Sacramental Life

[Bruce Michael]

Hi All,


I've noticed that people who oppose a sacramental life, sometimes know nothing about it.



With the Christening it is a once in a lifetime event, which in the baby, aids incarnation. There are other healthful blessings which flow as well.



Central to sacramental life is the Communion. It is a pity that many in the Church have lost any understanding of it.



I heard recently that in Britain more people attend mosques on Friday than Church on Sunday. As the saying goes "if it ain't broke don't fix it"-in this case something does need fixing.



What are the benefits of Communion over such practices as meditation, prayer or other exercises?

• There is the aspect of the community gathering- "When two or more are gathered together in my Name..." By reanimating deep memory the Communion strengthens community, by returning us to the state where we were fed by the One Mother.

• The Body and Blood of Christ works in us as a powerful medicine to our wanting soul. This is because, through the Grace of transubstantiation, the water, which is the representative Divine Ego, is invited to become Christ’s blood, “to enter His Will with that of our Father’s (and work in us accordingly)”.
• “Sin, suffering and illness is abated by the amalgamation of the two perfect wills occurring in Man – that the Heavens are compliant with the Earth and vice-versa.”
• “Christ is invited to enter now into it (into the water) (a baptism of consciousness) the water is then fed to the bread (imbuing soul into the world) and the primeval consciousness gives way to the new.”

• Ritual builds future worlds.

-Br.Bruce

[John Grey]

Originally Posted by Bruce Michael

I've noticed that people who oppose a sacramental life, sometimes know nothing about it.

Most people do not understand the meaning or use of ritual, but I think the blame should be placed squarely on the religious establishments. It's the lack of complete devotion by the clergy in ritual that makes it ineffective. When those viewing or participating in the ritual sense a lack of devotion in the clergy, their understanding and appreciation of the ritual becomes disdain of pomp and circumstance. The parishioner thinks "Why should we be eating a stale wafer and drinking watered down wine when it's largely symbolic anyway? And if my priest doesn't even think it's important, why should I?"

Ritual is like sex; it doesn't work if only one person is into it. Mainstream religions in general could learn a great deal by studying and incorporating practices common in modern day occultism. Those guys know what ritual is about; it's an art form. Ritual is an art form in which the artist is the primary audience.

While I'm inclined to agree with you that ritual communion of some sort is a very powerful tool for getting in touch with the Divine, I would argue against the implication that it is more important then meditation and reflection. A spiritual practice that is lacking one or the other tends to devolve into either pomp and circumstance or philosophical masturbation, depending on which of the two is leaned upon most heavily.

[John Grey]

Originally Posted by Bruce Michael

I've noticed that people who oppose a sacramental life, sometimes know nothing about it.

Most people do not understand the meaning or use of ritual, but I think the blame should be placed squarely on the religious establishments. It's the lack of complete devotion by the clergy in ritual that makes it ineffective. When those viewing or participating in the ritual sense a lack of devotion in the clergy, their understanding and appreciation of the ritual becomes disdain of pomp and circumstance. The parishioner thinks "Why should we be eating a stale wafer and drinking watered down wine when it's largely symbolic anyway? And if my priest doesn't even think it's important, why should I?"

Ritual is like sex; it doesn't work if only one person is into it. Mainstream religions in general could learn a great deal by studying and incorporating practices common in modern day occultism. Those guys know what ritual is about; it's an art form. Ritual is an art form in which the artist is the primary audience.

While I'm inclined to agree with you that ritual communion of some sort is a very powerful tool for getting in touch with the Divine, I would argue against the implication that it is more important then meditation and reflection. A spiritual practice that is lacking one or the other tends to devolve into either pomp and circumstance or philosophical masturbation, depending on which of the two is leaned upon most heavily.

[Bruce Michael]

>It's the lack of complete devotion by the clergy in ritual that makes it >ineffective.

Hi Br.John,
There are a lot of reasons why a ritual might prove to be a flop.
Some believe that just because a priest is a priest their Communion will always be effective. Obviously I don't believe that at all. What if the priest has a hangover or his mind is distracted? What if he truly doesn't like the congregation?
There are a myriad of reasons why a ritual may not work.

>Ritual is like sex; it doesn't work if only one person is into it.

In some rituals you could be a sole participant, but not the Eucharist.

>Mainstream religions in general could learn a great deal by studying and >incorporating practices common in modern day occultism.

There's scant chance of that happening.

Of course as time goes on things will change.

Clairvoyance might be useful, but there are degrees of that.


>I would argue against the implication that it is more important then >meditation and reflection.

I didn't say that it was more important. It's just a good help- and it's social.
Prayer is very important too.

Greetings,
Br.Bruce

[China Cat Sunflower]

Ritual builds future worlds

I like that!

Ritual is one of those tricky portal mechanisms that connect the physical world with whatever lies outside the protective glass dome. At this time I tend to think that formalized religious ritual still performs its self-reinforcing, community creating function very well, but I think that there are so many layers of patina and gilt that the real power of the ritual has been lost in anachronism for the most part. The vessel of the ritual is full from the people's attention, but its power can only be activated in a severely diminished capacity because the foundational mythos is buried in the silt.

It's interesting to consider the role of ritual on an entirely mundane level. Personal ritual as opposed to group ritual.

Chris

[Bruce Michael]

Ritual builds future worlds.
That is a teaching of the Christian Community, Chris.

>but I think that there are so many layers of patina and gilt that the real >power of the ritual has been lost in anachronism for the most part.

Leadbeater's book, The Science of the Sacraments, is a good start for understanding church ritual.

Greetings,
Br.Bruce