I read Gretchen's wonderful post about on rituals late late on Saturday night, but I was so pleased to have her words still echoing in my head as we were gathering for sofa church - we're still attending church virtually for the time being.
Gretchen quotes Sergei Fudel's idea that we lay our rituals before God as expressions of our love. Gretchen, you gave me such encouragement on Sunday morning as I was setting up the room where we do church. We have our usual seats (and get a bit grumpy if someone else gets there first)! We sing, we pray, we listen. But we have our own little additions too, and one of those is having something special to eat. It's usually croissants, but I'd forgotten to order those last week, so (in a fit of generally unexpected energy) I got up in time to make scones. Now, I'm not a great scone maker! But it was a bit of labour of love: for the men here, for the set-apartness that we try to maintain for church.
Over Lockdowns I tried to make a big thing of Sunday lunch as well - there always had to be a proper dessert. I've never had an enormous repertoire there, so I did lots of experimenting with the cook books that are here but seldom used! Now that I'm back at school, there's definitely less culinary organisation but there was a
Mary Berry Sticky Toffee Pudding on Sunday. And I was still thinking about all the routines that we can have that make such a difference, no matter how menial or mundane they might be.
I know that there are times of great, obvious and overwhelming blessing, but isn't there such joy too in the things that you need to look for, and carefully appreciate, and be surprised by? I love those moments too. Ways to offer up a small life in small ways to a big God who enlarges us just where we are. Wishing you all lots of beautiful rituals this week - may they bless you, bless your worlds, and please the One who answers us x
4 comments:
Mags, you give ME encouragement, by telling me this story of your ritual. The way you had to work extra hard to make it happen is a good illustration of a big part of it. Your pictures resemble that picture on my post of the flowers decorating the walkway -- all the effort that went into the demonstration of Something Special is here.
<3
Rituals are a comfort and a blessing. When life is disrupted, those habits can soothe and support us. When we feel insecure or uncertain they carry us through... I was reading about the Israeltes setting up the Tabernacle and I'm sure that God gave them those instructions to help them "get it right". Not tying them to a rigid code but enabling them to worship.... I'd love a bowl of sticky toffee pudding, but the diet won't permit such a sugary treat right now
Both your posts have got my mind going. We use rituals (call them schedules, routines, habits) in all of life, and certainly we need them just as much in our worship of the God we love. Rituals keep us "on task," but they also express our deep need to do it again -- do the loving worship again. I must go see that Mary Berry recipe!
There are always blessings, even in the midst of trials and tests, there are always blessings. XO
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