[W]e need to beware . . . of shallow talk about “empty rituals.” To be sure, rituals can indeed become empty, performed habitually and thoughtlessly, without regard to their meaning and the ethic that is supposed to be associated with them. The prophets of Israel were unstinting in their condemnation of just that sort of pro forma religion. But it is also important to remember that, like other habitual behaviors, rituals are hardy—like habits, difficult to break—and thus likely to survive the spiritual dry periods when faith and feelings are just not there.
The ritual without the theological truth to which it bears witness, the act without the affect, can come alive—the empty ritual can be filled up—when the dry period passes. Indeed, the very existence of the ritual can help the spiritual dryness pass from the scene. Conversely, when the ritual is no longer observed, the likelihood declines that the message with which it is associated will survive, and the likelihood that old practice will come to be associated with new meanings declines still further.
Jon D. Levenson, The Love of God, pp. 32-33
I just finished Levenson’s most recent book The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, and like anything the man writes it is überdeep, thoughtful, and insightful. I swear the man can write a to-do list and you’d think, “Wow. Yeah. Never saw that.”
Anyway, I’ll likely throw up a few more quotes over the next few days/weeks. But this quote resonates with me and explains why several years ago my gut moved me toward liturgical worship, including The Book of Common Prayer
and an iPhone liturgy app based on Common Prayer Pocket Edition: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
.
It goes without saying that in expressions of Christianity that historically are overly intellectualized (i.e., the American Evangelical and Fundamentalist experience), the value of rituals (other than “daily devotions” and “going to church”) is hardly taught.
But rituals are indeed valuable, as other iterations of the Christian faith know well and as the history of the Christian church attests (not to mention Judaism). Rituals are a practice of the faith that provide the structure for our spiritual lives. Rituals are not beholden to our thinking but shape our thinking and when necessary step in the gap when our minds are tired and our feelings empty.
Sooner or later we all need that kind of help.
S. Bradford Long says
May 24, 2017 at 1:30 pmI, too, have just recently started praying the daily office from the Book of Common Prayer. I find meaning and peace in the ritual, even as I’m probably more agnostic than Christian at this point. It feels mildly absurd and counter intuitive, but my time with the Book of Common prayer has become one of my most cherished moments in the day.
I just finished reading Mike McHargue’s Finding God in the Waves, which suggests that we can build a neural “God network” in the brain through prayer and ritual even as we have profound doubts or criticisms of faith. I find this a wonderfully freeing and hopeful concept.
John A. Yates says
May 24, 2017 at 6:22 pmThis is resonating more and more in my life.
Veritas says
May 25, 2017 at 7:26 amAttend The Divine Liturgy in an Orthodox, or Eastern Catholic Church and you will find yourself surrounded by another world. The senses are awakened, or diverted, drawing you in by the hymns, bells incense, icons, and postures to a timeles environment thousands of years in the making.
We are embodied creatures and our intellect does not exist alone, but works with our senses (and our memories ) helping us to “put aside all earthly cares”
Jedi_life says
July 5, 2017 at 1:23 amAnd boring as all get out (speaking as an Antiochian Orthodox Christian).
Phil from Downunder says
May 25, 2017 at 4:34 pmHave the Anglican Common Prayer book devotional on my phone as a go to. Ere are seasons. As I’ve been working on my French, I’ve been doing my Bible reading in French and found a Daily Devotional in French. It’s official Roman Catholic, and guess what? It’s just fine, I have no problems with it at all. I love being multidenominational, and wither extra language it feels a bit like Pentecost! Which is just around the corner.
Patrick Friesen says
May 26, 2017 at 10:18 amLet me add a hearty amen to your post on ritual. Even the rituals which the Evangelical Church practices have for the most part have lost their significance. I revival of the Eucharist within evangelical church has the potential to spark a renewal of faith and shift away from certainty.
Anna says
May 26, 2017 at 11:36 pmI searched the common prayer iphone app you mention and couldn’t find anything- what is the name of the app please?
Phil from Downunder says
May 28, 2017 at 5:25 amDear Anna, I don’t know if your comment was to Pete or myself, but the App I have is on the Australian Store (and French, so I would think also US), as “Daily Prayer: Official Common Worship from …”. My wife often try and do it together, which makes the responsive prayer parts special.
Grace and Peace. Phil