Journey into Insight Chapter 10

‘Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven...’ (John 20:23)

Christianity is not a religion of rituals and symbols, but a religion of reality.

There are, of course, rituals and symbols in Christianity, however they are not crucial. They form a flexible aesthetic framework or environment in which the real spiritual aids, called Sacraments, are made available to the recipients. By way of analogy, international agreements are often accompanied by much protocol, flag flying and celebrations, but the substance of real importance is the discussion and the resulting treaty itself.

It is not intended to discuss the spiritual aids in detail, but rather to distinguish them from the visible rituals and formalities that may accompany them and other events commonly associated with religion. These aids were instituted by Christ for the benefit of individual growth and well-being, and have remained basically unchanged.

The Sacraments

Baptism is a spiritual renewal, or rebirth, that unites us with Christ. In accepting Christ into our lives, we welcome God to live and work freely within us, which He would not do against our will or without our invitation. The ceremony is an outward formality, and in some circumstances it is possible to be baptised without the ritual being performed.
Confirmation, or being sealed with the Holy Spirit, is an extension of Baptism, and brings God to live within that person in a way that is expected to enhance his wisdom, deepen his instinctive understanding and help to guide his conscience. It provides him with further spiritual resources that encourage the building of a more intimate relationship with God.
The Anointing of the Sick is likewise intended to be effective rather than symbolic. Its purpose is to promote healing, especially at the spiritual level. However, it is not a substitute for the responsible use of ordinary remedies for physical ailments. Neither does it imply that one can expect miraculous cures to every disease especially when the problem might have been sent for our personal development.
Reconciliation is the forgiving of our failures in responsibility and love. Christ often forgave people their sins and gave this power to his apostles and their successors. Their exercising it offers the sincere person a tangible guarantee of God's forgiveness, which is of great benefit to his peace of mind.
In Christianity, Marriage is a sealed contract between a man and a woman who wish to establish a lifelong, exclusive sexual relationship, calling upon God for His support in meeting its obligations. The ceremony is symbolic and very flexible, but the contract in the presence of God is real. While the promise received from our partner can be a beautiful thing and plays an important role in the vitality of the relationship, our primary moral responsibility is to try to honour the commitment we make ourselves.
The Sharing of Bread and Wine in memory of Christ is intended as an ongoing source of spiritual nourishment. Based on the Gospel account of the Last Supper, Christians are taught that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ (Mark 14:22). In this communion, Christ comes to live within us and we live in him. The practice also commemorates the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, through his death, for the reconciliation of humanity with God. As the Jewish people celebrate the Passover to mark their delivery from bondage in Egypt, Christians celebrate the Eucharist to mark the rescue of humanity from the slavery of sin and alienation from God.
The Ordination of Ministers confers on them the power and authority to administer these aids. However, all baptised Christians have the power to baptise in emergencies, and in the case of Marriage the power lies in the couple with the priest or celebrant acting only as the chief witness.

All of these sacraments have an element of mystery and appear to be more profound than what our limited minds can grasp. Consequently, faith plays an important part in their acceptance. They are almost never accompanied by dramatically obvious changes in the recipient, but their effects are believed to occur in more subtle ways at the core of human character and depend on the person being sufficiently developed and properly prepared.

Symbols, Rituals and Ceremonies

Nearly all religions are rich in symbols, rituals and ceremonies which convey much about their history and way of life. They help to unify the community of believers, and encourage communal worship which is also important in Christianity. There is no suggestion that they are meaningless or that they have no beneficial effects, but in Christianity they are as distinct from the real spiritual aids as the visit to the physician is from the taking of the medicine. It is a mistake to equate Christianity with its rituals, and equally unfruitful to become attached to them because of their emotional appeal, rather than to a firm belief in the teachings of Christ and the means he has provided for our spiritual growth and well-being. Furthermore, while symbols and religious artefacts can serve as useful reminders of important aspects of one’s faith, and as such, should be treated with respect, in Christianity there is no room for superstition, and one must be wary of developing any psychologically dependent relationship with them and become anxious lest they are damaged or lost. Religious artefacts do not ‘deliver us from evil’. Only God can do that.

The ceremonial and symbolic aspects of formal worship, unfortunately, can also have a serious negative side. It is not that any particular area is at fault, for the prayers are meaningful, the music is stirring, the church buildings tranquil and solemn, the artwork an act of devotion by dedicated craft-workers, and the ceremonies and protocol often fit for the presence of royalty. The principle may well be that nothing less than the best is suitable for the ‘House of God’. The problem is that as this grows, it starts to overshadow the core message by its volume and prominence. In contrast, the early Christian community concentrated almost exclusively on their relationship with God and with one another, giving very little emphasis to the paraphernalia that eventually came to outwardly represent Christianity. It is worth bearing in mind that while Christ was a practising Jew who upheld the religious traditions of his people, the overwhelming emphasis of his life and teaching was on the way people live outside the formal places of worship.

In Christianity, there must be some minimum necessary ‘formality’ to properly carry out the important spiritual functions. A little more in a special setting may be meaningful and aesthetically desirable. Beyond that, however, it can become a distraction and a burden that is often conducive to wavering believers questioning the whole package. There is little doubt that the attempt to return to meaningful basics is one of the major contributing factors motivating many smaller groups to break away from the larger denominations. Unfortunately, all too often, many of the important spiritual functions are also abandoned in the process. In relation to rituals, symbols and formalities, the Christian once again faces the challenge of seeing and living beyond the superficial.

Going to Church

There was a time in some Christian denominations when it was regarded as a very serious sin to miss the Sunday church service. Regular participation in formal prayers and rituals was mandatory and together with donations to the circulating collection box, they were the visible signs of being a good Christian. Apparently, the ‘mechanical Christian’ could commit all his sins during the week, have them forgiven by a priest on Saturday evening, participate in the sacraments on Sunday feeling clean and get back into his dirty work again on Monday. Some really believed that, provided they died having received absolution, such technicalities guaranteed them entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. This kind of abuse and hypocrisy clearly has no place in an honest relationship with God.

Of course, a good Christian should participate in regular formal worship. Frequent contact not only serves as a useful reminder of a one’s faith and ultimate mission, but if the services are well conducted they may provide valuable input that helps to keep the motivation fresh and alive. It is almost common sense that active members of any interest group ought to attend relevant meetings and few professionals can afford to lose touch with their associations in a changing world. However, it is not a major offence to miss the church services occasionally any more than it is to suspend a regular arrangement with a friend once in a while. It becomes a real problem when we start to drift away.