Many people find meaning in the rituals of their religion. Many others simply enjoy the spectacle. That's fine, but, more and more these various rituals have lost meaning and are little more than routines. Their real significance has been lost.
Rituals are supposed to alter consciousness, to throw the individual into a sacred state of mind. When they become rote repetitions, they are meaningless and should be abandoned and replaced.
Replaced with what? Simple. Anything that puts takes the individual out of their normal mind set and places them in contact with the sacred, the feeling of awe and wonder and/or the feeling of deep unity. Family meals and holiday traditions are examples. Barbeques and picnics with neighbors and friends can be affective,
Spending time in Natural settings is effective, as is visiting museums and attending concerts (well, some concerts. I'm not sure Katy Perry or Snoop Dogg will do the trick). Sorts can work. This years Olympics, which, in the face of terrorist threats, are a prime example. The Games are going well as athletes and spectators, both attending and at home, have been captivated by the games. To pull off the Games and to not give into threats is a powerful statement about the possibility of union and cooperation among human beings. If things continue to go well in Rio, people may look back on this as a significant event and use the Olympic Games as a new sort of scared event, which is kind of how they started back in Greece so long ago,.
My point? Almost anything, viewed the right way, can have a spiritual effect. When repeated, that effect can deepen. Rituals do not have to be bound up in churches and temples. They can be made up and implemented anywhere as long as they have significance to those participating.
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