The last class was very heavy.. so i've split it up into four days... so please check back Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday! Enjoy and let me know what you think!
A book called "Jacob the Baker" by Noah benShea really put ritual into perspective... here's a paraphrase of a chapter:
"Prayer is the path where there is none." said Jacob.
"Do you always pray the same way, Jacob?"
Jacob spoke slowly, "Ritual gives form to pasion. Passion without form consumes itself."
"But you said prayer is a path where there is none...?"
Jacob's eyes drew back their last curtain, "Yes, prayer is a path where there is none, and ritual is prayer's vehicle."
So what does the Church do? We do the LITURGY. The word comes from the Classical Greek word λειτουργία (leitourgia) meaning "public work".
Liturgy can be defined as the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to their particular traditions. liturgy is a communal response to the sacred through activity reflecting praise, thanksgiving, supplication, or repentance. Ritualization may be associated with life events such as birth, coming of age, marriage, and death. It thus forms the basis for establishing a relationship with a divine agency, as well as with other participants in the liturgy.
Methods of dress, preparation of food, application of cosmetics or other hygienic practices are all considered liturgical activities. Repetitive formal rites, in some ways similar to liturgies, are natural and common in all human activities such as organized sports venues.
Baseball has a liturgy.. think about it.. the national anthem, throwing out the game ball, the ump yell'n play ball, the homefield advantage, the 7th inning stretch and singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" etc. etc.
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