The Return of Liturgy

I've decided to start praying before my meals again. I haven't regularly since last spring. It was at that time when I realized (via lectures of a certain professor) that I wasn't bound and sworn to pray before every meal, and that, in fact, sometimes going through the motions leaves out the heart of what we do as Christians. So from then on, I have only sporadically given thanks before my meals. Not because I wasn't generally thankful, but because I was just going through the motions without my heart. Is that a greater sin to pray without heart, or to not pray at all? I'm not quite sure any of us can say. Pastor Ed recently spoke about the freedom we have in Christ. We have freedom from sin, and as Paul says, everything is permissible, but not beneficial
(I Corinthians 10). He talked about how many Christians these days focus most on the freedom aspect than of our slavery to everyone in righteousness.
I am currently reading MUDHOUSE SABBATH, which is a great book, that I highly recommend. That author tells of the richness of Jewish Tradition and Liturgy, and how it can enrich a Christian's life. So I bring back my thrice daily (and sometimes more if we count snacks) liturgy of mealtime prayer. Not because I feel obligated, or that I have suddenly realized that I need to verbally express my gratitude to God. (Which of course, I do), but because eating is something that I do regularly, and praying is something that I should do even more of. Winner, (the author of MUDHOUSE SABBATH) talks about the rhyme and rhythm, and how liturgy brings that into our lives. The regular (which doesn't have to be mundane) pattern of connections that we make with God. So with that, I bring back more of my daily liturgy, and maybe some new. Starting with my mealtime prayers. Hopefully it starts a new pattern of meaningful connections with God. And who knows, I may feel the need to stop the liturgy again for a time, and I may not. But even so, I will try, and I challenge you to as well, to bring back a bit of liturgy, of daily rhyme and rhythm back into your life. Because with, "Great freedom, comes great responsibility." (Uncle Ben--from Spiderman)