Ritual

[Tellyontellyon]

What is the necessity/function of ritual for Christians?

 

[Lawrence87]

In Orthodox Christianity the ritual is steeped in symbolism. To take a simple ritual like crossing oneself, the hand is held with the index finger, middle finger and thumb together, 3 in 1 representing the Holy Trinity, then folded against the palm you have the ring finger and the pinky representing the two natures of Christ; being fully God and fully man. You then make the sign of the cross, which has obvious symbolism for Christians. It is done to bless oneself, or as a sign of reverence. For instance when you enter Church it is customary to cross oneself, which not only has spiritual meaning and efficacy, it also is a good way to make sure that you enter a Church in the right mindset, rather than absentmindedly wandering in...

There could be an entire series of books written about the symbology and ritual in the Orthodox Church, but basically it serves a spiritual function, that is steeped in meaning.

 

[Albion]

It isn't absolutely necessary at all. Neither, for that matter, are the many rituals we take for granted in political and social matters.

But the rituals involved all demonstrate some principle that's held in high regard. In the case of Christian ritual, the format and symbolism dates largely from antiquity and much of it emphasizes beliefs or concepts that are taken from Scripture.

 

[PloverWing]

I find that physical rituals, like kneeling or making the sign of the cross, engage a larger part of my self than just my mind. I'm not dismissing the importance of the mind -- I'm a pretty intellectual person, with a tendency to rationalism -- but I also have a body with perceptions and emotions, and physical acts touch those other parts of my self.

I find that repetitive rituals -- the words we say every Sunday in the liturgy, the sequence of seasons of the church year, the hymns and canticles we sing, and so on -- make spiritual awareness a habit for me, in the best sense of "habit". The words and images and sounds become a deep part of me, and they shape who I am when I'm not even thinking about it.

None of the rituals are necessary. Jesus tells us that "the sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath." Rituals help many people, but we don't exist to serve the ritual. Some people flourish better with more extemporaneous forms of prayer and worship, and that's fine too.

 

[drich0150]

What is the necessity/function of ritual for Christians?

it is a religious denominational practice. (rules to belong to a given sect) the bible says they mean nothing to god. that said if you need them to feel like you are worshiping God, there are no rules against it.

 

[Tolworth John]

What is the necessity/function of ritual for Christians?

There is no necessity for ritual or rites in Christianity, as Christians aresaved by who they have faith in, not by what they do.
That said, rituals like meeting together, corporate worship etc does help people to worship and to grow in there faith.

The key thing is not that there are rituals, rites etc but in whom one has faith, remember Jesus said that No one gets to God except by him.

 

[timf]

It is human nature to want to control things. The Buddhists have prayer wheels, the Pharisees taught for doctrine the commandments of men, and Paul even cautioned that if he preached after the manner of men, he would make the cross of Christ of none effect.

Once something becomes institutionalized, it can be difficult to change. If you observe various Christian rituals, you may wish to consider that some may just be a tradition. One should be careful because some traditions are dearly held and some can get angry if they are questioned.

While rituals can provide the comfort of the familiar, they can also be a barrier to others seeking to learn about Christianity.

For example, I once taught a bible study in a juvenile detention facility. Many of the boys were Catholic or Lutheran. I would often ask how many had been "confirmed". They would almost all raise their hands. I never encountered one boy who actually knew what "confirmation" meant.

One might imagine the difficulty these boys would have attempting to describe their being "confirmed" later in life to anyone interested in their religion. You can also imagine the difficulty the inquirer would have in trying to understand that religion.

 

[Tellyontellyon]

There is no necessity for ritual or rites in Christianity

Is a water baptism a necessity?

 

[Sketcher]

Depends on the ritual.

 

[Tolworth John]

Is a water baptism a necessity?

To be saved no, as a mark or sign of what one believes then yes.

 

[1watchman]

Is a water baptism a necessity?

NO! It only is a public testimony to show appreciation for the salvation one has already received in Jesus Christ. It honors God and pleases Him for taking this public stand; so one should want to please God and be blessed for it. Many Christian assemblies will not receive one to membership without baptism, which is understandable, since it shows willingness to bow to God.

 

[ViaCrucis]

What is the necessity/function of ritual for Christians?

Depends on the ritual. Some rituals are mere tradition--providing structure in which the Church hears and receives God's word and Sacraments, in such cases the precise form of these rituals take can vary as different liturgical customs developed in different parts of the Christian world and have continued to adapt over the course of history.

Others, for example the ritual of the Holy Eucharist itself, is given to the Church by Christ as a command, "Do this for the remembrance of Me". While, again, some details can differ, for example sometimes the bread and wine are received separately, sometimes they are received together either by intinction (dipping the bread in the wine) or, as the Eastern Orthodox do, administering the mixed bread and wine with a spoon.

What matters is not ritual for the sake of ritual; but rather the orderliness of Christian worship and practice. That those things which God gives us may be received. This is why St. Paul rebukes the total chaos of the way the Eucharist was being observed by the Corinthians. Christian liturgical customs and rituals are built around God's Word and Sacraments, to ensure that the Faithful are hearing and receiving what God Himself gives them.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

Is a water baptism a necessity?

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is necessary, because Christ commands that His Church make disciples by baptizing them. Baptism is a precious Sacrament, a gift from God, by which we are born again (John 3:5) and joined together with Christ's death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12-13), and which "now saves you" (1 Peter 3:21).

Baptism is more than ritual, it is Means of Grace, a Sacrament. There are many ways to conduct a baptism (three-fold immersion, aspersion, single-immersion, etc) but it is always done in a Christian manner, "In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit". Because God attaches His own word and promise to the water of Baptism (Ephesians 5:26), so that it is not mere water, but water comprehended and connected to God's word, thus Baptism--by the power and grace of God alone--accomplishes what it promises.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Albion]

Cont'd

What is the necessity/function of ritual for Christians?

Virtually every religion (with the exception of those that are more like philosophies than religions) have some ritual.

In the Christian case, the founder (Jesus) obligated his followers to do certain things that are not common to every one of the world's religions. Observance of the sacred mean (Holy Communion), for example, as well as gathering together, and instruction in the Scriptures.

Add some ancient prayers and the most familiar and most often mentioned Christian ritual is described. It's the Mass or Divine Liturgy. But even it has innumerable variations, if we look closely at the history of the churches, so it's not as though Christians look upon this ritual as being so sacred that no flexibility can possibly be permitted.