I'm not one for ceremony. I can remember as a very young child in church, when the preacher would say "let us pray together" and then start reciting a prayer, my little mind would resist, thinking that I wanted to say different words than what he was saying. Who was he to know what I wanted to say to God? To me ceremonies can be kind of the same vibe. Who were those other people, the ones who created the ceremony, to decide how I wanted to show my reverence or share the sacred!?
As my spiritual growth has matured, I can now understand how important shared ceremony can be. Coming together in moments of intention and reflection on the sacred, on the divine can be very important. Especially as reminders to take time out of our busy schedules. Just like having a "gym buddy" to keep you motivated with your physical fitness, finding a tribe, a community, to set aside time to share in intention can be important to motivate your next level of spiritual growth.
But, the caution is in thinking that the ceremony, itself, is somehow sacred. What is done during the ceremony, who is there (or not), what is said or recited, where the ceremony takes place, on what day or how the ceremony is produced is completely immaterial. Think of ceremony as a reminder to connect. A little calendar notification - as a way to share and spiritually grow, together. That's all.
Eventually, perhaps, we'll grow enough to be able to isolate in a cave and live as fully awakened beings. Until then, I'll reach out to my tribe for regular refreshes - through ceremony.
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