Most of the time, I write blogs because my mind has been mulling over a subject for some time and I just need to write myself clear. This post is no exception to that, although the title may have been provocative enough for you to have clicked on this post so you want me to get right to the point. Alright, I’ll say it:

I don’t think things that have become “ritual” are always bad.

There, I said it. And now, maybe you’re reading on because you’re enraged, or curious, or confused. Whatever the case, I would like to now get my thoughts on this out there for your consideration and, more importantly, biblical discernment.

I’m gearing up to preach through the book of Leviticus in 2027 at MissionWay (yes: that book!) and it’s made me realize how much ritual was part of worship under the Old Covenant. Maybe I should have done this up front, but I’m working with the following definition of the word “ritual” in this post: “a sequence of actions or words performed in a fixed, regular way, often imbued with deeper symbolic, cultural, or religious meaning.” I’m not talking about weird incantations, vain repetitions, or pagan acts with mystical overtones. I’m talking about the things we do and say in our worship to the Lord regularly that carry a deeper meaning. Consider the following example from worship under the Old Covenant in Leviticus:

Leviticus 24:1-4
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. 3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.

Why light the lamps regularly? Because the lamps were to represent the light of the glory and presence of the Lord and were to be a constant reminder to His people. I bet Aaron got tired of arranging these lamps from time to time. But the Lord commanded it be done and it pleased the Lord. And should Aaron ever wonder if the Lord was still with His people, this daily ritual was a tangible reminder for him.

Let’s talk about a more modern ritual: communion or the Lord’s Supper. My entire life, I have heard people say that we ought not partake in it too often because it may become too “ritualistic.” Now, I share their sentiment that I don’t want the Lord’s Supper to ever become boring, but I have often responded to that remark by saying “I kiss my wife everyday and I have yet to get tired of it.”

I don’t think we’re actually concerned about ritual here. We’re concerned that partaking of the Lord’s Table on a more regular basis might actually reveal that it’s not as significant of a thing in our hearts as it ought to be. the problem is not if something will become ritualistic, it’s if our hearts are truly grasping the deeper meaning of the ritual, or if over time we have just become bored with the sacred things of God.

I actually think when we’ve become bored with something God has commanded us to do, we ought to do it even more and beg Him to change our hearts. Beg Him for our hearts to behold this act of worship as glorious and beautiful because He is glorious and beautiful and He has commanded that we worship Him in this way.

There’s more I can say, but I’ll leave it here for now and I’m sure I’ll say more in my sermon series on Leviticus.