Since recent commenter rjperalta closed his post with the words “worship him in spirit and truth,” I thought I’d consider worship briefly. I’ve never quite understood who worship is for. God doesn’t need it, because in traditional Christian conceptions at least, he is a being wholly sufficient without our human existence or action. It would be odd to claim that God somehow benefits from worship, as if he were dependent on it. One could argue more reasonably that the worshipper benefits, through attention on something larger than the self, and in the devotion to an ideal, in which case God may tolerate worship. But to command what the heart can only freely offer is like demanding that someone love you — it doesn’t work that way, from what I’ve seen. The truest worship I have ever known is gratitude and communion. But then I’m not worshipping in the sense of offering sacrifices or singing praises, but celebrating and experiencing closeness, or union. The analogy that occurs to me now is a birthday party. I don’t “worship” the birthday boy or girl, though I may certainly wish him or her well, but I may opt to join in the good feeling and happiness of celebrating the event by participating in the birthday rituals of gift-giving and well-wishing. These are accepted ways of showing my affection and interest. I do them, incidentally, because I wish to. But other ways work as well. And for someone I don’t know at all, my presence at his birthday party would be odd, if not downright unwelcome. But my good wishes and thoughts are never inappropriate.
