We are creatures of routine. Most of us have a morning ritual that helps us get ready for our day. During the holidays we look forward to celebrating family traditions. We will frequent the same restaurants, watch reruns of our favorite television shows or see movies we enjoy more than once.
Traditions and routine give us a sense of comfort and security. We applaud routine and traditions in our daily lives; however, when the church offers us tradition and routine in worship we call it boring.
Each Sunday the order of worship is a ritual that helps us make our ascent into the presence of God. The liturgy chosen for the week is a part of the greater church calendar, which helps us to understand the special seasons of the church. The sacraments are the means of grace that draw us ever closer to God in Christ through the Spirit. These traditions and rituals of the church increase our awareness of God, let us see our own sinfulness and receive the comfort and assurance of the forgiveness Christ offers each of us through His work on the cross and the eternal life won for us in His resurrection. And it is the Holy Spirit who uses the Scripture readings, the traditions and the rituals of the church in worship to grow us deeper in faith in God in Christ.
Paul said, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 ESV).
Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.
Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108
Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2
I heard once that we get out of Mass what we put into it, so if it’s boring than the problem is with us!
In Christ,
Brother Andrew