Understanding the Nature of Ritual

This past Sunday I went through the ritual of putting on my white alb (the word alb means white), with a white stole (an ancient sign of office). The color for the current season of the church year of worship is white. The acolytes also wore white garments that may be called albs as well. They used special candle lighters to perform a ritual of lighting four candles on either side of a brass cross standing on a table often called an altar—even though no animals are ever sacrificed upon it.

After the opening hymn I led the congregation in another ritual at the opening of the Divine Service, that of confessing sins and receiving forgiveness or absolution. Part of that ritual involves a kind of conversation between the pastor and the gathered congregation. I referred to that in another blog only a couple postings back. As part of the confession and absolution ritual the congregation members are invited to make upon themselves the sign of the cross as the pastor pronounces God's merciful forgiveness upon them. That sign was first put upon them when they were baptized in the most sacred Name of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Properly understood the ritual of singing the opening hymn and receiving the Lord's absolution is not the opening of the Divine Service itself. It is but the gracious invitation of the merciful God to enter into the His presence to be served by Him with His Word and Sacrament. Once His absolution or forgiveness are received by the gathered worshippers, they move joyfully into His presence to be thus served. That movement was symbolized this past Sunday as I spoke forgiveness as our LORD's public servant and with His authority from in front of the railing separating the congregation from the space in which the altar stands. The altar is a symbol, reminding the worshippers that the LORD Christ offered Himself as the final sacrifice for sins upon the altar of the cross. It is from that same altar that the bread and wine of the LORD's Supper are served. As I made my way from in front of that altar up the stairs to the altar itself the congregation sang a psalm of entrance—known in Latin as the Introit. As the pastor approached the altar, so did the entire congregation—ritually. All were then gathered before the LORD.

You have noticed by now that I frequently use the word ritual. I do so for a reason. A ritual is a sequence of activities. These involve gestures, clothing, words and objects performed in a space specially set aside for certain activities. All the gestures and movements, together with the words spoken and songs sung are performed according to a set sequence, one thing after another. Ritual is inevitable in worship—all kinds of worship, both traditional and contemporary—just as it is whenever people get together for whatever reason. Certain things are expected, done and shared.

Let me briefly relate a ritual I experienced at a football game at College Station, Texas. My sons and I had seats down in front and close to the sidelines at about the 45 yard line. We all dressed in shirts of maroon and white with symbols of Texas A&M University on them. Immediately behind us was a man who supported the opposing team dressed in the colors of that university. During the game a yell leader (they do not have cheer leaders), dressed in a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up and white pants led us and other fans in a variety of special yells—some of which I didn't know, because I was not trained at A&M as a student. Then at a certain point we all locked arms and feet and swayed back and forth as we sang together the school song. I learned that ritual when my children attended A&M. It is a very moving one, binding the over 90,000 football fans gathered together in song and motion. When you attend these games you expect to participate in these many rituals.

So it is in the church's liturgy. Liturgy is close to drama. It is the manner by which Christians act out dramatically the public announcement of the Gospel, the good news of God's love in Christ. There is a center of attention just as there is in an acted drama on stage or in a movie. There are carefully thought out actions, costumes and props (altars, candles, banners, instruments, etc.). There is a special language that, like the language of drama, is natural, yet not every-day language. It is a condensed language and so becomes more power-filled than our usual way of speaking. The liturgy uses every-day language, but lifts it up so that more can be said in a brief space and period of time. The ritual doesn't completely reproduce the language of every day. That language has too many repeated phrases, pauses and clumsiness.

The closest thing to ordinary speech in the liturgy is the sermon, but even there the preacher must be careful to be precise. His words are condensed so that many things can be said in but a few minutes.

Whether you write or talk about worship as traditional or contemporary there is always ritual ! All human societies, past or present, feature rituals of one kind or another. These include not only worship rites, but also rites of passage, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals, graduations and on and on.

I say again, as before, we need to know why the rituals are performed and what they mean. Such meanings must be taught and re-taught. Only then can we fully appreciate, carefully adjust or wisely avoid them.