A Volley from the Canon, Number 104 Precedent and Tradition

A VOLLEY FROM THE CANON, NUMBER 104: PRECEDENT AND TRADITION

JULY 5, 2011

In conversation with a senior warden, I suggested a couple of activities as possibilities to get the congregation “unstuck” and refreshed—to increase involvement, spirit de corps, and enthusiasm for the parish life.

“We could do that first thing, I guess,” was his response. “We have done that in the past, so there is some precedent for it, though we haven’t done it recently. The other, though, I don’t think so. There is no precedent for that sort of activity in this congregation.”

In the practice of law, precedent is of great import. But in the church?

The exchange helped me to clarify something in my own thinking: we Episcopalians are a people steeped in tradition, and in that, we are quite conservative. We have a body of canon law to consider, and a whole set of diocesan policies, rubrics and their supporting historic practices as well. There is a difference, however, between TRADITION and PRECEDENT. Tradition says that we are accustomed to doing certain things in certain ways. Other things, though, not covered in canon, policy, or rubric, are subject to modification. We don’t have to defend them to a judge! Precedent, on the other hand, is even more restrictive. The idea is that, if there is no precedent for it, we can’t do it—not without great turmoil, hierarchical approvals, and careful defenses, anyway.

If we are to be fresh, creative, and energized; if we are to grow, adapt to changing realities, and embrace diverse membership, we must find ways to incorporate imaginative change into our corporate life. If we are to remain stable, enduring, rooted, and secure, we must also honor and respect our corporate traditions at the same time. Both are important to a congregation’s life. Maintaining the delicate balance between the two is something of an art form, but there is science to it, too. The science comes from understanding the difference between the particular practices of the church and the theological, scriptural, and liturgical principles that underlie them. The practices themselves may be subject to creative reinterpretation and adaptation. The principles beneath them are not subject to our individual whims. There is always room for variety and for fresh elements to keep up our interest and help us attend to the event. That doesn’t excuse either sloppiness or capriciousness. We need creativity, and we need careful consideration, too, each thoughtfully applied. We honor tradition: precedent—not so much!