June 5, 2005 -Mixed Blessings! Potentials and Pitfalls of Rituals

The centre of the word spirituality is ritual. Ritual forms the centre of
our human existence and growth. Ritual can function to perpetuate status
quo or it can take us deep into the relationship of our inner and outer
realities.
~Ian Lawton

Two Pastors Dialogue Ritual in a Progressive Church

Enjoy this conversation between Ian and Bob on the significance of rituals
and sacraments, and how they impact our lives.

Ian Lawton writes:

There was a Japanese Teahouse with panoramic views of the ocean. For a
reason that would become clear to guests, the owners also planted many
large trees that blocked the view. The first visitors to the Teahouse were
surprised that the spectacular view was blocked until they bent down at the
front door to perform the ritual washing of hands. As they stooped into the
customary position of 'humility', with their hands in a bowl of purified
water, a narrow opening in the trees emerged before their wide eyes. Hands
were immersed in water, eyes were entranced by sparkling sea. They enjoyed
a wonder filled moment of rare connection and a peak spiritual
experience.

That story seems to point to a definition of ritual as "an act, repeated as
a custom, that enhances our connections within, between and beyond
ourselves." In the church, rituals like baptism and eucharist tend to
sparate people out and cause a dualism of those who are in the club and
those who are not. For churches whose greatest intention is inclusion of
all, finding the balance of language and practice that maintains ritual
without exclusion is a major challenge.

Bob Kleinheksel writes:

If rituals can be celebrated without a sense of exclusion, they have the
power to comfort, unite, and excite (both translation and transformation).
For instance, when Eucharist is experienced, I think of the challenge of
creating environments where all might have enough to eat and drink and
thrive. I imagine what Jesus and others throughout history encouraged as
they imagined everyone being welcome at a common table. I sense connection
to the universal and necessary elements for our existence (soil, water,
air, light - grain - grape). Rituals ground me in life as a human being;
they also invite my liberation into something more expansive. In this way
I find rituals a call to action.

Ian Lawton writes:Do you think that rituals can be a tool for spiritual practice or human
growth as well? Meditation seems a good example. Recent Australian
research in neuroscience reports that meditation leads those participating
to interpret images they see in a more positive light. The research was
done in a way that events could be seen in at least two different ways,
some negatively and some positively. Proficient meditators were shown to
focus on the positive images more consistently.

I wonder if our task is to transform rituals so that participation becomes
part of an evolving consciousness. It would be exciting to see meditation
as a ritual in churches alongside reading prayers. I wonder if asking
people to pause in silence with bread in hand at eucharist and contemplate
their connectedness with the earth might be as powerful and beneficial as
any particular words spoken. I wonder if the sound of pouring water at
baptism might be as powerful as any words spoken.

Part of the task of a progressive community is to map the historical
understanding of ritual. Its generally been a debate about the distinction
between the reality and pointing to the reality. Augustine said that the
sign of the sacrament needs to bear some resemblance to the invisible
reality that it is pointing to. Zwingli. Luther and Calvin in the 16th
century argued about whether the elements of the sacrament, eg the water
or the bread, contained the invisible reality or whether they pointed to
the invisible reality. Churches today still place themeselves somewhere on
this continuum. The "higher" churches seek a mysterious presence in the
sacrament. Lower churches see the sacrament as a memorial or as a sign
pointing to some greater reality. Both perspectives are certainly valid
and contain partial truth.

One of the interesting connections for a progressive community might be the
interplay of reality or consciousness and our experience of reality. Do we
change outer or visible reality, for example healing sickness, or do we
only change our inner and invisible reality as it responds to outer
reality, for example we find strength to handle sickness? Does our inner
reality have some ability to change outer reality? Do rituals function to
shift our inner perspective or do they create some shift in outer reality?
For example in baptism does the ceremony of water and babies simply inspire
us to live with an innocent joy, or is there some shift in consciousness
that takes place for the one baptized or for those participating?

Bob Kleinheksel writes:

One of the things clear to me is that rituals point to something sacred as
they call us to a deeper understanding of reality. I also experience
something uniting and intimate with other people during ritual and
sacrament. There may be, then, both a pointing to what is sacred and the
sacred itself involved. So, ritual might be a reminder to live well or a
peak experience of mysterious interconnectedness contained in the act – I
would say it is both of these. I don’t feel I need to be in a position to
pick what the sacrament fulfills. It can be all these valid outcomes – and
these outcomes will vary from experience to experience and on the nature of
the act itself.

For this community or for any community with such diversity, we include
what has been, re-interpreting and understanding anew the ancient or
historical rituals . We include and transcend them with our new
understandings – which may always be under revision since all things are
dynamic and changing. I think a community has to take into account the
diversity, to listen to each other, to move together as individuals and
collectively. We need to continue assessing attachments and dependency
upon rituals. Are our identities and maintenance of self too enmeshed with
them? We make room for a variety of brand new rites of passage, rituals and
acts seen as sacramental (as most things/events/relationships might be seen
as sacramental); we create mind-expanding events or acts that draw us into
deeper consideration or consciousness of our oneness and interdependence.
And in the end, we dont make assumptions that we are all developmentally
at the same or similar points. A community such as C3 will draw people
from all over the spectrum. We learn from each other what is important and
what may both ground us and liberate us into new, expansive and necessary
being, thinking, creating and doing.

Rituals for Life Love and Loss

If you are looking for new rituals to begin in your family you may wish to
check out "Rituals of Life, Love and Loss," by Australian author Dorothy
McRae-McMahon.

Rituals of Life, Love and Loss provides spiritual rituals and meditations
for the modern world, for times of celebration and grief. Dorothy
McRae-McMahon, who is internationally renowned for her work with ritual,
has created meaningful ceremonies for all people, regardless of their
faith.

From naming a child and blessing a home to the sadness of ending a marriage
and a simple funeral, Rituals of Life, Love and Loss gives us the words and
symbols we need to make the everyday sacred.

Dorothy McRae-McMahon is a retired minister of the Uniting Church in
Australia. She is an internationally recognised creator and writer of
religious rituals, and the first woman to be a moderator of the World
Council of Churches Worship Committee. Dorothy is the author of eight
other books and the recipent of many awards. Dorothy embraced her
sexuality in 1987 and came out publicly in 1997 which led to both attack
and support. She lives in Sydney with her partner Ali, and has four
children and 3 grandchildren.

A Spirituality that Transforms

Were you intrigued by Bob's Sermon on Sunday and the distinction between a
religion that Translates and a religion that Transforms?

Have you heard Ian and the team discussing Ken Wilber and the integral
model and wondered what all the fuss was about?

You will not want to miss this article, "A Spirituality that Transforms" by
Ken Wilber. Wilber, a genius of our time, clearly unpacks the distinct
roles of religion to both translate and transform our lives. He points
out the value in both, while encouraging us all to continue to evolve and
transform. You will not want to miss this spectacular article featured on
the "What is Enlightenment?" website!

Wilber's A Spirituality that Transforms

Reader Talk Back

After having such a strong response to last week's ezine, "Same Sex
Different Positioins" we wanted to give you the chance to hear some of our
readers' reactions.

Kathy Lawton, Australia, writes:

I just read with interest your latest e-zine on same sex marriages. Thanks
for thinking of me.

I have forwarded it to 2 friends of mine who are contemplating getting
married in Canada some time as they can't get married here. It actually
seems odd to me that gay and lesbian people would want to embrace a
patriarchal ritual but then I guess love is love is love.

The issues that are important to me are that same sex couples can't adopt
each others children, can't leave superannuation benefits to life long
partners and often are disregarded in times of partner sickness and death
by hospitals and "family"members as not being next of kin. Marriage at
least offers these equalities and dignities.

Sherri Lintjer, USA. writes:

Instead of looking so deeply into gay rights -- all a person has to do is
look at the anatomy of a man and a woman and it's pretty obvious how
things were designed.

However, I do believe many people are born homosexual by some fluke of
nature. Although -- I have to believe that some are making sexuality a
choice since we have pretty much raised this generation to draw that
particular conclusion.

Regardless, I also support a legal union that would protect gay couples
with legal rights. I have a friend who has been with the same man for
over 20 years -- a commitment that most heterosexuals do not achieve.

In conclusion, I personally believe that some people are clearly born gay
-- others make it a choice either with the influence of drugs, mixed up
youth, or pure curiosity -- and this I believe is wrong if not dangerous
to ones health in today's society.

But... I must make it clear that I do not believe gay people should be
banned from church or hated because of what they are -- I believe to judge
another person is clearly not our job.

Lynne Deur, USA, writes:

Thanks, Ian, for your comments on same-sex marriage. When I think about
what my partner and I have wanted through the years as far as some type
of "marriage" arrangement, it is this:

1- a recognition of our relationship as loving, meaningful, and committed
as any heterosexual couple (C3/CCC people have given us that, and after 22
years people finally seem to accept it) and
2- a chance at legal benefits, like medical insurance that my partner has
but cannot share with me. I believe that same-sex relationships would
fare better with some sort of public acknowledgement that say, a wedding
gives. It is not so easy to walk away when others consider you a "real
couple."

For instance, a couple of times some people thought my partner and I were
having problems, and they were very upset about that. When my partner and
I found out, we had a good laugh, but then we realized that our
relationship now really extended beyond us and we were very touched.

But on the other hand, our life together has been good without the formulas
and expectations of marriage. One heterosexual friend has always told us
that our relationship is better than any of her married friends. Without
role expectations, we've shared the life chores and picked what each does
best. For us at this point, we would only look to marriage for legal
matters.

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