Ritual

Stop.

Close your eyes. Picture busses, schools, and playgrounds full of children. Breathe. Remember how it feels to send or be sent out into the world.

Listen.

You are always ready before I am,

besting my instinct to keep you close.

Thank God the world beckons you anyway,

and the Spirit whispers a presence

you cannot outlast.

-       From “Ordinary Blessings” by Meta Herrick Carlson

Reflect.

These weeks and days are filled with back to school. Whether it’s commercials for school supplies, news stories about shifting pandemic response plans, or the on-the-ground reality for so many families making the shift to school schedules, the idea of going back to school seems to consume everything around us. Whether that reality applies to you directly or not, you probably get it. At some point, you were sent out to learn and grow and discern God’s call in your life – and in some way, you probably supported someone else as they did the same, as a friend, family member, godparent, or mentor. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the to-do lists and updated calendars. It all feels so pressing and urgent. But it’s not just physical preparation that we need. We also need spiritual preparation. This is a new time, a new space, a new year, and it’s in the midst of an ongoing pandemic that makes everything feel more complicated, risky, and unknown. 

Part of why the church has embraced ritual is because it makes mundane things holy. Through God’s word, bread and wine become the presence of God. Through the Spirit’s presence, water claims us as God’s children. Through the repeated words of confession or prayer, the community unites behind lived promises. Rituals make meaning of our lives and bring our faith into reality. 

However possible, make sure you introduce meaningful ritual into the beginning of this school year. If you send kids out to class from your house, can you offer them a prayer or a simple sign of the cross on their foreheads as they leave? Is there a small blessing you can write on a card and send to a college student who needs it? Whenever you pass a school building or bus on your commute, can you send out a brief prayer for those students and teachers? These small acts can help make meaning of a time that can be chaotic and challenging but also holy and full of hope.

Pray.

God, you are wisdom itself. Bless students, teachers, administrators, and all who return to a cycle of learning this fall.  Bless them with knowledge and truth. Keep them in safety and health. Make our community a place that values learning in all forms. Amen.

Carry On.

Along with a faith ritual, can you add an act of service? Can you donate school supplies to an area school or community program? Can you volunteer your time to an area school?