The Power of Ritual

We often read about how Jesus challenged the religious authorities of his day. He challenged the tradition. But it is interesting. Jesus never gave up on his tradition. He never gave up on ritual worship or rote prayer. As hard as he came down on the religion of his day – he never left it. He challenged it from within. He sought renewal from within. And while he got angry, called people on their hypocrisy, and overturned tables, he continued to show up and teach in the synagogues, and even the temple, right up until his death.  

Why do you think that is?

Kathleen Norris writes about the importance of ritual not only in the good times, times when we’re just not feeling it. She put it this way:

“The human need for routine is such that even homeless people establish it the best they can, walking the same streets, foraging in the same dumpsters, sleeping in the same spots, in an attempt to maintain basic relationships with people and places. For any of us, affluent or not, it is by means of repeating ordinary rituals and routines that we enhance the relationships that nourish and sustain us.” 

A Professor named Paul Bosch wrote an article on a recent study on marriage. It monitored the daily habits of couples in order to determine what produced good and stable marriages. One interesting finding was that simply embracing one’s spouse at the beginning and end of each day consistently made a difference in the quality of many people’s marriages. Most surprising to Bosch was that “…it didn’t seem to matter whether or not at that moment the partners were fully engaged or even sincere! Just a perfunctory peck on the cheek was enough to make a difference in the quality of the relationship.” 

Bosch comments, wisely, that this “should not surprise churchgoers. Whatever you do repeatedly has the power to shape you… even if you’re not totally engaged in every minute.”

Norris claims that’s why the monks pray at the hinges of the day. That’s why we are encouraged to pray at the hinges of the day and to worship at the hinge of the week. Because as we come back again and again, we find that we are being shaped by God’s love, mercy, grace, and direction.

As you still stand on the hinge of this new year, I pray that you would reflect on your life. Are there habits, customs, or disciplines that maybe do not give life – that you need to let go of? Are there others that you need to hold tight to? And, are there any that you need to develop or begin again?       

Gracious God, Help us to draw on the best of what has been handed down to us over the years. May we never lose sight of how foundational the ritual of worship and prayer can be. Inspire us by your Spirit that this year would be filled with blessing, meaning, and hope. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.