It’s OK to Stand on Ceremony
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“‘And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. ”
I read the daily “Zack Hill” cartoon about a pre-teen boy named Zach and his mother. Zach’s mom is a single mother who rents rooms in her home to an eclectic group of people. In one cartoon, the group is eating dinner around the table, and everyone is on a cell phone while eating. An older woman at the other end of the table says to Zach’s mom, “We’ve lost a sense of ceremony in society.” Zach’s mom replies, “Ceremony? I’ll settle for dinner without cell phones.”
The “Zach Hill” creators John Deering and John Newcombe hit the nail on the head. Ceremonies have the power to unite and bring a feeling of communal wholeness. We’ve lost so many ceremonies while we’ve tarnished others. Civil ceremonies have become segregated moments along political party lines. Our society has diminished religious ceremonies. Fewer people call themselves people of faith, as the fastest-growing religious group is “none.” Even among the faithful, religious holidays and their ceremonies are less attended.
A ceremony is a powerful means of guiding society in affirming what is essential and worthy of admiration. Many who claim Christianity attempt to do so without ceremony. Christianity is, by its very definition, a religion based on ceremony. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, God calls the people to community worship of the God who gives them life. The ceremony isn’t simply to provide people with something to take with them, but mainly to honor and celebrate the God who is the One who gives life eternal. Our society has become so self-centered that we focus primarily on what we get, and when it is not to our satisfaction, we give up and curse God with our absence.
Yes, the church, like all human institutions, falls short and remains imperfect and hypocritical. Yet, when the act of ceremony is at the center of our worship, honoring the one who made and sustains us, not even hypocrisy can damage our act of celebration. If we desire a strong faith and a meaningful life, we should cherish and honor the ceremonial moments in our lives. Whether we are worshiping Christ on Easter Sunday, placing our right hand over our hearts on Memorial Day, or sitting down and listening to one another around the dinner table, recognizing the power of ceremony will bring meaning and significance to our lives.
