Rituals, Values, Beliefs, and Practices

9-22-22 Rituals, Values, Beliefs, and Practices

Like many around the world, I have been following the ceremonies and rituals honoring the late

Queen Elisabeth II as she lay in state, was remembered in prayer, celebrated at a funeral service, and transported to Windsor Palace for burial. I was amazed by how long people were willing to stand in line (some for 20 hours) or at the side of a road to see her coffin, pay their respect, and be a part of history.

I was aware of how present (and busy) the family was in the midst of all that was going on. Though each had their own grief to bear, they also understood this is not just a personal loss but a huge loss and transition for the country, most of whom can only remember having one queen as she served over 70 years.

I happened to listen to an NPR piece on the importance of rituals. Even when they seem meaningless and have no direct causal effect in the world, they actually play very important functions in human societies. They help individuals get through their anxieties, connect people to one another, and help people find meaning in their lives.

On Monday, I read an interesting article that said something similar: (How Queen Elizabeth II Became a Constant Anchor in our Lives | The Archbishop of York.  The Arch Bishop acknowledged the pain of grief and how it changes the landscape of our lives forever. While we do adjust in time, The Arch Bishop made clear, “There is no point in pretending the view will ever be the same again. And our grief, which will never entirely go away, is the honourable scar of love.”

“This is why it is so important to talk about the one who has died. It is why funerals and other rites of passage help so much. We acknowledge the significance of loss. We express our love. We begin to move into the new landscape of a new life without the person we still love dearly….”

Rituals and tradition serve an important purpose in the midst of loss, but the truth is that is true for all of life. As the Arch Bishop goes on to say, “Values arise from and are shaped by beliefs and practices. For Her Majesty the Queen it was the beliefs and practices of the Christian faith that enabled her to live a life of service and to do her duty to the end….shaped by the way of Jesus Christ.… ‘She gave her allegiance to God before she expected anyone else to give their allegiance to her.’… This is the secret of a life well lived. A life rooted in God from which many blessings flow.”

There have been many rituals and traditions being carried out to honor Queen Elizabeth, which is needed given all she has done throughout her long life and because of the huge transition her nation is now facing. What has struck me most is that Queen Elizabeth II was first and foremost a child and servant of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The “values, beliefs, and practices” that shaped Queen Elizabeth’s life are also to shape our lives as Christ followers. What does that look like?

I have been studying Colossians again because I’m teaching a class on Sunday mornings, I think Chapter 3 in particular answers that question well. Paul gives good direction on practices that help us live our values and beliefs:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

This passage makes clear our identity. We are God’s chosen people who are holy and beloved. We are to live out who we are as we engage in practices that enable us to become the kind of people who can love each other as Christ loved us—with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and forgiveness. This is certainly not something we can do by our own human striving. It is a work of grace and the Spirit’s power changing us into the likeness of Christ.

How do we learn about who we are and how we are to live? By “letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” This implies more than knowing information but allowing the word to sink deep into our hearts and souls as we study, meditate on, and learn from and teach others the truth revealed by God. The Spirit renews our minds through the truth of his word so we can live what we believe.

Our human nature is to focus on ourselves and our circumstances, which can lead to anxiety and complaint and/or anger and criticism of others. Praising God by “singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God” and “giving thanks to God” turns our attention from ourselves and our circumstances to God—who he is and all he has done and continues to do for us in Christ. These are “practices” that help us to live our values and beliefs. These are means of grace God uses to transform our character to become like Christ enabling us “to live a life worthy of our calling.”

As God’s people, we belong to and serve the King of Kings who promises he is always with us and will never leave us. He calls us to be intentional in what we give our attention to because it influences who we are becoming. In the ups and downs of life, we can trust him completely. I know from experience that it is personal practices and shared experiences in relationships with others (like worship, small groups, service, or mission trips) that can have a great impact on shaping us to become like Christ so that we honor him in all we do and say. The way we live and who we are becoming is in fact the testament of what we truly value and believe.