"We do not put any trust in external ceremonies. ... I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."

(Philippians 3.3,8 GNB)

Rituals and traditions are tools to remind us and to point us to the Lord. They are only helpers in our worship and must never become the objective of our worship.

My salvation rests on my personal relationship with the Lord. Not on whether or not I have done this or that liturgical prayer, nor whether or not I have taken communion. In other words, those are just decorations, not the substance.

For some people, that is all they know and all they can do - and so they do. They are sincerely held back by their faith. And it is difficult for them to break through and reform their personal faith unless they reform their lifestyle to start studying the Bible for themselves and praying to the Lord at a personal level.

I wish all Churches consistently advocate and equip the congregations for personal bible study in a way that helps them get deeper and stronger in their personal relationships with the Lord.