Author: David Ellis

Don: Ritual worship is more about belonging than believing. It defines us, constrains us, informs and educates us, and above all it binds us to our faith community. Prayer is part of worship, and comes in many forms. The disciples asked Jesus how to pray: It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain…

Don: Prayer is one of the most obvious forms of ritual in any faith community. We are flush with ritual prayer: Individual and group prayer, intercessory prayer, fasting in prayer, opening and closing prayer, and children’s prayer;  prayer for the offering, for a baptism, for a baby dedication, for an ordination service, and so on….

Don: All communities (including, of course, religious ones) have rituals rooted in formalism, tradition, invariance, rule-governance, sacredness, and repetitive performance. To the outsider, a ritual may appear to be illogical, unnecessary, odd, or downright bizarre. But to the believer, the ritual is necessary, meaningful, and evidence of belonging to the community that practices it. For…

Don: Our worship symbols and rituals are bound by time, place, culture, and tradition. The Sabbath is an example. Turning off the TV, unplugging the phone, not starting the car, and buying a Sabbath stove are bound only to our time and circumstances, not to those of the past nor necessarily to those of future….

Don: Symbols, which we discussed last week, are objects that point to something of deeper meaning. Rituals—today’s topic—are actions that have metaphorical significance. Objects and actions, symbols and rituals, all have great significance not only in worship but also in life in general. Our lives and activities are full of ritual and symbol, especially at…

Don: We’ve discussed the difference between the “fact-based” worship favored by our religions, and the “spirit-based” worship demanded by Jesus. Unfortunately, disagreement over the “facts” leads to religious and sectarian conflict and violence. The “facts” often relate to worldly physical objects, which risk falling prey to the human tendency to adopt them not just as…

Don: The concept of worshiping “in truth” depends on what we mean by “truth.” If my truth is derived from and upheld by my data, my facts, my knowledge and is different from your truth, then clearly worshiping in truth—even within a single religion or church—presents a source of potential conflict. But if by “truth”…

Don: In the story where Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well, Jesus made one of only eight or nine short, declarative statements concerning God recorded in the entire history of his ministry. That makes it intensely significant. He was generally much more given to asking questions or telling parables.* In the story, the…

Don: Worship is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it is defined as the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. Synonyms include reverence, veneration, adoration, glorification, and exaltation. As a verb, worship is to show reverence and adoration for a deity; to honor with religious rights. Synonyms include…