As Lutherans, we walk a fine line, theologically speaking. We are very careful to maintain doctrinal paradoxes while not falling into errors of one side or the other. It’s kind of fun, in discussions, that we can just as easily take either side of an argument in an attempt to bring that paradoxical tension about and get back on that fine line.
Sometimes we fail.
I grew up with a lot of traditions that would make many of the people I know today cringe. For example, it was perfectly normal for women to vest in an alb and read lessons or serve as communion assistants. I did so myself many times. Later in life, I had an opportunity to re-examine these practices and came out the other side with a different conclusion than the one I originally held. This wasn’t a casual decision or something easily changed. I had planned and build my education and future career on this foundation. A different conclusion meant that a lot of what I had done and invested time and energy (and my parents’ money!) to do was for naught. But it was, in my opinion, the right thing to do and I couldn’t NOT do it in light of the self-examination and maintain any semblance of integrity within myself.
Let’s face it, we have all seen faithful Lutherans abandon our faith for greener pastures. Many of them have admitted that at least part of the reason that they were attracted to it was because of the high regard for ceremony and practice in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. Higher Things has even been suffered such a loss of one of our founders. Some, through careful counsel and self-examination, have stepped back from the very edge of the precipice. From what I have observed, these “prodigal sons” have not disregarded ceremonies and traditions, but they make a concerted effort to show how these practices point us to Christ. That’s what they’re for after all, aren’t they?
When I was a student at an ELCA seminary, it was during and just after the turmoil in that denomination over the JDDJ and the agreement formed between the ELCA and EC-USA. I didn’t understand all the flap going on, so I did some research. Ever tried to figure out what Episcopalians actually believe? It’s something like nailing Jell-o to a tree. What I was able to conclude, however, was that doctrine is a pretty flexible thing for them. The amount of flexibility made it almost seem irrelevant. What is truly important is the liturgy. The liturgy, done properly and rigidly according to tradition, is what matters and in everything else there is tons of wiggle room. 
So when I hear more talk this weekend about breaking out the fancy rose vestments, red flags go up in my mind. Is the bling overpowering everything else? Are we more consumed with the color of the day than the Gospel? Probably not. I certainly hope not. But maybe it is. It’s certainly something for us all to consider and reflect upon, especially during Lent, whether we’re a pastor in a rose chasuble or a layman in our Sunday clothes sitting in the pew. Is there any chance that our love for tradition and enjoyment of practicing it can teach others that our way is the “right” way to do it or that to be truly Lutheran, we should try to emulate the way a certain church does things? This is a question we need to continually ask of ourselves as leadership in Higher Things, but it is also one that is more widely applicable to all Lutherans.