And so we speak rather disparagingly of it as empty or meaningless or dead, as if it were in itself alien to the Gospel and contrary to true piety. Yet, I could maintain ritual is just as important for us Lutherans as doctrine. In fact, doctrine cannot operate properly and be understood rightly apart from ritual. If the Gospel is divorced from its ritual enactment in the divine service, it becomes disincarnate and ineffectual. But since the Gospel has to do with the gracious presence and activity of the risen Lord Jesus with His people, it is enacted ritually.
Rituals reveal the basic values and beliefs of a community.
They show what people have in common with each other, what binds them together, what is most important to them. That is why meals, birthdays, weddings and funerals are so significant for families. But since rituals express what is taken for granted by everybody in a particular community, people are largely unaware of their full significance. They usually remain unexplained until they are questioned. Nobody needs to tell you the meaning of a hug or the holding of hands.