It seems like we all struggle to make space for “Holy Things” in our regular lives, but maybe we’re making things too hard. What if the Holy things and opportunities are already all around us? We just need to see them and then name them.
What if everything is Holy?
Jesus used the things he saw along the way to teach his followers about God’s way of “living and being” in the world. He used sparrows and lilies to remind us that God takes care of us and that we don’t need to worry about our lives.
Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[a] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?[b]28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[c] and his[d] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:25-34
I believe that with Jesus, everything is sacred, and the things you do regularly can be sacred practices and even rituals.
But, what is a ritual?
According to Wikipedia, “a ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or revered objects. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community.” Wikipedia
You might already have a family ritual of having tacos on Tuesday nights or saying a prayer together before a meal or before bed, or reading the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve, The Celtic Christians had prayers for doing everyday things, like lighting the fire before cooking breakfast, or saying a prayer for their family members as they made up their beds, or praying for the day as they walked to the fields or milked the cows.
Most of us don’t have to light a fire for cooking or milk the cow for breakfast, but we can use everyday tasks as prayer practices. These actions can become part of your family’s spiritual practice or rituals.
Start with what you already do, and add meaning to it. It can be something you already do together. Sometimes it can be as simple as taking time to notice what Jesus is doing and giving him credit. Or taking time to be grateful, thanking Jesus for a beautiful sunset, or the much-needed rain. You could take time to thank Jesus for the people who grew your food as you prepared dinner or make lunches together. And taking time to notice and honor the abundance we have in simple things like electricity and running water! I am grateful each day for my dishwater and washing machine!
Rituals can be as simple as lighting a candle or saying a prayer. This could be done around the table or at bedtime or even each week on Taco Tuesday!
Ideas:
Light a candle. Have a candle for each member of your household to light as they share. Ask:
