IndieWeb Carnival: Rituals

👋 Hi! This is my first IndieWeb Carnival post, which is hosted this month by Tangible Life. I first came across IndieWeb through some Blot blogs. I’m looking forward to learning more about this community. Thanks! ☺️

Through reading the work of James K. A. Smith I’ve come to a more expansive view of what rituals are. Smith does not relegate ritual to the spiritual or religious but argues that everyone is involved in ritual or liturgy. It is through repeated, embodied action that our desires and our internal stories are shaped. There are no neutral practices. Thick habits (or rituals) shape how we understand what the good life is and what human flourishing looks like.¹

When ritual is defined in such an expansive way you start to see them everywhere.

This has impacted the way that I view my repetitive actions. How does looking at my phone first in the morning shape my vision of the good life? How does my habit of always searching first for “expert” advice on the internet shape how I view myself? I’ve increased my confidence in my parenting not by chanting affirmations but by shifting my actions. I made it nearly impossible to access an internet browser on my phone. This meant I had to think and act alone first. By taking action I saw that I could meet many more parenting challenges than I thought.²

The Church and Christians need this more expanded understanding of ritual. We³ need to understand that we are embodied creatures instead of just brains on sticks. Formation is happening, but it is much more likely to be malformation if our attention is focused on changing thoughts and beliefs instead of actions and practices. That leaves many Christians vulnerable to thinking and believing the right things but acting in a manner that is completely un-Christ-like.⁴

Expanding beyond a religious interpretation of ritual: James Clear lays out a similar argument as Smith in his book Atomic Habits:

Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity. This is one reason why meaningful change does not require radical change. Small habits can make a meaningful difference by providing evidence of a new identity.⁵

Actions weigh more heavily on us than thoughts. We can use action to change what we think about something. It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.

So, take action. Vote for the kind of person you want to become. Don’t just think about how you can do it, take the small step. Add the small “ritual.” Involve your body and it will lead your mind and heart in the direction you chose.⁶

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1. Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation↩︎

2. Not to say that I’ve got it figured out. But it’s nice not to have so much dread about making the “wrong choice.”↩︎

3. I’m using we loosely here, feel free to disassociate from whatever “we” necessary.↩︎

4. 🤔 This explains alot. With caveats about grace and being unable to make ourselves holy.↩︎

5. Here’s the quote on his website. I listened to the audiobook so I’m not sure what page the quote appears on in the book.↩︎

6. Is it really that simple? Probably not. But our repeating actions are within our control for the most part. And it’s better to focus on what you can control vs what you can’t. I don’t want to assume that this always works, though. That would be a form of Cruel Optimism.↩︎

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