade Bread for Lord’s Supper
47) Female Pastors
48) Dancing
49) Theological Discussions over Craft Beer
50) Formal, traditional prayers
51) Prayer Book
52) The story of Jael
53) The story of Phoebe
54) The story of Junia
55) The story of Jephthah
56) Prayer Bench
57) Modern-day prophets
58) Speaking in tongues
59) Icons
60) Venerating the Icons
61) Orthodox Rosary (Jesus Prayer)
62) Prayer Rope
63) Antidoron
64) Monasteries
65) Service in Greek