Human Situations In Need Of Ritualization

Ritual responds to the human need to negotiate times of change, to reaffirm the world of meaning in tragic and meaningless situations, and to mark transitions in life's journey. Yet some of our rituals do not seem to reach far enough; and there are still other situations for which there is no ritual at all. This article looks at shortcomings in ritual and offers some suggestions about how ritual might better support situations of pastoral care. The story is familiar. John and Mary have long awaited the birth of their first child, only to have the delivery end in stillbirth. Distraught, they summon the chaplain and request the stillborn child be baptized. In this case and a hundred more like it, people engaged in pastoral ministry are confronted with a dilemma. How can we honor the deep need people feel for ways to ritualize what they are experiencing, when the only ritual at hand is theologically inappropriate or pastorally inadequate or when there is no ritual at all? Continuing…