Sarx

HE FOLLOWING Paragraph is copied from Is Reconstructionist Judaism For You?, written by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. It’s the second in the discussion. Christians coming from traditions using liturgical worship will, perhaps, find this paragraph making sense. I think this will be true for very conservative as well as very liberal communities:

While deeply connected to the historical experience of the Jewish people, we find a profound sense of belonging in our contemporary communities as well. This connection often leads to increased ritual observance and experimentation with the ritual rhythms of Jewish life. We find meaning in rediscovering the richness of traditional ritual and creating new observances which respond to our contemporary communal and personal cycles.

Reconstructionist communities are characterized by their respect for such core values as democratic process, pluralism, and accessibility. In this way, they create participatory, inclusive, egalitarian communities committed to exploring Jewish life with dedication, warmth and enthusiasm.

“Ritual observance” is perhaps too scientific a term. What we mean is the making-sacred of day-to-day life. This will be discussed with more depth in the next post in this series.

The important thing here is community. Whilst some of these claims (“inclusive, egalitarian” “pluralism” etc.) will seem out of synch with more-conservative communities, likewise the idea of “increased ritual observance” will seem alien to more-liberal folks. One of the things I most especially miss about my experience in Orthodoxy as well as Anglo-Catholicism, was a veritable plethora of liturgical functions: Morning and Evening prayers, liturgies, noon-day mass, rosaries, akathists, etc. On a regular week most people were in church about 3.5 – 4 hours and feast days would be on top of that. This in addition to times of private devotion. No one is doing this alone: it is the community that supports such action.

Why do we tend to equate “liberal” with “less liturgy”, or less ritual observance? That assumption comes from all sides. What might it mean if that assumption were turned on its head?