Recently, I’ve found my attention drawn to a Podcast series called “He’Brew” within the Project Zion Podcast, which focuses on the Old Testament writings. It was an episode on “The Law.” After listening to this particular episode, I felt inspired to open the Book of Leviticus to see if anything would capture my attention. Leviticus sounded a lot like an ancient priesthood manual, filled with religious rituals and purity laws.
I'll admit that I wasn't captivated enough to read through it thoroughly, but I did find myself reflecting on how important and deeply sacred these rituals and sacrifices were to the ancient Hebrews. It was a way for them to feel secure in their relationship with God.
This made me reflect on my own relationship with God, and the amount of attention and reverence I put into my own spiritual practices. While I don’t believe that specific rituals or sacrifices are required for the Holy Spirit to engage with us or to keep us in God’s favour—God is always with us—I have found that participating in rituals and creating space for sabbatical moments, makes it easier for me to feel the Spirit’s presence in that moment. In our busy, rushed culture, my soul craves this."
Thankfully, Christianity’s understanding of sacrifice and ritual has evolved since the Torah was written. We no longer feel required to give animal blood offerings or fear what will happen if we light incense the wrong way ( Lev 10:1). Instead, we have developed other practices and traditions that display honour and reverence towards God.
Some of the rituals or practices I’ve started incorporating into my life include prayer journaling, solo walks without headphones, and offering God my time to ensure I can engage in regular, rich conversations with those in my faith community. I noticed the positive impact these practices bring to my day-to-day life. I will keep revisiting this question as my spiritual journey and discipleship grow.
In what ways am I demonstrating reverence toward God in my daily life?
If you’d like to check out the podcast for yourself, you can find the link here
Emma Ghazarian