I have always thought I knew what this term meant, because of the way it is commonly used. But now I have to question what it actually means. So, anyone who can think abut these things . . . What is worship? How do you define what it is?
i don't even attempt to define it. long ago i have recognized precisely this same problem. it is one of those worlds that people use assuming other people know what they're saying, even though most generally they've never asked themselves what they mean by it either. some say love, some say fear, some say to be in awe of, and some identify that with one or the other or both. personally i've never been able to love what i feared, so that concept also eludes me. perhaps simply to unconditionally wish well. that i can live with. possibly also meaning with a complete absence of arrogance toward. that i can live with also. or with striving to anyway. which may be the point.
When defining words that describe human affections, I look at the way it functions on the ground. There is a saying that where your treasure lies, there lay your heart also. We are devotional by nature. That devotional character is expressed by a range that can be identified as between the instinct for self preservation at one end to gratitude at the other. We are all in this effect worshipful. So a more meaningful way to approach this question is what do you lend your devotion to. We all look for our own good and we seek it according to a model we conceive of as possessing that good. Perhaps your model of good is the American way. Perhaps it is the maintenance of a strong moral sentiment. Perhaps it is to do what your parents or culture have instructed. Point is, we always choose with a guiding principle.
Thanks, these are good insights. So, what I'm getting is that it's really about who YOU are and who you become in relation to the Divine. Whether you are humble, curious, angry, forgiving, grateful, loving, helpless etc. it's how you develop your relationship to the Divine through your attention, efforts and expression. Does that sound true enough?
