What is the role of Tradition/Christian Symbols?
You’ve asked about the inclusion of “sacred items” in worship, and I think in some ways this might miss a larger point, that being iconography in general and the use of symbols in church leadership. I worry about material things being thought of as sacred (with perhaps the exception of sacramental elements, but even then only during their actual use in the Eucharist) but at the same time my service in Russia as a missionary, studying the Eastern church, gave me an appreciation for iconography and the use of religious symbols. In my own leadership philosophy I think that symbols can be very useful in pointing people to various dimensions of faith and mission, and with that in mind our church incorporates some symbols into our culture — not as items or elements of worship, but as symbols that remind us of the mission and journey we are part of. So if I may be bold, may I add to your question by asking if you and your readers think it appropriate not only to include ancient symbols in our
