Ceremonies matter -- even small ones

In one week I officiated two funerals, a wedding and a deacon ordination and attended my first Quinceañera. What a week! Four ceremonies each with a distinct purpose. Attending these ceremonies has prompted some reflection on the significance of ceremonies.

The Bible is rich with ceremonies. The ceremony of the Lord bringing Adam to Eve (Gen. 2:22.) Joshua directed a 12-stone monument to be erected to mark the crossing of the Jordan River (Josh. 4:19.) Jesus traveling to Jerusalem with his parents every year for the Feast of the Passover (Luke 2:41.) These are a sampling of ceremonies in the Bible. What is it about ceremonies that make them so important?

Ceremonies mark important events. Gathering with family and friends for significant moments sets them apart from the ordinary. We don't have ceremonies for a gallon of milk at the grocery store, but we do when someone graduates. Ceremonies recognize something significant has happened.

Ceremonies signify a change. Birthday parties, weddings and funerals forge reference markers in time. Before this point, life was one way; after that moment, it was different. A spouse lives without the other. A child now takes on more adult responsibilities. Ceremonies tell us there was one way, and now there is another.

Ceremonies, even simple ones, matter. Every now and then a couple will tell me they love each other and want to be husband and wife but cannot afford to get married. Really, what they are saying is they cannot afford the grand wedding ceremony they've seen in the movies.

The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. in 2022 has risen to $29,195. That's the price of a small car, a decent down payment on a reasonable-sized home. A year or more at a university. In some cases, a degree!

My point is ceremonies, weddings in this example, do not need to be grand to be significant. In fact, the simpler they are, the more meaningful they can be. Buy or bake a cake. Splurge on a $5 box of brownie mix. Get the people you want to mark this moment with together and celebrate. Significant ceremonies should not come with a grand price tag.

Let me encourage you to think about the meaningful moments in your life over the next six months to a year. Could you create simple ceremonies to mark those as significant? In doing so, you will honor whom you want to honor and create memories that will build a legacy that long outlasts you.