Quotes about Ritual

Any religion has to have a practice. When you let it go so far from practice that it just becomes a matter of talk something bad happens.

My definition of mythology is "other people's religion," which suggests that ours must be something else. My definition of religion, then, is "misunderstood mythology"—and the misunderstanding consists in mistaking the symbol for the reference.

Baptism is faith in action.

Eventually everyone vacates church where God is not obviously present and working. Getting people back to church is pointless unless God comes back first—that's what Vertical Church is all about! Ritual church, tradition church, felt-need church, emotional-hype church, rules church, Bible-boredom church, relevant church, and many other iterations are all horizontal substitutes for God come down, we all get rocked and radically altered, Vertical Church.

And by the way, my dear,' he said, 'you might just mention to Mrs. Sutton that if she must read the morning paper before I come down, I should be obliged if she would fold it neatly afterwards.' 'What an old fuss-box you are, darling,' said his wife. Mr. Mummery sighed. He could not explain that it was somehow important that the morning paper should come to him fresh and prim, like a virgin. Women did not feel these things. (Suspicion)

he is filled with the solemn intoxication that comes of intricate ritual faultlessly performed.

Ritual will always mean throwing away something: destroying our corn or wine upon the altar of our gods.

Good families always ritualize the table. You can say, "This is a Christmas meal; this is a birthday meal."