Ritual is intrinsic to what it means to be human. We rely on countless rituals to bring meaning and order into every aspect of our lives. In the religious sense, ritual is a ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order with specific meanings attached to them, often symbolic. It may refer to the practices within the church, or individuals' personal spiritual practices.
One of the beauties of ritual is the way it provides comfort – the comfort of a familiar series of actions, always performed in the same order, that thereby creates a space for personal reflection and a chance to connect with something beyond the self.
Here at Saint Barnabas, we believe that our worship engages us in the fullness of who we are as human beings, by means of ritual processions, bows, signs of the cross, singing, incense and so forth. When performed thoughtfully, prayerfully and joyfully, these rituals help us to worship God “in the beauty of holiness” and to celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist in which Christ becomes real and present for us in the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ.
Using all the senses God has given us – sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste – we enter into the mystery of the encounter between Christ and us, his people. The ceremonial used at St. Barnabas is an outward expression of the faith and hope we share in Christ. It is not an end in itself, but rather a means of deepening the relationship between the individual and Jesus Christ, which lies at the heart of the Christian life.