Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between

by Amy F. Davis Abdallah

Life has its ups and downs, and it can feel like we're always in the middle of a transition.

Whether it's a painful end or a joyful beginning--or even an uncertain middle--theologian and minister Amy Davis Abdallah has found something that rituals. In Meaning in the Moment , she shows why we need rituals to help survive and even thrive through various seasons of life.

Starting with the foundation that rituals are a core, and underexplored, part of Christian practice, Davis Abdallah draws from theology, psychology, and personal experiences in creating rituals for herself and others. She offers practical guidance for readers to create their own meaningful rituals, including three types requiring varying levels of planning and right now, with friends, and at church.

Readers will emerge with fresh ways to bring their faith to life for themselves, their families, and their church communities--and ready to experience the transformative power of rituals.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Markie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Meaning in the Moment - How Rituals Help Us Move through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between
Author: Amy F. Davis Abdallah
Genre: Self-Help, Psychology, Spirituality

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

Review:

In "Meaning in the Moment," Amy F. Davis Abdallah presents a profound exploration of the power of rituals and how they can aid us in navigating life's diverse emotional landscapes. This insightful and thought-provoking book delves into the human experience, illustrating how rituals provide solace, meaning, and a sense of purpose, not only during joyful moments but also amidst pain, grief, and uncertainty.

Amy F. Davis Abdallah's writing is both eloquent and accessible, allowing readers from all walks of life to engage with her ideas and experiences. The book artfully blends psychology, spirituality, and personal anecdotes, creating a holistic perspective on the significance of rituals in our lives.

One of the book's strengths lies in its inclusivity and broad scope. It acknowledges and respects various cultural and religious backgrounds, highlighting the universality of rituals in human existence. Readers will find a diverse array of examples and practices, making the book relatable and applicable to a wide audience.

As the book progresses, the author demonstrates a keen understanding of the human psyche and the significance of rituals in times of both celebration and adversity. The exploration of how rituals can facilitate healing and growth during challenging times is particularly enlightening, offering readers a guiding light when facing life's toughest moments.

Moreover, "Meaning in the Moment" goes beyond a mere theoretical discussion by providing practical guidance on how to create and embrace rituals in our daily lives. From simple practices to more elaborate ceremonies, Amy F. Davis Abdallah offers a plethora of ideas for readers to incorporate into their own unique journeys of self-discovery.

The book's organization is commendable, with each chapter building upon the previous one, leading readers on a transformative journey of understanding and introspection. By the end, readers are left with a deep sense of appreciation for the potential that rituals hold to enrich and transform their lives.

In conclusion, "Meaning in the Moment" is a thought-provoking and heartwarming exploration of the role rituals play in our lives. Amy F. Davis Abdallah's blend of personal anecdotes, psychological insights, and spiritual wisdom makes this book a compelling read for anyone seeking to find deeper meaning, connection, and purpose in their life's journey. Highly recommended for individuals interested in personal growth, spirituality, and the profound impact of rituals on our emotional well-being.

[Michelle Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book. Amy Davis has an emergent authors voice, I love that she shares her own rituals, creates some, and teaches you how to build them. Throughout the book, she leads you into “right now rituals” that make this book more of an experience than just absorbing a bunch of information.

The best idea that I gathered from this book is that rituals give us a place to put our varying emotions. It held us walk through them instead of avoid and suppress.

A good book is one that leaves you different from when you opened it, and this book has truly done that.

[Richard Propes · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are familiar with the work of Dr. Amy F. Davis Abdallah, then you already have a good idea of what to expect from her latest book "Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything In Between."

A Professor of Theology and Bible at Nyack College who also teaches worship at Alliance Theological Seminary, Dr. Davis Abdallah has a longtime interest the use of rituals to help survive and even thrive through various seasons of life.

"Meaning in the Moment" is an incredibly well researched yet relatable journey through a part of Christian practice that is often misunderstood even as most who believe experience rituals in a wide variety of ways.

I will admit that one of the reasons I picked up "Meaning in the Moment" was because of my own deep appreciation for rituals and my own being in a transitional life period as I prepare for major surgery that will change my body due to having bladder cancer. I appreciated the ways in which Davis Abdallah draws from not just theology but also her own personal experiences and psychology in creating rituals for herself and others. Indeed, "Meaning in the Moment" isn't simply some intellectual exercise, it's infused with the author's own experiences and her own weaving a tapestry of ritual in her own life.

While "Meaning in the Moment" is well researched in terms of history and theology, Davis Abdallah also infuses much of the book with practical guidance for readers to create our own meaningful rituals with a specific focus on three types requiring varying levels of planning and participation - right now, with friends, and at church.

I appreciated, as well, that Davis Abdallah is, at times, rather uncompromising. For example, she writes of the importance of "performing" rituals well and realizing that when we do rituals doing them poorly reduces the impact of the experience that we and others can have. At first, this felt harsh to me yet as I read on I began to realize that in order for us to experience the transformative power of rituals they need to be thoughtful, researched, intentional, and manifested in meaningful ways. I've both given and received rituals that fell short of the desired impact - so, yeah, I definitely got it by the end of "Meaning in the Moment."

In "Meaning in the Moment," Davis Abdallah brings to life the history of rituals and also gently guides us through how much of our lives are influenced by the presence of rituals that take us through life's big and small moments. By the end of "Meaning in the Moment," I began to realize that I longed for a ritual to honor this next stage of my life as my body changes and I adjust to my new state of physical being.

Transformative, indeed.

[Michele Morin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Meaning in the Moment, Amy F. Davis Abdallah employs ritual “to honor life’s ends, middles, and beginnings in ways appropriate to a Christian community’s subculture.” There’s no magic in the words or the forms of a ritual, but attention, preparation, and sometimes repetition allow us as humans to hold a moment up to the light, to mark some event as special or significant.

Divided into three sections, the book answers three questions anyone might bring to the topic of ritual:

Why practice ritual?
How do we ritualize?
What do we ritualize?
I appreciated the author’s focus on celebrating endings as well as beginnings. Rituals both celebrate and grieve and “grieving the loss of the old enables us to celebrate the new” with integrity.

Like the Abdallah family, my kids also looked forward to pizza and movie nights. We also lit Advent candles, visited the same beaches and picnic sites every summer, and hunted for birthday scavenger hunt clues without once using the word ritual, but that’s what we were doing!

As embodied creatures, rituals help us to connect spiritual concepts with our lives here on the ground. Paul instituted one of our best-known commemorations with repeatable words: “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord’s death until he comes.” So we take the cup, we chew the bread, and we wait. In hope.

Many thanks to Brazos Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

[Connie Armerding · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Meaning in the Moment" by Dr. Amy Davis Abdallah is a unique blend of personal memoir and practical guidance, emphasizing the transformative power of rituals in navigating life's transitions. We live In a world where seasons of change can be rapid and diverse. Abdallah offers us a new way through, showing us that rituals are essential for commemorating, celebrating, and grieving these shifts.

Abdallah's book explores why rituals matter, drawing on biblical and historical examples to underscore their significance. She shows us how rituals regulate emotions and aid in coping with pain. Rituals help to create a sense of purpose and community. I was moved in hearing the powerful stories of students who were impacted by the "Woman" discipleship program at Nyack College that Abdullah created. These testimonies illustrate how rituals empower individuals to embrace their identities and navigate life's pivotal moments.

At the end of each chapter, Abdallah invites her readers into the practice of rituals, making them accessible for immediate implementation using simple and clear examples. Her accessible and insightful writing style resonates with all ages, inviting her reader to seek deeper meaning in their evolving journeys. "Meaning in the Moment" is a roadmap to connect with the mystery of God's presence through the transformative practice of rituals. This book is inspiring, helpful and easily implemented. Go purchase your copy!

[Grace May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful apologetic and practical guide for creating rituals every season in your life – ordinary and extraordinary. Geared to a Protestant audience, complete with user-friendly recommendations and ample room for adaptation to one’s particular community and context. To quote Amy, “Ritual functions as an opportunity for us to pay attention to all of life” (p.110). Well researched, lived, practiced, and easily accessible.

[Michelle Castaneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between by Amy F. Davis Abdallah is such a phenomenal book. It explains the history of rituals around the world and why they make a difference in life. I love the way this book shows specific examples of how to use rituals in life’s events and challenges. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

[Josh Olds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in an evangelical church, the word “ritual” was almost a curse word. It was identified with old, dead religion where people did what they did not because they really felt it but because it was something they had always done. It was a ritual. While we should always be cautious about allowing such rituals become devoid of their meaning, as I grew up I began to see the value in ritual. As an athlete and later a coach, rituals became very important in developing foundational skills, in preparing for competition, in mentally aligning myself or my students for the tasks to come. Then I became a parent of two kids who thrive on routine and for whom life without ritual feels extremely uncomfortable and dysregulating. And then I became a pastor and found out that ritual, even in religion, was unavoidable. The question is not whether or not rituals are good or bad, but in how they can be utilized for our flourishing. That’s the question Dr. Amy F. Davis Abdallah answers in Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move through Joy, Pain, and Everything In Between.

Meaning in the Moment is divided into three parts, each asking a question: 1) Why do we ritualize? 2) How do we ritualize? and 3) What do we ritualize? In answering the first question, Abdallah reveals why the creation of ritual is an innate human tendency. I especially appreciated how she pointed out the unifying nature of ritual—both between our mind and bodies and between people. An example of this in Christian liturgy is the Eucharist, or Communion. The ritual of partaking in the bread and the cup is a physical action that is meant to help embody the internal movement of joining oneself with Christ. The internal self and the external self come together in this ritual. But also, all of these individual selves are joining with one another—not just in this particular place and instance, but across the whole of space and time. It’s believers joining together in one location, in one time, but also unifying with all believers in all times. It’s a ritual that helps us set aside differences and join together in unity.

The second question of how we ritualize is also important. Here, Meaning in the Moment addresses the concern of my childhood evangelical church about creating meaningless ritual. Ritual is only useful if it is meaningful. How we ritualize can go a long way in determining that. Abdallah teaches readers how to create useful, purposeful, and meaningful rituals that can guide and transform. Then, finally, Abdallah turns to a discuss of what we ritualize. This goes beyond theological liturgy and into the whole of life. Meaning in the Moment is grounded in the belief that rituals are crucial for surviving and thriving through life's transitions, whether they are joyful beginnings, painful endings, or uncertain middles.

Throughout the book, Abdallah interweaves her own personal storyline, making the work more personable and accessible. Her writing is clear and precise, while also retaining some of the mysticalness of ritual. Ritual is often misunderstood in Christian practice. I’m still learning a proper understanding of it and Meaning in the Moment is now something I consider instrumental in my education. It’s a valuable resource for personal, communal, and ecclesiastical contexts, and provides tools for using rituals for healing, growth, and transformation.

[Adysnewbox · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Meaning in the Moment" was like a warm blanket in some ways. Its intentions are to help humanity find meaning, joy, inspiration, and comfort, for almost any type of occasion. What could be more "warm blanket" than that? The author, Amy F. Davis Abdallah, is a Christian pastor & scholar, and her goal is to help all of us (maybe especially the CHRISTIAN "all of us," but whatever) find true meaning in all of life's big events & transitions., by creating (or at least using) ritual. Humans, no matter their belief system, usually crave structure, meaning and direction in their lives, so I think that even if you don't necessarily subscribe to any religion, the IDEA of adding rituals to our lives to commemorate certain things has a definite appeal.

Abdallah breaks her book into sections describing WHY we need ritual in our lives, HOW to maximize their use, and WHEN it is best to use them. She also warns against using "non-powerful" rituals, that are too individualized (so they can't bring the community together), or that don't require a significant sacrifice (so they will not create a lasting memory). As a pastor, it makes sense that most of the rituals that Abdallah encourages are based on worship of Christ and deepening the participants' relationship with Christ AND with themselves and their peers/community. My own Christian denomination is relatively LIGHT on everyday ritual, so I admit that some of the suggested prayers/devotions/etc are a little out of my comfort zone. There's nothing WRONG with them of course, but I'm not sure they will be as useful to me as they would be to those from different traditions. One of the strengths of this book, however, is Abdallah's insistence on FLEXIBILITY and ADAPTABILITY in choosing rituals. This creates lots of options not just for a wider swath of Christianity, but for people of other faiths (or no faith at all!) to choose a ritual that works best for THEM and their lifestyle. While this book is written from a particular perspective, I appreciate that it is deliberately trying to cast a wide net and help ALL people bring a little more meaning into their lives.

I admit there were times while reading "Meaning in the Moment" that my mind wandered a bit. But I think that is more a fault of ME than of the book. I think this book straddles several genres: Self-help; spiritual; philosophical; historical. It is warm, sincere, and optimistic. It made me wonder if any traditions or rituals in my own life need a little upgrading or refining. A little self-reflection and increased every-day spirituality is certainly a good thing!!

[Scott Steenstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between, Amy F. Davis Abdallah has created an original work by offering a fresh and contemporary perspective on the ancient art of rituals. Her work is a deep dive into a practice that most of us are already engaged with, whether we know it or not. Amy F. Davis Abdallah makes the conceptual reasoning for ritual as well as the actual practice of rituals accessible and instantly applicable to the reader. One of the many ways she does this is by including “Right Now” rituals that can be performed by the reader before moving on to the next chapter. I found these to be particularly helpful in bringing together and solidifying all the concepts from a given chapter so that they could be easily put into practice while reading the book.
The study of spiritual disciplines is an art that is both academic and personal; Amy F. Davis Abdallah balances this tension in a very meaningful way by demonstrating good research and sharing her personal stories as well as the stories of others. The many short anecdotes from Amy F. Davis Abdallah’s personal and professional life help to make her work relatable and give a deep impression on the reader. In addition, Amy F. Davis Abdallah’s careful attention to detail with regards to the inclusivity of rituals is remarkable. At every juncture she takes time to carefully ensure that each ritual she suggests can be adapted to any person or setting, regardless of what kind of obstacles they might be facing. Her text is inclusive to all walks of life, creeds, and personal circumstances. This also emphasizes one of the major and important themes in Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between: everyone is already practicing rituals in one way shape or form because all of us truly need the life-changing power of rituals.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in deepening their faith in Jesus or anyone interested in learning more about what it looks like to have faith in Christ. Specifically, I think readers who are looking for a fresh look on some of the more “old” or “traditional” aspects of their faith will find Davis Abdullah’s text particularly helpful and intriguing.

[Mhughessc · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between" caught my attention because of the really intriguing title. The author has adopted this definition of the word ritual, "a specific behavior or activity which gives symbolic expression to certain feelings and thoughts of the actor(s) individually or as a group." However, while I was intrigued by the title, the actual content within the book was different from what I expected. The author lists several types of rituals which can be done in front of a church gathering, instead of rituals that can just be done quietly within yourself at your own home. While there were many mentions of Biblical passages, there were many New Age elements within this book as well. Most chapters ended with a suggested ritual/prayer for the reader.

While I didn't agree with or understand a lot of the book, I can agree that it was well written. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Ron Rienstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the coming decades, the effects of climate change will become more and more present to more and more people -- droughts, fires, floods, sea-level rise, glacial melting, species extinction, and climate immigration. People will need to process this dramatic change to make sense of it, and the church will need to lean on ritual to do so. But not necessarily all the set rituals it already has; it will need new ones -- ones that are symbolically rich and theologically faithful. This book is a stunning aid to folks looking to create just such rituals -- whether for climate change or for other "threshold" moments in the life of a community or a loved one. I teach ritual theory at a Christian seminary, and my class LOVED this book, and they loved Amy's presentation to the class. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Andrew M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The philosopher Charles Taylor articulates how modern society has completely gutted symbols of their spiritual significance, let alone any sense of meaning. We give no value to the objects or the rituals that accompany them because we regard them as superstitious and beneath our sophisticated view of the world. As a result, we are left feeling around in the dark for meaning and purpose for the days, weeks, months, and seasons of life.

What Amy does in Meaning in the Moment is recapture the beauty, purpose, and privilege of ritual for communities committed to loving God well through every season of life. As a pastor I have found her work both theologically and pastorally helpful for my church community and this book is no different. A must-read.

[Robert Batista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I encountered Amy Davis while attending classes for my ordination as a pastor, and her theological, practical, and spiritual perspectives greatly enriched my understanding. I have to confess that, as a Latino, I often associated the term "ritual" with the esoteric aspects of many practices in the Hispanic world. However, as I read this book, I not only became more aligned with a biblical perspective but also felt a profound need to make intern/explicit transitions in my life and utilize the potential of rituals to heal, transition, and clarify our life's path. Reading this book provides spiritual and emotional well-being, as it brings clarity to my thoughts through the words of an author who is both lucid, profound, and academically exceptional.

[Amy Peeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect blend of scholarly sources from psychology, theology, and ritual studies along with compelling personal stories, Meaning in the Moment gave me language for things I’d noticed and felt but didn’t know how to discuss. I will keep this book accessible for its ample ideas for ritual practices throughout various moments in life.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Meaning in the Moment. I loved the concept of creating rituals to commemorate significant moments in life, and the book offers thoughtful guidance on how to make ordinary experiences feel meaningful and intentional.