Understanding Rituals for Missional Purposes

1. Understanding Rituals for Missional Purposes By Anthony Casey

2. Where are our rituals? • Do Hard Things – Lack of rites of passage may be leading to the perpetual teenager. • Westerners are afraid of rituals. We either relate them to dry and meaningless church rituals or to demonic pagan festivals.

3. Towards an Anthropological and Biblical Understanding • Hiebert: “Rituals are culturally structured dramas that are stylized, regularly repeated, and intrinsically valued. They communicate deep beliefs, feelings, and values through symbolic codes. They recreate the social, cultural, personal, and cosmic order by making cosmic norms explicit in visible forms.”

4. Rituals as Communication • Rituals connect with the spirit world and give sincerity to the message. • Eugene Nida – Most rituals are symbolic, especially those in Scripture • Hiebert – Rituals are intended to cause the desired action, not merely symbolize it.

5. 3 Types of Ritual • Intensification • Publically affirm existing social and cultural order and identity. • Predicable and formal • Carried out by recognized leadership • Examples: Communion, the Lord’s Prayer, reciting creeds

6. 3 Types of Ritual • Transformation • Marks transitions in life where a real or symbolic period of chaos takes place. • Less structured and informal with a sense of the unknown ahead. • Performed in a group setting where all are equals. • Examples: birth, death, pilgrimage, manhood.

7. 3 Types of Ritual • Recreation or Rite of Crisis • A rebuilding after destruction • The ideal culture is brought to life • Examples: Rain dances in times of severe drought, rebuilding after an earthquake or tsunami

8. Rituals in Scripture • Hundreds of examples throughout the Bible • Recreation rituals in Ezra and Nehemiah • Intensification in pilgrimages, music, art • Transformation in Jesus’ temple dedication

9. Rituals in Scripture • Symbolize the ideal Israelite, land, rest, king, or savior. • Point to Christ, used as typology.

10. Identifying and Analyzing Rituals • Look for the triangulation of visual symbols, verbal stories, and physical rituals. Themes will develop when the same work, symbol, or ritual is used in various settings. • Participate when appropriate, otherwise, record speech, music, actions, objects, and other symbols used. • Interview those participating and those observing.

11. Identifying and Analyzing Rituals • What function does the ritual play in society? • In what circumstances is the ritual used? • Who are the main characters? What societal roles do they have? • Rituals can be a visual expression of the hidden worldview • Burial ceremony examples

12. Applying Rituals for Missional Purposes • Missionaries will encounter rituals in ministry. The question becomes, “How will I use them for God’s glory?” • Employ critical contextualization. • Nida’s Tri-cultural Model • Hiebert’s four step process

13. Applying Rituals for Missional Purposes • Rituals as worldview transformers – Introduce new rituals and adopt and adapt existing rituals • Introducing new rituals • Baptism • Adopting existing rituals • Contextualize • Deal with generational issues

14. Conclusion • Understand Rituals for Missional Purposes