From the perspective of geological evolution, the period of time in which humans have been a part of this planet is incredibly short. Early in the process of development, we nearly became extinct as the ice age deepened and there was increased desertification of Africa. Ice absorbs enormous amounts of water from the atmosphere and the result is less water for the rest of the planet. Humans, however, proved to be resilient and survived. What is unique about our species is our ability to use language to communicate complex ideas. More importantly, our use of language enables the transmission of memory from one generation to another. We are able to benefit from things learned by previous generations and pass that knowledge on to future generations. To our knowledge, no other species on the planet does so with the same kind of facility. This collective knowledge has brought our species to the point where we now, through technologies such as gene analysis and splicing to even direct our own evolution. Juan Enriquez says that humanity is on the verge of becoming a new and utterly unique species, which he calls Homo Evolutes. Calling it the “ultimate reboot,” he claims that humans are taking direct and deliberate control over the evolution of the species.

We are, it seems, unique and in the process of becoming even more distinct. This we have done in a relatively short amount of time.

There is little doubt that our presence has caused certain processes to speed up. And we experience the acceleration of events and processes as a visceral change in the pace of life. Our lives are observably more hectic and harried than were the lives of our not too distant ancestors. The pace of life has accelerated in our own lifespans. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed with our lives moving at such a breakneck pace.

This accelerating advance, however, isn’t the only product of our collective consciousness. Throughout the generations of humanity, we have discovered that ours isn’t the ultimate intelligence - we aren’t the only sources of creativity and change. Our attempts to connect with that which lies beyond has resulted in the development of religion - a connection with God that has taken generations to develop and become refined. Bridging the distance between those generations of faithfulness can make religion seem to be old and outdated in some contexts. To some it seems that ancient ritual and practice has no place in the modern world.

For those of us who live our lives immersed in religious practice, however, it seems that ritual and belief are necessary in order to maintain the connections that are most essential. For us, we have an answer to the increasingly hectic and overwhelming pace of life. That answer lies in part in careful retelling of our story and repeating the rituals of practice.

It can be as simple as making time in the midst of a busy schedule to simply be quiet and breathe deeply. Deeply ingrained in our tradition is the practice of expressing gratitude. Pausing to remember all of the blessings of this life and expressing gratitude for those blessings offers a change of perspective. In a world that is focused on acquisition and ever-increasing demands for consumption, it can be transforming to simply pause in gratitude for what already is.

The rituals of religion develop their meaning through repetition. Even events that seem to us to be once-in-a-lifetime rituals such as weddings and funerals, gain their weight through collective practice. Our wedding was unique to us and an experience that neither of us had held before or after that day. Still, it was anchored in the promises of commitment that have been made by generations of faithful people. It was not just a formalization of our relationship, but also placed that relationship in the context of a broader family - and a broader community. We were reminded that our actions and commitments affect not only us, but also a large community of others.

I have been the officiant at hundreds of funerals over the years of my pastoral ministry. Each was unique. The grief of the family, the circumstances of the loss, the impact of the moment were different than had ever been experienced. However, our grief was born with the knowledge that ours is not the first generation to have experienced the loss of a loved one. We aren’t the first ones to travel the journey of grief. Our loss is placed into context by the memory of the community and the stories of survival in the face of deep loss and grief.

Institutional religion is not the only place in our society that is a keeper of ritual. Even our most elaborate rites and ceremonies are fairly simple when compared to the collective pageantry of a Super Bowl Game or the opening of trading on Wall Street or the inauguration of a President.

Humans crave ritual and when their lives lack sufficient ritual, they create new ones. I get a kick out of watching parents drop off their children at the preschool in our church. Many of those families would say that they don’t participate in a formal religion. But they have specific rituals for the daily drop-off of their children. If the hug is missed, they need to run back and get it. If the parent leaves too soon, the child’s day can be much more difficult. Just getting to the preschool involves a family ritual of rising, grooming, dressing, eating, checking the weather, and heading out of the home.

I prefer to have some rituals in my life which did not begin with my generation and which will continue long after my time on earth has passed. I enjoy the connection to the past and future. Somewhere inside of each of us is a memory of a time that was simpler and less stressful. Somewhere inside of each of us is a hope for a future of peace.

I choose to worship every day to remain connected to memory and hope.

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