I've always thought that "ritual" was a silly critique and that "habit" gets a bad rap, particularly when it comes to faith. I understand that empty ritual and meaningless habits are to be avoided, but ritual doesn't equal empty and meaningless and habit and not necessarily synonymous.
That has been particularly true during these past 5 days. As someone who has committed to a communal way of life that includes daily prayer and reading of scripture, weekly worship and house church gatherings, and regular practices of hospitality and service, I have seen why that commitment is a blessing even when (maybe especially when) I'm not feeling up for it or into it. Many times this week I have found myself not wanting to pray or meditate on the Bible. I certainly didn't want to worship on Wednesday and am not feeling all that excited about house church on Sunday. And yet, Wednesday's worship was just what I needed* and my habit of prayer and meditation has been just what I needed to steady me as my emotions are in an almost constant state of flux.
All that to say, I can see, now more than ever, the benefit of doing something out of habit, simply because you know it to be a good thing and not because you necessarily feel like doing it. If our habits are godly habits, then they should not be viewed as burdens, but as potential for blessing.
*that said, I do wish it were someone else's job to preach and plan for a couple of weeks
3 comments:
Thanks Kes.
Amen. Thanks, Kes.
P.S. When I was growing up as a PK, I hated the annual "Round Robin" preacher swap that 3 or 4 of our Pennsylvania Churches of Christ would do. My siblings and I had to get up super early to accompany Dad & Mom to far-away "sister" churches so Dad could preach. We had to go to strange Bible classes with kids we didn't know, sometimes separated from each other because of age/grade cutoffs...and sometimes Dad recycled the sermon because it was a good one and no one in the building (except for his family) had heard it before.
However, after 3 or 4 weeks of traveling, my Dad was visibly energized by the exercise. He'd met with like minds around the state, visited with people he didn't get to see often or remembered from college, my parents had been able to visit with fun new people, he got to recycle/refine a sermon until it was a work of art, and we were glad to come home to friendly, familiar faces.
Also, here was the best part...our church family was so happy to have Dad back that even the unenthusiastic pew grumblers were able to manage a weak smile at his return. (My dad is a fantastic preacher...and hunter, photographer, golfer, motorcyclist, etc; it's ridiculous.)
Now I know your situation is different from the traditional pulpit/building scenario, but the principle is the same. Having guest speakers like Anne Jackson (http://flowerdust.net) would be a nice change and swapping Sunday routines with a traditional preacher might be refreshing for you both.
So, in the meantime, keep those Godly habits...but look for opportunities for the "pause that refreshes." Like the British say, "A change is as good as a rest."
Wow. My two cents turned into a quarter. Sorry about that!
Your rituals and habits would be called in my Order "valuable road signs on the pilgrimage, but they are not the object of our pilgrims’ quest".
That seems the case with you as well. Yours seem to be a means to a grace-filled life, rather than
ends in themselves, and that makes those rituals life giving rather than choking off life.
Or so they seem to me. :)
Br. James Patrick
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