The Power of Ritual

bringing depth, shape, and meaning to our days

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I have a pastor friend who liked to talk about “sustainable sermons”: these are sermons preached in a previous congregation that are refreshed and updated for another use. (Sometimes called “recycled sermons.”) Sustainability is good, right?

In that spirit, as book deadline looms larger than ever, today’s post is based on something I shared recently at the church I serve. We’re in a worship series called “Why Church” in which we’re exploring aspects of the church’s work in the world: church as gathered community, church as a means of social change, etc.

A recent Sunday had the theme “church as a place for ritual.” After the service, we invited people to write some of their favorite personal rituals on sticky notes and post them on a display in the foyer.

The series also includes a “Going Deeper Guide” that expands on each weekly theme to help people connect Sunday morning to the rest of their lives. These are written by various members of our community, but I happened to write the GDG for the “ritual” week.

So below, I offer some of the rituals people shared on post-its, followed by my reflection on the theme in general. I’ve removed the many responses about prayer/Bible reading/worship, not because they’re not important, but to make space for some that may not be as obvious.

Rituals

• Quiet coffee time

• Composting

• Head bonks with my cat

• When I have middle of the night wakefulness or fretting, I mentally list the things for which I am grateful. It’s an infinite list that sustains me until I can fall asleep again.

• Morning journaling

• Meeting weekly with friends

• Daily crossword puzzles

• My granddaughters knowing there is always a special snack waiting for them at our house

• Sharing time with my husband in the morning over a cup of tea for me and a cup of coffee for him

• Emergency coffee in the morning and Lawrence O’Donnell at 10 pm (MSNBC) [lol at this one! -MAMD]

• Hug one another

• Family gatherings, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas

• A reading from Richard Rohr

• Walking the dog

• I make my bed each morning so I can rest in comfort at night

• Telling my husband to drive safely before he leaves for work

• Praying together after watching and discussing a movie with a friend

~

A view from Wrightsville Beach, where our group has met for several years.

MaryAnn’s Reflection:

Many of you know I’m in a clergy group that’s been meeting annually for some sixteen years now. We gather for scripture study based on reflection papers about a biblical text that each person writes and brings to share with the group for discussion. As you can imagine, we’ve also become dear friends who’ve shared our joys and sorrows with one another. Members of our group have been through cancer, divorces, new marriages, changes in call, coming out, deaths of parents, and much more. On a personal level, I don’t know where I’d be without the support of The Well. And yet the throughline for our group is always the study of God’s Word and the gift of the scripture reflections we bring every year.