I can't find it was ever in writing but people used to never greet outsiders. It is still quite rare today. I suspect the reason is that most people are not enthusiastic about greeting at all, and thus don't go out of their way to do it if they don't feel obligated to do so.Heirbyadoption wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 10:46 amInteresting. Like I said, I had long been under the impression there was a hard and fast restriction for COGICM members against greeting those outside the church (to which they made their baptismal vow, defined in practice by the COGICM membership) with the Holy Kiss. Thanks for clarifying otherwise.
I might add that I prefer to greet without touching the "corner of the lips" (or worse), but respect tradition and thus continue to greet in the traditional Western style with other cogicm members. Outside of that, I prefer a more Eastern-style greeting (and, it would seem, so does the greetee).
As far as me attending another communion service, the problem is that we are not united with the church and don't necessarily affirm their doctrine and practice. (If we did, we would be in "full communion", which almost happened with the Tampico Amish, and which more recently happened with a group of believers in the Congo; they got ahold of old tracts and had been trying to follow cogicm doctrines and practices for years. Eventually they got in contact with a missionary from Nigeria. He didn't feel rebaptism was necessary but the Congolese believers thought it was, so they did it.)On that note, does the COGICM have any formal explanation or writings for the concept of permitting members to greet nonHoldemans as brothers in Christ, but not commune with them (ie. why communion should be limited to only a portion of those whom you admittedly recognize as being "in Christ")? My question is actually for anybody or any group who practices (or grew up practicing) similar (will greet outside membership but only commune within)
As far as someone who isn't a member of a local congregation joining a communion service... as stated earlier, participation at communion even for a local member of the congregation requires attending a week or two of revival services, meeting with both your own leaders and the outside visiting leaders, personal preparation and examination, most likely getting up and sharing how your life has been going spiritually for the last year, and also being present enough in your local congregation for the last few months that other members feel like they know you. If an outsider chose to do that, well, they'd basically be part of the local congregation by that point.
I've always found it odd that the Holy Kiss ended up, in Anabaptist circles, of being equivalent to communion, which seem like two different things to me. (When practicing the avoidance, someone doesn't greet or shake hands, but I certainly don't feel I can only shake my right hand with someone who is a fellow church member.) Instead, it should be a Christian greeting between any two believers who feel they follow the same Jesus, even if they are not united on all points of doctrine and practice., as this has been part of my study of late for an upcoming message on the practice of the Holy Kiss. Thanks in advance.
The "weaponised" Holy Kiss that seems to eventually occur in some Anabaptist circles seems particularly unchristlike to me.