A long time ago my church started a communion service at 7:00 AM on Wednesday mornings. After a couple of years or so it was discontinued. Why? Probably because not many folk showed up.
But I did. I was going through a difficult time and that ritual helped me remember why I was choosing to do it.
Rituals bring communities together. Thy help us remember that we're all in the same boat. After my husband, Ken, died I walked "The Mourners Path." I met weekly with other mourners. We were led in specific rituals involving telling our stories to each other. It's not about ignoring pain but facing it head on, in community.
My neighbor's husband just died. She's been going to prayers every morning and "Sitting Shivah" in the evenings. This involves the ritual of covering mirrors, walking low and opening her home to her rabbi and cantor and others who mourn with her.
Years ago I wrote about the Ritual of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It dates back many centuries and takes many hours to complete. I don't understand much of the symbolism but I know it's about spiritual enlightenment.
And I know that sharing rituals in community with others gives me spiritual enlightenment and comfort on this journey that - for every single one of us - ends in death.
Then what?
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