Rituals keep us connected and centered. Rituals engage our bodies so our minds and hearts can open up to something beyond the mundane of everyday tasks of doing the dishes, paying the bills and figuring out what to have for dinner. Rituals don’t need to be elaborate. They do need a quality of attention and an openness to the sacred. A ritual can be as simple as taking your favorite mug out of the kitchen cupboard to have a cup of tea. A ritual can be as elaborate as planning a wedding.
Many different rituals mark the church year. We light candles in worship as we call to mind that Jesus, the Light of the World, is present with us. In baptism, water and God’s presence connect us to our true identity as beloved children of God. During communion we’re reminded, as we chew the bread and swallow the wine or juice, that Jesus wraps us, as well as people of all times and places, in life-giving love.
This message is excerpted from “Rituals and Routines” by Jordan Miller-Stubendick in the September 2020 Gather magazine.
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