Ritual Observation Project Report To Use For Practical Writing Help

The basis of faith in the Lutheran tradition is sustained and spread through rituals and ceremonies of worshiping the word of God in the daily life and in church. There are vast manifestations of faith performed through various rituals, and one such ritual is the confirmation ceremony. The confirmation reaffirms individuals’ faith in God and in the Lutheran tradition, from an early age, usually during the adolescence period.
The confirmation ritual in the Lutheran tradition gathers the youngsters who will go through the confirmation ceremony, along with regular parishioners, for witnessing their entrance into the community. The young Lutheran followers wear long white frocks, resembling the Priest’s cassock. They are aligned in the first lines before the Lutheran Priest and asked to confirm their faith and to renounce the temptations, the ways of sin, the Devil and all the forces that defy God. Following this promise to renounce the evil forces, the young members of the Lutheran tradition turn their faces towards the other parishioners who are seated, and together with the priest, they make an oath of trusting God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They recite the oath together, as if reading it from the bibles that they hold open in their hands.
The ritual further continues with other promises that the Priest asks the youngsters to confirm, which speak about the guidelines of faith and behavior that are required for them. Each aspiring young member of the confirmation promises individually to respect and value the Lutheran faith. Next, they are brought closer to the altar, where they kneel one by one. The priest utters a prayer and gives the concessioners the gifts of their faiths, such as wisdom and knowledge. The altar is surrounded with burning candles that lie in special supports, and crosses lie on the walls.
The priest is assisted throughout the ritual of confirmation by another person, who coordinated the youngsters in their Lutheran faith teaching, who can be a woman. Together with the priest, this person reads oaths of faith that the young practitioners repeat or confirm. The youngsters who are brought in front of the Lutheran Ministry for confirmation go through a prior education in the norms of Lutheranism and this ritual certifies their preparation, reconfirming their baptism to Christianity. Furthermore, this process confirms that the youngsters are prepared for a mature understanding of the Lutheran teachings, absorbing the norms, values and behavioral aspects that teach them how to practice the Lutheran tradition.
This ritual is rather lengthy, as there are many oaths and promises that the Minister recites, requesting the youngsters to repeat. The Priest and the other person who assists him also utter Biblical passages and prayers, which provide a mystical value to the ceremony. In addition, the kneeling in front of the altar symbolizes a connection between a superior member of the Lutheran community and one that it is about to be confirmed as a member of this community. The kneeling ceremonial creates a pictographic image of a middle eve scene, wherein the King recognizes the skills and abilities of one of his followers and offers this one the knight status.
The families of the youngsters who confirm their faith are following them to the altar, as a symbol of their promise to be next to them and to guide them in their practice of Lutheran religion. Similarly, the role of the other members of the parish present in the liturgy is to offer their support to the families of the newly confirmed members, in adhering to the Lutheran faith. The role of the community in the Lutheran tradition is very important and this aspect can be observed in the confirmation ritual.
Coming together to witness the confirmation of the young Lutheran members is a symbol of unity, indicating their acceptance of new members in the communion, in the Lutheran family. At the end of the acceptance, the family kneels along the altar together with the new members. In the background the music plays, signaling the solemnity and the gravity of the moment. They are given bread from the church’s goblets prepared for such ceremonies, which has the symbolic value of accepting the connection with the church and the spirit of God, through the little piece of bread that unifies them. The priest and his disciple pass the holy bread to all the kneeling members of the parish, making the sign of cross for each member as he gives them the symbol of faith. Along the entire process the music plays. In the end, all the parishioners present at the confirmation ceremony kneel in front of the altar and receive the priest’s blessing and the holy bread. Live music accompanies this ceremony, with a vocal lead and a choir in the background, surrounded by piano music and other instruments, if available. The parishioners also join the choir and the sound of the organ fills the imposing church space, with its large, vertical windows and tall walls.
When the ceremony ends, the Priest asks his parishioners to rise, citing a final prayer, while facing the altar. He gives a final blessing to the members of the parish and leaves, while the chorus continues to sing, accompanied by the piano. A young disciple puts out the candles. The parishioners accompany the live chorus, and when the music ends, the priest returns, ending the ceremony. He and the confirmed members leave first, followed by the other members of the parish.
The confirmation ritual is a very compound ceremony, rich in religious and social symbols, which suggest that Lutheran faith should be a part of the daily existence. The prayers, the oaths and the kneeling, plus the music contribute to making the confirmation a special moment.