kalawine
Puritan Board Junior
Most my life I went to churches where ritual meant almost nothing to most people and absolutely nothing to others. My (Southern Baptists) parents went to a Roman Catholic funeral in New Orleans when my Aunt Shirley (my favorite Cajun ) died and they came back telling me about all the "strange" ritual. It was such cultural shock for them that it scared them half to death. I'm afraid that most of the church today has succumbed to this "non-ritualistic" mindset.
When I first came to the PCA I now attend I was really nervous because I had been taught (unintentionally I guess) that "those people" read creeds together and have other practices that are cold, dead and ritualistic. Now, when I get to church I can barely stand to wait for the "ritualistic" places in our worship! Together we recite the model ("Lord's") prayer along with the pastor. Later we recite (after the pastor -- he asks the question and we recite the answer) a part of the Shorter Catechism. We also sing the Doxology every week. How can I convey to others the view that I have now? That is, I recite things "ritualistically" but with an honest heart towards the ideas behind those recitals? It really is a matter of the heart isn't it?
When I first came to the PCA I now attend I was really nervous because I had been taught (unintentionally I guess) that "those people" read creeds together and have other practices that are cold, dead and ritualistic. Now, when I get to church I can barely stand to wait for the "ritualistic" places in our worship! Together we recite the model ("Lord's") prayer along with the pastor. Later we recite (after the pastor -- he asks the question and we recite the answer) a part of the Shorter Catechism. We also sing the Doxology every week. How can I convey to others the view that I have now? That is, I recite things "ritualistically" but with an honest heart towards the ideas behind those recitals? It really is a matter of the heart isn't it?