Habits Rituals And Routines Definitions
As defined by American Psychological Association, a habit is a “well-learned behavior or automatic sequence of behaviors that are relatively situation-specific and over time has become independent of motivational or cognitive influence.” To put it simply, a habit is a subconsciously repeated behavior.
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One of the most effective tactics for forming habits is following routine. A routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed to do tasks consistently. It requires conscious effort to create and maintain routines. But routines don’t have to be boring.
They can be developed into rituals — a more motivating strategy for building habits and getting things done efficiently. A ritual is a series of actions repeated with a meaningful purpose attached to it. It’s a routine that includes an intentional focus to give the action meaning.
Sunday, September 4, 2022​
Rituals: What Mean These Stones? Joshua 4:1-10 | Read Sunday Bulletin
In this lesson, Pastor Johnson shares from Joshua 4 of God calling the People to remember through the ritual shouldering and lodging with huge stones on the banks of Jordan as they enter into the Promised Land. The people of God have already been told to tie the word on their wrists and put it on their doorposts so that they might remember the Lord their God at every moment. Here in Joshua 4:7, we have stones, which are to be to the people of Israel a memorial forever. Through the ritual, the elders are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the story of how they made it over is transmitted to future generations.
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Rituals can be purposeful and powerful if they are connected to our responsibilities. Of course, those responsibilities come with both burdens and blessings. Community is the sacred space for the spiritual work of rituals.
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WEB EXTRA: Dear Church Folk: I Wish Y’all Would STFU About Ancestor Veneration – Unfit Christian
There is a growing communal conversation on ancestral veneration. Ancestors play a significant role in the day-to-day lives of African society. As a Christian community of faith that is unashamedly Black in identity and Pan-African in our consciousness, we are striving to learn more about the traditional roles of ancestors. Traditionally, Christianity is lived to either strengthen groups’ identity with the ancestors or free self from any attachment with the ancestors depending on two main factors. One is the reputation that the ancestors had: whether honorable or dishonorable. Second is from whom did the people receive the gospel? It is the work of Black People, to unlearn the shame of our ancestors and reorient ourselves with the true message of Jesus of Nazareth.
Sunday, September 11, 2022​
How to Break a Bad Habit Joshua 4:11-18 | Read Sunday Bulletin
In this lesson, Pastor Johnson shares from Joshua 4 of a people who have a bad habit of doubting God at the most critical moments in their journey to the Promised Land. The Miracle at the Red Sea with Moses was no one-time wonder. It is the good habit of God toward the Hebrew people despite their bad habit of doubting God's providence. This lesson is demonstrated over and over the long history of the Hebrew people in Jerusalem. Attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice; God always makes a way when the Hebrew people identify why they want and need to change. This motivation is a reminder to refer back to during struggles. In hindsight, it's easy for us to figure out the Hebrew people's internal and external triggers Recognizing our own can be a challenge. Finally, modifying your behavior is hard but not impossible. At the flooding Jordan River, God empowers Joshua as God had done with Moses as a demonstration of God's providence.
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WEB EXTRA: Breaking bad habits isn't about stopping, but substituting.
It's easy to think of habits falling into black and white categories — exercising good, biting your nails bad. But habits also sit on a continuum in our ability to exercise control over them: Some are mild, like taking off your shoes and dumping them in the middle of the living room every night; others are moderate, like eating dinner in front of the TV, or drinking too much when you go to a party; and then those that are strong and addictive — like smoking.
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Habits become hard to break because they are deeply wired, by constant repetition, into our brains. And when you add pleasure to them — like you have with drugs or porn, for example — the pleasure centers of the midbrain get fired up as well. Positive Change is possible. Learn more.
Sunday, September 25, 2022​
How to Break a Bad Habit Joshua 4:18-24 | Read Sunday Bulletin
In this lesson, Pastor Johnson shares from Joshua 4 of a people who have a bad habit of doubting God at the most critical moments in their journey to the Promised Land. The Miracle at the Red Sea with Moses was no one-time wonder. It is the good habit of God toward the Hebrew people despite their bad habit of doubting God's providence. This lesson is demonstrated over and over the long history of the Hebrew people in Jerusalem. Attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice; God always makes a way when the Hebrew people identify why they want and need to change. This motivation is a reminder to refer back to during struggles. In hindsight, it's easy for us to figure out the Hebrew people's internal and external triggers Recognizing our own can be a challenge. Finally, modifying your behavior is hard but not impossible. At the flooding Jordan River, God empowers Joshua as God had done with Moses as a demonstration of God's providence.
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WEB EXTRA: Breaking bad habits isn't about stopping, but substituting.
It's easy to think of habits falling into black and white categories — exercising good, biting your nails bad. But habits also sit on a continuum in our ability to exercise control over them: Some are mild, like taking off your shoes and dumping them in the middle of the living room every night; others are moderate, like eating dinner in front of the TV, or drinking too much when you go to a party; and then those that are strong and addictive — like smoking.
​
Habits become hard to break because they are deeply wired, by constant repetition, into our brains. And when you add pleasure to them — like you have with drugs or porn, for example — the pleasure centers of the midbrain get fired up as well. Positive Change is possible. Learn more.