{"id":113,"date":"2012-05-10T18:51:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-10T18:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2012\/05\/worship-the-gods-%ce%b8%ce%b5%ce%bf%cf%85%cf%82-%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b2%ce%bf%cf%85\/"},"modified":"2012-05-10T18:51:00","modified_gmt":"2012-05-10T18:51:00","slug":"worship-the-gods-%ce%b8%ce%b5%ce%bf%cf%85%cf%82-%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b2%ce%bf%cf%85","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2012\/05\/worship-the-gods-%ce%b8%ce%b5%ce%bf%cf%85%cf%82-%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b2%ce%bf%cf%85.html","title":{"rendered":"Worship the Gods (\u0398\u03b5\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c3\u03b5\u03b2\u03bf\u03c5)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Star Foster at Patheos<\/a> has a new series on the Delphic Maxims<\/a> where she examines these jewels of ancient pagan wisdom to see what meaning they have for her life as a modern Hellenic polytheist. Today\u2019s maxim is \u201cworship the gods\u201d and Star asks what that means for us<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As I frequently mention, I grew up in a small rural Baptist church. They called their meetings \u201cworship\u201d and so I assumed worship meant \u201cpreachin\u2019 prayin\u2019 and singin\u2019.\u201d My Methodist grandmother<\/a> had other ideas \u2013 to her \u201cworship\u201d meant the reverent contemplation of God. I liked her idea better\u2026 although I later came to appreciate the power in those loud, spirit-filled Baptist services (I never did develop an appreciation for the theology and doctrines behind those sometimes-powerful services, but that\u2019s another rant for another time). <\/p>\n

As a Unitarian Universalist I was taught that the word \u201cworship\u201d comes from the Old English word weorthscipe<\/i> meaning worthiness or respect. Thus worship is acknowledging what we find of greatest worth. Even with that non-theistic definition, I\u2019ve encountered plenty of UUs who don\u2019t like the term \u2013 they think of worship as bowing down to some one or some thing and that bothers them. <\/p>\n

I say that\u2019s one of the main reasons for worship: to acknowledge that there IS something bigger and more important than yourself.<\/p>\n

Maybe that\u2019s God, or Goddess, or gods and goddesses. Maybe that\u2019s values or ideals or principles. Choose wisely: many worship money or power or sex, or worse, entertainment and celebrities. <\/p>\n

As a Pagan whose polytheism gets harder all the time<\/a>, I worship individual gods and goddesses. Cernunnos and Danu are my primary deities \u2013 they\u2019re the ones who called me. I speak to them and I listen to them every day \u2013 and my speech leans heavily toward thanksgiving. I burn incense, pour wine and offer praise when I am moved to do so. I don\u2019t abase myself \u2013 I\u2019ve never gotten the impression they want that. They\u2019re deities: they\u2019re older, stronger, wiser and more powerful than I am and they know it. They don\u2019t need to be constantly reminded of it.<\/p>\n

They do expect to be treated with dignity and respect and a bit of humility \u2013 as honored guests, as revered elders, as wise teachers. <\/p>\n

Star asks \u201cis having a heart full of love and respect worship? Or is it just thinking pretty thoughts?\u201d I think having a heart full of love and respect is a good and necessary start. But simply being filled with love and respect is passive. Worship is active. Worship is taking that love and respect and expressing it in ways that leave no doubt as to the intent.<\/p>\n

Is it enough to simply love a partner or a parent or a child or a friend? Or does that love need to be expressed in words and deeds? The first is good \u2013 the second is better. <\/p>\n

Good worship is a two-way street. I give, but I also receive. My worship reminds me that I serve something \u2013 and someone \u2013 bigger than myself. My worship reminds me I don\u2019t have to know the whole plan in order to do my part, I don\u2019t have to know the destination to keep walking down the path. It reminds me I don\u2019t have to finish this work, because it\u2019s bigger than any one human lifetime. It reminds me I\u2019m not alone. <\/p>\n

Worship the gods. Worship God. Worship ideas and values.<\/p>\n

But worship.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Star Foster at Patheos has a new series on the Delphic Maxims where she examines these jewels of ancient pagan wisdom to see what meaning they have for her life as a modern Hellenic polytheist. Today\u2019s maxim is \u201cworship the gods\u201d and Star asks what that means for us. As I frequently mention, I grew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1129,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWorship the Gods (\u0398\u03b5\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c3\u03b5\u03b2\u03bf\u03c5)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Star Foster at Patheos has a new series on the Delphic Maxims where she examines these jewels of ancient pagan wisdom to see what meaning they have for\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2012\/05\/worship-the-gods-\u03b8\u03b5\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2-\u03c3\u03b5\u03b2\u03bf\u03c5.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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