Even as attendnace at worship services continues to swiftly plummet, there is still a lot of rituals in place. Persons need a tangible act to mark a loss, a transformational moment, a beginning. Consider the placing of items to mark a tragedy or a passing. Far more than flowers, the notes and the items left speak deeply.
One of the real kicks of being clergy is the opportunity to oversee rituals and also to create new symoblic acts for the moment. There is nothing like a good baptism. I use a scallop shell that I brought back from the beach. Some families have painted on the shell the name of the child and the date of her baptism. Following a baptism, I've been asked to bless the child's teddy bear...love that! Families have started journals for their child on the day of the baptism and themselves and others in the circle of care write reflections that day and every signficant moment in the child's life culminating with a full journal presented to the child on her graduation from high school. Parents or grandparents of little ones, it's not too late to begin this custom!
One of the coolest rituals I recently read is on the occasion of a baptism presenting the gifts of:
- A sea shell so the child will love the water.
- A bird feather so the child will love the air.
- A flower so the child will love the earth.
- A sealed bottle with the instruction to never, never, never open the bottle so the child will love mystery.
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