You Want Me To Do WHAT????
Many religions depend on ritual. There are prescriptive requirements and practices which bring the thought of God into daily life.
For example, in Islam, each person is required to obstain from certain foods and alcohol, pray at certain times a day prostrate toward Mecca, and take a pilgrimmage at least once in their lives.
In Judaism, there are certain ritual practices relating to dress, cleanliness, food preparation, etcetera.
Catholic Christians and some who are considered Protestant Christians have services, liturgies and practices which are ritualistic in nature.
In these religions which have a common root, as well other world religions, ritual tends to bring God to the minds of those who participate in them. If one must think of a ritual everyday with regard to food preparation, that ritual brings God into a person's daily life.
My questions is, are we, those of us who come from "minimalist" Christian heritage, at an advantage or disadvantage with regard to ritual? Since we have so very few rituals, do we miss something in our daily existence? Should Christians create their own rituals to this effect in their own lives? Is binding people to ritual a good or bad thing? Do we bind people to rituals which have no basis in scripture? Do we need to bind ourselves to ritual to feel closer to God?
What do you think?
Share your thoughts.
posted by preacherman @ 10:40:00 PM
45 Comments:
Good questions, Kinney; I will respond one at a time. These are strictly opinions of mine based on observation and experience.
"...are we, those of us who come from "minimalist" Christian heritage, at an advantage or disadvantage with regard to ritual?"
I think that rituals, when used properly, can promote community among believers and create a bridge to our predecessors. In this light, I would say that those who dismiss all ritual are definately at a disadvantage.
"Since we have so very few rituals, do we miss something in our daily existence?"
This one really depends on the individual believer and his/her need.
"Should Christians create their own rituals to this effect in their own lives?"
I have adopted certain rituals for myself which I find useful for devotion and edification. What works for me might not work for others though.
"Is binding people to ritual a good or bad thing?"
*Binding* may not be a good thing, but I have no problem with ,*promoting* rituals (or traditions, if you prefer).
"Do we bind people to rituals which have no basis in scripture?"
Whoo! All Christian traditions do this to varying degrees. Those of from a churches of Christ background are no less guilty.
"Do we need to bind ourselves to ritual to feel closer to God?"
I am going to default to my prior position that practicing tradition, rather than binding ritual, can help us feel closer to God. Ritual implies traditionalism rather than tradition. What is the difference? As a wiser man than I once said, "Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living."
Brother to brother,
O
Your question reminds me of something my Mom would say that used to drive me crazy until later in life. In talking about going to church on a regular basis, she would often say, "Going to church has to become a habit."
The other thought I had is there is a certain danger with rituals. In our "merger talks" with a neighboring Christian Church, we discovered that although both leaderships agreed that the Bible doesn't prohibit the drinking of alcohol, they required their deacons and elders to abstain.
When we asked they why their answer was, "We believe leaders should be held to a higher standard." Our response was, "What standard is "higher" than what we view in the Bible?"
This is my first ever post on a blog so bear with me . I see at least five thought provoking questions ask. I would like to post some thoughts that might help in addressing these questions.
1. Ritual and liturgy are not equivalents – Wikipedia the words for a general discussion.
2. Ritual = carnal
3. Ritual is not = to obedience
4. Rituals were terminated under the New Covenant Rom9:9,10
5. Christians are a royal priesthood 1Pet2:5,9 who worship in spirit JOH4:23,24
6. Requiring ritual is condemned in ROM14:1-14
In my mind, rituals are a lot like images. They can become a substitute for the real thing. God warned Israel not to make images because they would become ensnared by them (Deut 4:15-19, Deut 7:25-26 etc).
Jon, welcome and thanks for posting.
I think it's worth mentioning that while liturgy and ritual are not synonyms, liturgy can be included in ritual.
You are correct in pointing out that ritual is carnal. After all, we are not an entirely spiritual body.
I don't quite see the scripture condmning ritual the way you do. It does, however, seem to say to me that requiring rituals other than worship on the first day of the week and taking the Lord's Supper are not a good idea.
After all, in the passage in Romans it says to keep these things between you and God rather than pointing them out to your brother.
Although many of us don't require things of people, some things do become ritual in our lives. Praying before mealtimes, for instance. This has become a ritual for our family, but as it is still heart-felt and God-focused and we are trying to teach our sons the value of prayer, I don't think you can say that God would condemn that.
I think he would if we required this practice of other people or it became an "empty" practice.
I appreciate your post, keep on posting! You have a lot of heart-felt, insightful comments!=)
(Sorry for the long reply, but this is really a great subject!)
As a Catholic, I am no stranger to ritual, whether within or without the liturgy. Every religious ritual has a purpose, which is, generally speaking, to call to mind or make present a (often transcendent) reality through a physical action. The ritual of the Passover meal, for Israel, was a way for them to make the Exodus present to themselves again.
There are small rituals in my life:
I make the Sign of the Cross at the beginning and end of my prayer, to remind me of the Trinity, the saving death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the salvation he won for me.
I say a blessing over my food (and am beginning to say a grace afterwards), not only to ask God to bless the food, but to remind me that I am receiving this food through the graciousness of God; the grace afterwards is a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His blessings.
I bow my head at the Most Holy Name of Jesus, as a sign of reverence and a prefiguring of the day when, at his Name, every knee shall bend and proclaim him to be Lord. I also bow my head at the invocation of the Trinity, and at the name of Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, as a sign of honor and as appreciation for the miracle of the Incarnation.
When I enter a church, I make the Sign of the Cross with blessed water, for a three-fold purpose: to remind myself of my baptism, as a sign of repentance for my sins, and as a prayer to be protected from the Devil.
Personally, following a ritual (once I have learned it) frees my mind to concentrate on what lies behind the ritual. At Mass, I know when to sit, stand, or kneel; when to respond and what to say; when to sing or be silent. This frees me to listen and to look at what is being said or done, and to ponder the mysteries behind the actions.
I like the diversity in the comments...from Jon whose comments seem to stidently against ritual and from Japhy whose comments invite us into the mystery behind our actions.
I don't think the most fundamentalist Protestant is without ritual. Any recurring behavior that signals what it means to be holy is by nature ritual. T-totallers not touching alcohol is ritual as much as Baptists not dancing or playing with "devil cards."
I like what Japhy writes, "Every religious ritual has a purpose, which is, generally speaking, to call to mind or make present a (often transcendent) reality through a physical action. ...Personally, following a ritual (once I have learned it) frees my mind to concentrate on what lies behind the ritual."
Thanks for raising this topic, Kinney.
The new covenant says that the Law is spiritual not carnal (Romans 7:14). Paul says that carnal is acting according to the flesh (1Cor.3:1-4). David says that his delight was to meditate on the Law (Psalm 1:2). I would not want to put my spirituality against David's. Rituals that are God ordained are good, right, and spiritual. Jesus says those activities and rituals that come from men render our worship empty (Matt.15:1-9). Thanks for your post Kinney.
You hit all the hot buttons, doncha? That is why your blog is so addictive.
I have no problem with rituals, as long as we don't try to bind our opinions (of the way things should be done) on other people. Am I making any sense?
I love this post. My natural bent is one that seeks change, creativity and unpredictability. However, as I journey toward a richer inner life I think the incorporating of rituals and traditions is key for spiritual formation. Would I "bind" them on another - No. I think I would invite participation. I remember while attending the Highland church in Abilene for 6 years, most of those years, we said the Lords Prayer together every Sunday. That was a ritual that the whole church community was invited to participate in. It was an anchor during traumatic times and something to count on. Yet, it was placed within a context of freshness each week.
I have fallen in love with some ancient prayers that I say with some regularity.
What about marking important moments in the life of our churches by tradition. Births, 5th grade blessing, senior sunday etc. These are great healthy traditions.
I would firmly say the answer is yes/and. Let's enjoy the rich fullness that can come from liturgy, ritual, tradition and not bind it on another like it is something one needs to do to be okay in God's eyes.
Muddhouse Sabbath is a good read on some practical ideas about incorporating written prayers, sabbath, hospitality etc as rituals into our lives.
I like to think of these practices we build in as sacred rhythms instead of required rituals.
I'm fairly left-brained. I love routine, consistency, and ritual. They help me feel safe, confident, and at ease.
Working in the same office area as I is a man who is more right-brained. Don't force him into a bunch of routines and rituals, please. He thrives on spotaneity and surprise, freshness and creativity.
My personality probably draws me more toward ritual than my co-worker's. I have no reason to look down on him, though, just because he does not observe every ritual I may observe. Nor should he judge me as too rigid or heartless in my life simply because I find joy and depth in ritual.
I think Paul had something to say about this in the second chapter of his letter to the Colossians.
This is something that is no talk about much. Of course we can go too far with a ritual, but I could see some value in maintaining these acts. They are actions of anchor for the soul.
First of all it looks like at least three different definitions of "ritual" are being used in the comments. So, I'll just pick one. The one you used in your post:
"prescriptive requirements and practices which bring the thought of God into daily life"
Yeah, I have ritual in my life.
Prayer
Repentance
Bible Reading
Meditation
Repentance
Service
Reflection
Repentance
Abstaining from sin (oops)
Repentance
I seem to do a lot of repenting daily... hourly.
i do not think that it is necessary, however, humans do tend to want to number and name. God wants a relationship with us, do we really need ritual to bring ourselves to this? are we so far from God that we need ritual to think of Him and talk to Him. He should be everything to us. God is already be in our everything. we do not need a special day to celebrate or remember God.
Great post, Kinney. My two cents in this discussion comes from a different angle.
When we form a ritual or cultivate a "holy habit" as a ritual or when we use ritual as a way to strengthen our faith, it takes its rightful place in the life of the believer. However, if it is used to chalk up brownie points with God or to fulfill some sort of religious duty, or workings of righteousness that we can boast about, then it becomes a stumbling-block to us and to others.
Ritual in its place is good. My point is that it is not whether we do or don't have ritual, the point is what our motivations are. If our motives are good, the rituals we do will be good. If our motives are selfish, our rituals will lead toward a self-righteousness that Jesus himself condemned.
It's all in the motivation - It's a matter of the heart.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21
Nancy’s post triggered this question in my mind:
Can it be said that ritual could represent a kind of spiritual barometer?
Those of us minimalists probably have more ritual than any of us want to admit to.. quiet time/devotions.. pre-programmed-bulletin-ordered worship services.. 20 or 30 or 45 minute sermons.. Sunday School.. Sunday/Wednesday night services.. positions on alcohol.. you get the idea.. but now I am just meddling :)
Ooo. What an interesting topic. I think rituals, when done in the right spirit, can be an act of worship. We have traditions in our marriage, special ways of recognizing and remembering one another. Why would we do less for the God of the Universe?
Good post and good responses.
Thanks to all.
Rituals can unite people. God prescribed some difficult ones in some detail in the Mosaic covenant.
And sometimes we learn (or remember) by doing.
Do we let rituals draw us closer to God and to each other? Do they simply become rote and meaningless after a while?
Odd example: I have a friend who resists standing with the rest of the church at the chorus "I Stand In Awe of You." I understand his reason: he feels forced to do something rather than being moved by his heart to do it spontaneously. I think he's missing a moment of unity and communion with his church family, but I respect his feelings in the matter. It's a ritual. It's not prescribed. It's voluntary. For my friend, it cheats him of spontaneity and has become rote.
(For me, "I sit, I sit in awe of You" just doesn't have the same power to express respect for God.)
Yes, fine post, Kinney.
I tend to like ritual to a point. As long as it's seen as a means and never an end in itself. If it's an expression of our faith in God, then if something gets into the way of it, it's no big deal, because, again, it's not an end in itself.
I don't think the ends I have in mind are necessarily always Scriptural to the core, though the end should be love of God and our neighbor, and faith expressing itself in acts of love. But ritual for me, such as Bible reading at certain times, and prayers. I would like to be more open to more practices like this, as I think as human beings, maybe they help regulate us to do what we ought to do in faith. What we do can help us in our faith, as well as faith helping us in what we do. Our bodies are involved in obedience and rituals can help remind me to obey always, and that it is a routine part of our living, and anything outside of it is out of place.
Well, there's my theory, probably not well thought out. But I do think ritual is good in its right place, but when it becomes an end in itself, it becomes destructive, and reminds me of the Pharisees by the time of Jesus.
As longs as the rules and rituals are observed out of gratitude for the salvation God has provided... NOT in an effort to obtain that salvation.
Cristina
Great Post Kinney, and I would like to add my two cents...
Rituals for the sake of rituals is probably something we should try to stay away from. Rituals, such as prayer, reading of scripture, etc can be great things if done with the proper motivation.
I really think that motivation is key. You should never do anything, even going to church on Sunday, if you are just doing it because that is what you are supposed to do. You must be motivated by a spirit of wanting to commune with and glorify God.
As to Jon's comment on Romans 14. I believe Paul is speaking to us about not letting our rituals get in the way of loving people. Also, he speaking more here against being judgmental towards someone else's rituals and way thinking than he is condemning rituals altogether.
It is my prayer that we keep our motivation pure no matter what it is we find ourselves doing.
Excellent discussion everyone.
Thank you for visiting my blog - I greatly enjoyed this discussion - can't wait to read more! God bless ...
Hey, thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed reading. Looking forward to hearing from you again :).
Just a quick response to your post, since I don't have much time... I think ritual can be a way that we relate to the truth. God certainly has given rituals, including communion and baptism to the church. They're a great way to remind ourselves of truth. However, when we become attached to the ritual at the expense of truth, we have a problem.
Great questions :).
I enjoy the diversity of the discussion and comments.
Yann Martel in his novel the Life of Pi says, "But religion is more than rite an ritual. There is what the rite and rile stand for. Here too I am a Hindu. The universe makes sense to me through Hindu eyes. There is Brahman, the world soul, the sustaining frame upon which is woven, wrap and weft, the cloth of being, with all its decorative elements of spece of time. There is Brahman nirguna, without qualities, which lies beyone understanding, beyond description, beyond approach; with our poor words we sew a suit for it - One, Truth, Unity, Absolute, Ultimate Realtiy, Ground of Being - and try to make it fit, but Brahman niguna always bursts the seems. We are left speechless." (p.48).
Hey fella :)
Matthew 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
The OT was full of rituals, requirements and practices. Our Father found a better way, from the heart.
Monalea
... and yet the New Testament contains rituals (such as baptism and the Eucharist), requirements (such as repentance, baptism, love of God, and love of neighbor), and practices (such as dealing with a brother who sins against you (cf. Matt 18:15-17), the laying on of hands, prayer and fasting, and greeting one another with a "holy kiss").
Some rituals are indeed "from the heart".
God does require both heart and observances. I think both help us focus on Him.
Would that we should become so focused on our relationship with Christ, Himself, that we would not need rituals to "remind" us of anything.
I want to thank everyone for their comments and adding to this wonderful discussion. It is appreciated. I think we all can learn form each other.
http://www.ajschwanz.com/2008/01/26/communing-and-consuming/
interesting post
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I don't think ritual is a bad thing. I think it bring one closer to God I wish more Church of Christ had more rituals in their worship services. Yes we have communion, stand and sing for this song and that song, stand and pray for this prayer and that prayer. I wish we had more real, live, hands on, ritual in our worship.
I love your post Kinney because I don't have to be on blogger or on any blog to post. Thank you. I wish I could give you a big bear hug but I think Mrs. Preacherman wouldn't like that very much at all. I love the topics you choose. Your not afraid to step out, get real. I like that about your blog.
I am a Catholic and like Japhy it bring meaning to Mass.
Thanks to the nice anonymous comments. It is very encouraging and uplifting to my faith.
gucci outlet, louboutin outlet, longchamp handbags, tory burch outlet, longchamp outlet, true religion jeans, louis vuitton outlet, air max, oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet, louis vuitton, jordan shoes, burberry outlet, tiffany and co, louis vuitton handbags, michael kors outlet, kate spade handbags, ray ban sunglasses, air max, oakley sunglasses, michael kors outlet, louboutin, tiffany and co, oakley sunglasses cheap, kate spade outlet, michael kors outlet, prada outlet, burberry outlet, michael kors outlet, nike shoes, coach factory outlet, nike free, louboutin, polo ralph lauren outlet, louis vuitton outlet stores, chanel handbags, christian louboutin shoes, prada handbags, michael kors outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, coach purses, michael kors outlet, coach outlet store online, true religion jeans, ray ban sunglasses, longchamp handbags, coach outlet
insanity workout, north face jackets, giuseppe zanotti, chi flat iron, ugg boots, p90x, birkin bag, longchamp, ferragamo shoes, rolex watches, herve leger, hollister, canada goose, babyliss pro, ugg australia, canada goose, canada goose jackets, reebok outlet, ghd, soccer shoes, ugg, nfl jerseys, nike roshe run, north face outlet, valentino shoes, mont blanc, celine handbags, nike huarache, new balance shoes, canada goose outlet, ugg boots, canada goose, mcm handbags, beats by dre, bottega veneta, wedding dresses, soccer jerseys, marc jacobs, canada goose uk, mac cosmetics, ugg pas cher, vans shoes, jimmy choo outlet, instyler, uggs outlet, asics running shoes, lululemon outlet, abercrombie and fitch
insanity workout, north face jackets, giuseppe zanotti, chi flat iron, ugg boots, p90x, birkin bag, longchamp, ferragamo shoes, rolex watches, herve leger, hollister, canada goose, babyliss pro, ugg australia, canada goose, canada goose jackets, reebok outlet, ghd, soccer shoes, ugg, nfl jerseys, nike roshe run, north face outlet, valentino shoes, mont blanc, celine handbags, nike huarache, new balance shoes, canada goose outlet, ugg boots, canada goose, mcm handbags, beats by dre, bottega veneta, wedding dresses, soccer jerseys, marc jacobs, canada goose uk, mac cosmetics, ugg pas cher, vans shoes, jimmy choo outlet, instyler, uggs outlet, asics running shoes, lululemon outlet, abercrombie and fitch
zzzzz2018.7.11
canada goose jackets
prada shoes
ralph lauren outlet
nike chaussure
nike air max 90
golden goose sneakers
valentino shoes
pandora charms outlet
polo ralph lauren
christian louboutin shoes
www0727
alife clothing
magic jerseys
michael kors
wellensteyn jackets
michael kors outlet
polo ralph lauren
jordan shoes
ugg boots
coach outlet store online
coach outlet
Post a Comment
<< Home