Do you kiss your little cross?

TurtleHare

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What is the point of kissing your little cross?
 

Josiah

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Spirituality is often hard to evaluate.....

MY own personal view is that IF a practice serves to help one feel closer to God, closer to the Gospel - I tend to be pretty accepting (even if it's something I would not do). But if the custom is some self-righteous thing ("I'm better than you because.... God smiles on ME because I do....") then it's actually drawing people away from God and the Gospel.



I guess because of my Catholic roots, I do the Sign of the Cross in my prayer life and in worship.... it's just "choreography" (as my formally Reformed wife calls it, lol) but it helps me focus and helps me think of the Cross and my Baptism. She doesn't ever do it because she finds it distracting. She fully affirms MY doing it.... I fully affirm she doesn't. What floats your boat, lol. I like to kneel when I pray, she doesn't.... whatever. We BOTH tend to fold our hands when we pray..... Choreography.... okay if it helps, not if it doesn't. One of the things I love about Lutheranism is our stress that HOW we worship is not mandated.




- Josiah
 

Albion

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Josiah

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Do I think kissing a Cross is spiritually WRONG? No.
Do I kiss a Cross? No.


I recall when I was in Spain at Christmas time a few years ago... and attending Mass.... there was a point in the service when the Baby is removed from the manger and all worshippers come forward to bow before the doll and to kiss it. A Spanish tradition I was not aware of. I gotta say..... I was NOT comfortable with this. NOT because of some religious reason (I totally "get" the symbolism and spirituality here) but solely because of microbiology. I planned to just sit this one out...... but EVERYONE (including my good friend Marcos) went forward.... and not wanting to offend, I did too. And kissed the doll. I didn't get sick.


As I noted in post # 2, if a custom draws one closer to Christ and the Gospel (and obviously this evidently ancient custom did) - then I'm good. If it draws you away from Christ and the Gospel, then it should be avoided. Since I wasn't thinking of Jesus or the Gospel but only how many sick people have kissed this doll (lol) yeah, it probably would have been better to fake it, lol (?).
 

Andrew

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Nothing wrong with personal external gestures of faith and gratitude especially when it comforts you, God does not look down on anyone for doing such if anything he cherishes it, it's your closet with him so never be ashamed of that God given connection.
If it compels you to do so in the name of the Lord then by all means do it and cherish it, let no one hinder you or charge you for it.
 

Lamb

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I haven't been wearing jewelry after my surgeries but to answer the question, no, I do not kiss my little cross when I do wear it.
 
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