While we were renovating our kitchen this summer, Brian and I decided to put an instant hot water faucet at our new bar sink. We drink a lot of hot beverages and it would make it quick and easy to pour nearly boiling water over a tea bag, coffee grounds, or oatmeal and save ourselves a few minutes of using the microwave or stovetop. I think we got the idea while visiting the Littig's house in the spring.
What we didn’t realize was that with easy access to hot water, our hot beverage of choice would become a nice ritual at the end of each day. Once we’re both home from work and rehearsals, before we go to bed, we pour hot water over some sleepy-time tea and have several nice quiet minutes while the leaves steep and then the heat and medicinal qualities of the tea help to calm us.
Once I became aware that the habit was forming, I started to ponder what other rituals become parts of our lives without knowing it. It is easy to slip into patterns, whether they are based on the time of day or some other trigger. Perhaps it is a morning routine – the order we wake up, shower, get dressed, get kids ready, prepare meals for the day. Perhaps it is a particular way we do our job – consistency is a great way to ensure quality. Or maybe it is something less productive like scrolling through social media or news headlines any time we’re bored; or playing a game on our phone.
One ritual many of us share is our Sunday morning worship. In our Lutheran tradition, our worship follows a prescribed pattern – there are certain things we do every time we worship (things like confession, creed, the Lord’s Prayer, etc.) This isn’t true of every denomination. In some churches, worship looks different every Sunday or every season. Our particular rituals help us connect not only to God, but to the wider community of Christians, including Christians who have been saying the same words for the past 2,000 years. The repetition of these words can also help us use those moments to dive deeper into their meanings.
What are your rituals? Are they productive? Are there any you might like to change? Sometimes just being aware of them can help you find more meaning in them. Are your rituals helping you do something better or dive deeper into something important? Or are there any rituals that are distracting you or wasting your time? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Ritually yours,
John Johns