READ Luke 2:21-38
COMMENTARY | Rev. Cecelia D. Armstrong
In 2014, my father passed away and I was asked to deliver
the eulogy. I was not sure what I would say or how I would express my own grief
for the passing of such a great giant. He was surely one of those guys who just
helped wherever he was needed. However, Dad did not just come and do things for
you. He would show you how to do it yourself because he did not want to return
and do the same task again. Dad was the epitome of the saying, “Give a person a
fish and they will eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and they will never go
hungry.” Dad believed in planting seeds that would germinate and grow in the
very people who would be here long after he passed away. The joy of knowing Dad
was what got me through preaching his eulogy.
The rituals of taking Jesus to the temple (naming the child
“Jesus,” as the angel declared), and receiving the prophetic messages over
Jesus’ life are all seeds that were planted according to God’s will. The joy of
knowing that God planted the original seeds should give us reason to rejoice.
In fact, this is where we can all grow when we root ourselves in ritual. Ritual
is an act infused with meaning. Ritual is not always easy. Ritual is not always
pleasant. In fact, ritual can be weary. Yet, the result of ritual usually
produces something memorable, something relaxing, or something pleasant. If
ritual is weary, there must be anticipated joy to follow.
Consider a planted seed. Ritualistically, it must be placed
in dirt. For the seed, dirt can be a weary place. The Word of God buried in us
may sometimes cause us to be in a weary place. The message from Simeon to Mary
about Jesus might have come across as a weary message. Without a doubt, the
encounter was memorable. The planted seed must receive nurture to burst through
the dirt, pursuing the opportunity to bloom.
The Word of God buried in us may need to be nurtured so that
we can bloom. Mary and Joseph followed the ritual of their culture and
tradition and in doing so were granted lessons on how to parent Jesus. Without
a doubt, the lessons received were comforting.
As we consider our own lives, how are we using rituals to
bloom for God? When I reviewed my father’s life, I was able to recall memorable
encounters. Some encounters were tough and hard to receive. Some encounters
taught me lessons I will never forget. Some encounters were opportunities for
blooming and shining in places that seem drab and weary. The experience of
rituals, either good or bad ones or the ones that cause us to be weary, will
allow us to rejoice.
reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art
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