Searching for Ritual

Over the years I have heard many friends and colleagues proudly proclaim," I am very spiritual, but am not religious."  I suspect that say this to me because they know that I am an ordained person who has a religious life that comes with a spirituality grounded in the Christian faith and traditions. Some, I suspect, just want to see what my reaction is, while others seems to be mostly serious about their statements.
A week or so ago, I read an interview piece written about Oprah Winfrey who spoke about her religious life as it was influenced by her Baptist upbringing and her use of Buddhist inspired meditative techniques. I certainly have no quarrel with either of these and am happy to admit that I have learned quite a bit about calming my body and soul using breathing processes learned at a seminary while taking a course on cross-denominational meditation.  I even adapted some of these ideas in my teaching practices to help my students center their attention on learning and calming their post-lunchtime rambunctiousness.
And just personally spending time observing the social, political and corporate responses to events and causes, has resulted in a personal realization that our current social order is literally crying out for ritual with which to seek meaning out of events that speak to the very souls of those involved.  People are looking for appropriate ways to respond to both moments of elation and excitement and moments of disappointment and despair.
One way folks demonstrate their anger and frustration is to carry placards and hold marches to draw attention to their cause.  I, myself, have taken part in numerous marches and demonstrations for cases as diverse as reproductive rights for women to a sunset demonstration at the mayor's residence  demanding higher wages for city workers. There have been numerous times I have heard some one or another begin the ever present chant:
                   "What do we want? ( fill in the blank) When do we want it? Now!"
Poppies became a symbol of support for the wounded veterans of the Great War. It began in1923 when the Veterans of Foreign Wars paid disabled veterans to make "Buddy Poppies" and then sold them to the public around Veteran's Day.  This was inspired by the poem by Major john McCrea, a Canadian physician who gave his life in World War I.  He wrote:

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,"

My Father, a disabled Veteran of World War II, always bought poppies from the VFW, and kept one always in his car on the sun visor.

Nowadays, folks seek ritual in buying various colored ribbons in support of various causes: pink to support breast cancer awareness, puzzle piece ribbon to support those who are on the autism spectrum; red ribbon in support of AIDS research, violet ribbons support Hodgkins Lymphoma research, and green ribbons indicate several causes including supporting more research on celiac's disease, Lyme's disease, kidney cancer and Tourette's syndrome. I truly hope that all of the people I see with these various ribbons on, have, in fact, make a financial donation in support of those who do the day to day laboratory work in fighting these diseases and syndromes.
Another favorite ritual among the at least the American public is "The Walk".  A participant collects money from friends and relations who pay them a certain amount of money for every lap, mile  or circuit they walk.  In the past six months I have seen requests for participants raising money for breast cancer research, autism awareness, birth defects, and  AIDS research. These events galvanize individuals around a worthy cause for a day long event. They certainly make the participants feel good about themselves while raising much needed funds for these charities. They happen only one time in a year, and are often out of mind at other times.
At other times there will be a candlelight vigil.  This happens often as a remembrance of an unfortunate event, such as the violent death of an individual or the anniversary of a horrific natural disaster, both of which have happened in our community. People march along the shoreline or to the site of the incident carrying lighted candles and place them on the spot of remembrance. Again, this is usually a once a year event with no real follow-up or support for those left behind.
But ritual does not have to be that way.
Ritual can have form, function and future.  It can come form a deeply rooted history of spiritual support and communal understanding. And we saw it in action the last Sunday in October at Christ Church in New Brighton at our second Rite 13 celebration. It is part of the Sunday School curriculum for Journey to Adulthood or J2A, as it is called. Three members of the congregation who have reached their thirteenth birthday or will before the year is up, are recognized for their eminent passage form childhood to young adulthood and are given a special blessing and a firm commitment from their families, friends and congregation members who promise to uphold them and support them during this transitional time in their lives. It does not replace Confirmation, one of the seven sacraments that confers adult responsibilities on members.  It is a step in the process of making a deliberate decision to become full participating members in the body of Christ with Confirmation at a later time when an adult decision can be made by the individual, not his or her parents or guardians. Here is a ritual that binds all members of this congregation together creating a support network for all of our young people supporting them in their maturing into adulthood and on their faith journey. It is, indeed, a serious responsibility for all.