We have birthdays and bar mitzvahs and funerals and weddings. And these ceremonies and rituals, I believe, really help us transition from one point to another.

— Suleika Jaouad

Greetings, Inspirational Seekers!

I have been thinking a lot lately about these uneasy times we continue to live in and the threshold we appear to be poised to cross. Perhaps you stand at this point with me. Many do. I have also been thinking about the rituals that help us take those delicate, necessary and sometimes unnerving steps to enter into the new space of unknowing.

This new space, while intimidating, does open us up to a more expansive and inclusive world. And therein lies the challenge – are we to be fueled by faith and hope, or are we to remain cemented in place by fear?

Ritual should be our crossing guard, providing spiritual companionship on our journey over an unsettling entrance and into a strange, new land. But sometimes ritual becomes rote. Words uttered without thought, gestures made into an empty airspace, echoing in the nothingness, offer little to no growth.

For those of us drawn to ritual (and you know I am!) we pause. We hold that holy space for transition, we take the time to honor that space which we occupy as well as that new space we are about to enter. We are comfortable with the discomfort of the unknown. Most times. Healing, wholeness, forgiveness, detachment, a new direction – whatever lies across that threshold – we breathe deeply into the grace that wings us across and sets us down on a soft landing space, even if the ride is a bit bumpy.

With words and chants, with silence and stillness, with holy waters and smoke, beads or candles, we honor this passage through our own rituals and those of our spiritual ancestors. Perhaps it is these rituals that we need to step into – fully, mindfully, with grace – before we reach that next threshold of growth. Come, walk with me!

Grace, Always Yours,
Reverend Deborah

Question of the Month: How will you engage in ritual to aid your growth in the world?

The Reverend Dr. Deborah Darlington celebrates all rites of passage with sacred rituals for people of all traditions, as well as those constructing their own. She can be reached at GraceMatters@TheSpaceForGrace.com.