Worship

What is worship?

Worship is recognition of a Creator-Father as the cause of all creation. Greater than ourselves, greater than any creation is the creator. When one realizes this in more than just words, one cannot help but worship such a beneficent Deity. Causation is realizing that we are created beings. When we realize we are created and understand the concept of the creator which leads to worship, we then realize our relationship to all other beings, whether material or non-material. This is cosmic consciousness.

Bear in mind, friends, as you proceed with your individual learning, that the areas of spiritual growth that you may consider to be discreet and separate topics are actually parts of a continuum, not separate and apart at all, but rather parts that are inseparable and inextricably intertwined with the whole fabric of what is. This, of course, applies to spirituality in general and the art of living and with worship.

As we have mentioned before, worship is that which glorifies the Father, not merely singing His praises,
but all activities which express the will of Father, in other words, the art of living. You have been endowed with the gift of life, a gift of love from Father, but if you wish to elevate yourselves above the level of animal life, it is necessary to work at worship. Sometimes the work is easy, but very often it is difficult, taxing, challenging. It will take you to the edge of your capacity to perceive that which is right, and it will test your ability to do that which is right despite almost overwhelming - temptation is not the right word, but I shall use it for want of better - temptation to behave in a different fashion.

In thinking of the art of living, you may, in your mind, have a vision of a leisurely existence with comfort and pleasure in abundance. And this may indeed come about if you have truly mastered the art of living, and in your actions - each and every one of these - express worship for Father. However, it is quite rare for mortals of animal descent to ever reach the level of proficiency in spiritual expression where such a comfort level is attained. Rather, most who aspire to the art of living and improved worship find their lives to be difficult, arduous, and full of struggle, not without pain, a continuing test. And this is what you, yourselves, are most likely to experience should you choose this mode of existence.

Look into yourselves, my friends consult with your indwelling Adjuster and you will have a willing and helpful guide along the road that will lead you to the art of living. Along the way of this path, you will find that fear, pride, anger will diminish as you work and struggle, and greed, of course, will fall by the wayside leaving you lighter and stronger. But make no mistake, this is a rocky, uphill path, and lonely, if you define loneliness as prolonged endeavor without the company of your fellow mortals. It will not be lonely in the sense of lack of spiritual company for you all have many who stand by you to help, to advise, and to observe this great experiment.

How does one take the first step? The first step is to make a freewill decision that this is what you truly and sincerely wish to have for yourself, no matter what the cost may be. To put aside fear, to realize that some material goals you hold dear may be slower of attainment, or may never be realized at all - for attainment of goals, both spiritual and material, requires expenditure of time and energy.

One cannot divest energy toward more than a few major goals simultaneously and achieve success. You all know that. In fact, part of your decision to take that step must be to take the decision that your spiritual mission supersedes all others. Are you ready for that, my friends? Are you truly ready? Are you ready to give up some of your comfort? Are you ready to step out of the world of man the animal and walk toward the world of the future man, the spiritual, the fulfilled, the world of your children, grandchildren, great great grandchildren? Look into yourselves and decide if it is something you cannot do now. You will be offered the opportunity beyond this life and far more information will be available to you at that time. To take the step now is far more an act of faith than it will ever be at any future time in your existence. And it is that faith, my friends, that marks you on this planet and on the other planets of the rebellion as being so very special in the universe.

Worship of Father is not an activity that is confined to a particular time of the day on a particular day of the week with a particular group of people. Rather, worship is expressed in every breath that you take, every word that you utter, and every move that you make. It is particularly evident in your interactions with fellow beings, all fellow beings.

When you express worship of Father in your connection to another being, your spiritual light increases ever so slightly in its intensity. The day will come when you will be able to perceive this much more clearly than you do now. There are some among you who can, even now, see this light, or feel it. And I am certain that all of you here today can sense it. Truth, beauty, goodness and love, such simple sounding concepts, these are the essence of worship and the essence of Father's love for you and all His creation.

The universe is all of what is. It is not a collection of individual egos, each crying out for expression. It is the wave that ensues when beings act in concert for the good of all, and the non-participants are not heard. It does not matter, really, except as a brief flicker on the surface. The wave breaks on the shore not because one water molecule is particularly strong, but because all the water molecules act in concert.

So too with the progress of this universe, or any universe, or in fact all of creation. And you, my friends, as mortals created with free will capacity are not just carried along as are those created perfect. You, in fact, can help to create your own wave, not your own individual wave, but your own collective wave that adds such a beautiful voice to the choir. You are not created perfect, and perfection is not demanded of you. Instead it is asked that you strive toward that which is perfect which you have an inner realization of. It is your striving that adds to the voice, and when you fail to strive, that is when your voice is silent.

In the grand scheme of the universe the recognition goes to that which is correct. That is the motivation
beyond the material life for the strivings of creatures, because the sense of being right, of worshiping Father, is so wonderful. And to not have that feeling, by contrast, seems so empty, not necessarily painful, but rather not wonderful, not good. You can get a sense of that when you are on the right path, worshiping in your lives and working toward the achievement of the art of living.

If you lose the thread and feel you cannot find your way, think about Michael and His life in the flesh. What would He do? How would He conduct Himself?

Question: I've been concerned that I wasn't efficient in worshiping our Father well enough. I read from your
lesson that probably none of us are, but we gain some comfort from the words that you said. Is love a prerequisite for worship?

Answer: Yes, but again, you will not experience perfect love, so do the best that you can. Continue on your path. You know when you are doing well, do you not?

R = Rayson the teacher, S = Students.

S: Well, yes, only sometimes. I want to do better. Most of the time I want to do better.

R: Patience is a part of love. Is it not?

S: It seems to me that it is. I set aside times for worship and in those times I try to mentally say that I love the Father and that I actually worship the Father. But I haven't any real meaning to the idea. It gives me some pleasure and satisfaction to say it, but I really don't know what I'm saying.

R: Do you say it in isolation, or do you say it when you are among others?

S: Well, both, but I don't say it aloud when I'm among others.

R: What markers of success are you looking at?

S: That is what I was going to ask you. I don't know what the markers of success are. I feel supported, full, loved, but then I don't feel that I'm doing enough.

R: The feelings that you have are the markers of your success. The response of others to you is the
marker of your success.

S: I hear you talking about problems and travail that are blessings. I really haven't been blessed with any of those. I have everything it seems that life can offer: a loving family, very close friends, and a good relationship with God. I wonder if this is a test: no hardship?

R: You have had your hardships, but the human mind is quite remarkable in that, with the passage of time, pain is forgotten in its fullest intensity. This helps to protect you, for you are a creature of flesh and blood, and if you were to continue to experience the pain of every difficulty, life would be intolerable.

S2: She is expressing some of the same feelings I've been having that I am not spending enough time in worship. Yet, I feel like I have Father with me all the time. Yet I regret I'm not spending enough time alone with Him, solely with Him. And today I feel like I made a connection and a commitment during our lesson that will help me to do better at this. And I thank you very much for your lesson.

R: You are most welcome. Perhaps the anxiety you experience with regard to your own spiritual growth has to do with the fact that you are looking for material signs of spiritual effectiveness. You will never see those. That is where your faith comes in. It is worship enough at the end of a long and successful life to wake up in the morning, to care for oneself, to not be a burden to others, to maintain one's health, and to be loving in one's interactions on a social level. You both do that quite well. Neither of you engage in the practice of castigating your offspring for failures of your own health or finances, nor do you spend time in regret over what may have been. Those activities would be the opposite of worship.

It would not be in your best interests to conduct your worshipful lives in the same fashion as you did when you were twenty or thirty years old. My sense is that you are handling it quite well, and it may help you to know that your living example is very important to the other participants of this mission who are younger than you are. Does that help?

S2: Yes, it helps, and it seems that the absence of unloving behavior is a form of worship. I think that's a beautiful thought.

R: Yes, is it not paradoxical that what you perceive in the material is the negative, not the positive, and what you perceive in the spiritual is the positive, not the negative. Is that not true? (S: Yes.)

Question: Along the lines of worship, I feel that worship is something that flows in and out of my life. For
example, (S) and I were surfing this morning, and just to sit out there and see what God has made. And
in those moments just know that He hears how grateful I am, that's worship too, isn't it?

Answer: Yes, and certainly your fellowship with (S) is most worshipful.

S: So I'm thinking along the lines of (S2) and (S3) who to me epitomize worship. No one could be more loved and more respected. If I could just become like them when I grow up, I would think everything I did was right.

R: Yet, you hear their doubts. It is good for you to speak your feelings along these lines, and remember, my dear, worship means doing the right thing at the right time. You were right to attend to your families' need rather than to attend Michael's party. God has no need of your food, but He needs your loving interaction with your relatives, and through that you help to spread His teachings.

S: I believe that. I don't always do it, but if I could just do good always, I couldn't do any better than that. So, if I think I'm doing good, I feel OK about what I do. I seem to have a pretty good reality checker inside me, so if I just follow my inner promptings, I know that it will be OK. I feel like I'm getting better, and I know you know what this means. So thanks.

R: You are most welcome.

Question: With regard to your lesson today, these are requests for confirmation to see if I understood the
lesson correctly. We worship not just in solitude, but in our communion and truck with our fellows every day?

Answer: More so.

Question: So, doing Father's will in relation to our brothers and sisters is a form of worship.

Answer: That is absolutely correct. In fact, it is the main form of worship.

Question: And as far as markers are concerned, those times when we feel most connected, (S2) and (S3)'s
questions prompted this, but I've been wondering myself, too. Interesting, we're all wondering the same
thing. We've all felt it. We've known that we were in loving communion with the Father. It's unmistakable. It's completely reciprocal. And, most of the time we only feel that when we're in solitary communion, worship. But now and then it seems we feel it when we're in everyday life, just regular activity, and we've made a good choice, and we've been able to do a good thing not just for someone else but to tell ourselves, or to reinforce better behavior, God's will in our own actions. Am I right? Are those markers? Are those little guideposts that say “Yes, this is the direction, follow this?”

Answer: Yes, and to elaborate on that, the sense of being correct and being in communion that you experience in solitude is actually the glowing reflection of correct behavior when you are engaged in
activity. However, your blunted awareness while you are active is mostly due to the fact that you have a brain and body of animal origin and that talking voice in your brain is babbling too loudly for you to be able to hear, in a sense, the rightness, the spiritual perception, that you get when you are in a quiet mode. 

If your actions while engaged with others were incorrect, then during your periods of solitude you most likely would experience either discomfort, pain, or a neutral feeling, rather than a sense of well being and goodness, such as you express. The evil man cannot stand his own company.

Question: So, there necessarily has to be a cleansing period, I would guess.

Answer: Well, it is certainly a useful reinforcement of your faith to have periods of solitude during which you can quiet the mind and perceive your own spiritual level. It is not absolutely necessarily, in the strictest sense, but there are very, very few humans on this planet who have been able to dispense with this device as an adjunct to the spiritual journey. So, the answer to your question is yes.

Question: When you say worshipful activities I presume you mean service, because one can have activities
which are based on error which would not be worshipful. I would think that service would be equivalent to worship or maybe even better. When I relate to others, if I try to relate to the God within them, their Thought Adjuster, I think in that case I would be approaching worship because I would be serving them. I can't say, for instance, if service is better than worship or worship is better than service because
sometimes service will make me worship better and sometimes worship will make me serve better. But
worship seems to me like it's more of a one on one situation where I can talk directly to the Father within me whereas when I'm serving there is a third party involved. Is that correct?

Answer: There is no difference between worship and service.

S: The Urantia book says there is.

Answer: Well, worship in the sense of doing the will of the Father is service. As far as a third party being
involved, when you interact in a social way with another being, in a loving and serving way, you extend the connection between yourself and God to that third party. Yes, that is somewhat different from a private session with the Father, but it is only a difference in degree. If one were to spend one's life in solitude reading spiritual materials and attempting through the Thought Adjuster to contact the Father, the spiritual life would be incomplete and unfulfilled because the connection to other beings is a vital part of a proper worship existence.

Much confusion about worship arises from ancient times in the history of man on this planet when
superstitions and fear lead to the enactment of ritual behaviors designed to appease the mysterious forces
that were thought to be responsible for good luck, good weather, good health and general well being. This idea has existed to the present day in the persistent belief that worship can only be undertaken in solitude or even in a particular setting, such as a church, temple, mosque, and even in particular position, such as the kneeling position, or the prostrate position.

It is unfortunate that this pigeon holing of the notion of worship has occurred, but my personal understanding of worship is that it encompasses all activities in which one extends one's link to the Father through the Thought Adjuster which has been achieved through conscious effort and freewill
decision to another being or other beings in an active fashion.

S: I think a lot of this is based on a frame of reference whence we take the meaning of worship as we apply it to ourselves. I was never related to a church when I was a child so I don't relate worship to any specific temple or any church or any archaic concept of worship. I just think worship as I get is straight from the Urantia Book and from Jesus' example. He did service with others and for others, but He also took time to go out on His own to be by Himself so that He could talk to the Father. I think it's very good for you to inform people that worship can be accomplished not just by oneself but also in doing service. I just wanted to bring the point up because I talk to some people who would just worship with others but not by themselves. In other words, they wouldn't go out by themselves to be alone with God. I think that both service and worship is necessary and not one at the sacrifice of the other.

R: If you wish to consider them as separate activities, that is your choice. The life of Jesus, which is the example lovingly provided by Father as the model for ideal human existence, was one of unending service and was the ideal for human endeavor. Never once did Michael cease to worship Father.

S: I have no qualms about that. It's just a matter of semantics. We tend to use the word worship, I do anyway, to distinguish it from service, and that when one talks directly to the Father it's not a matter of action. Service - to me - is action, whereas worship is being with the Father. In other words, it's the
difference between the first person and the third person. Service is action, the third person, having to do
with Infinite Spirit, whereas to me worship is the first person, being with the Father. It's an existential
kind of thing. That's how I differentiate the two, and I think there is a definite difference.

R: Was Michael not with Father when He served?

S: Yes, but I'm just saying when He served there was an act. I mean, there is a difference between action and being. When He served, He acted. I think when He worshiped He was with the Father, in other words, just being, existing with the Father.

S2: May I interject here?

R: Certainly.

S2: I have located a page in the Urantia Book in a paper on the life of Jesus, on page 1616, teachings about career and worship. It says at the evening conferences on Mt Gerazim Jesus taught many great truths and in particular He laid emphasis on the following: He said that worship, contemplation of the spiritual, must alternate with service, contact with material reality. And it goes on to say that work should alternate with play. Religion should be balanced by humor. Jumping a few lines again to say, another distinction, worship is the technique of looking to the One for the inspiration of service to the many. So that sentence right there, to me, points out the interrelatedness of worship and service. They're separate in terms of defining them for our human minds, but they're absolutely connected things.

S3: They're made of the same stuff, but they're expressed differently.

S: Yes, that's what I wanted to say.

S2: So I think actually we're probably all in agreement here.

S3: Yes, one can worship through service, but not all worship is service. I'm sure that Rayson was correct when he said that you can worship through service.

S: I agree with that. I have no difference of opinion about that.

Question: If we practice the art of living, isn't that just walking worship?

R: That is the point that I was attempting to make through the lesson.

S: I like that very much. I will never forget that word, the art of living. You're right, living is an art. Worship, I feel, flows through all of that whether it's just seeing again a heron rise out of the creek bed, or sitting on the ocean thanking the Lord for this incredible beauty, or seeing a light in somebody's eyes because you've extended some help. It's all points of worship, ultimately, yes?

R: That is true.

S: This line about worship being the technique of looking to the one for the inspiration of service to the many makes me think about how they're interrelated, as you're doing service. I know for me I'm constantly having to check back in with the Father. Is this what I should be doing? So there's worship taking place at the same time.

R: That is true.

S: This says our thoughts precede our actions. Worship precedes the service, but it's happening
milliseconds apart. It's commingled.

R: Exactly, that has been the point of the lesson.

S: We finally got it. Thank you, Rayson.

Abraham: Anyone who has been spiritually reborn knows that hope lies in faith. Your faith in Father is indeed your salvation and shield from those things which would promote hopelessness. Any child willing to allow Father to have influence in their lives knows that hope is not possible without trust in a Supreme Ruler.

How do Father's faithful children maintain hope and faith? Why do some fight the good fight and some appear to be incapable of doing so? What keeps hope alive? How, in the midst of unspeakable events, can Father's children regenerate hope amongst themselves?

Surely your faith continues to free you from the burden of hopelessness, but one with faith must surely know that the key to regenerating hope is the capability to worship — to feel personally touched by a Supreme Sovereign — to know that in their smallness they are deeply cherished — to live with a
grateful heart, is certainly hope promoting. 

My friends, for belief and hope and perseverance — one must obtain the ability to worship; to express to our Father that we wholeheartedly believe He watches over our every need and is completely capable of guiding us. With the busy-ness of everyday living we forget how important worship is for our spiritual diet. In your worshiping, do you acknowledge Father is certainly working in your life and you are committing your will to doing His.

You can see your fellow mortals living lives of hopelessness, not putting forth effort because they are without faith and understanding that the Gods are aware of their existence. Your ability to worship is always renewing your commitment to Father and regenerating hope within to persevere, to carry on. Your receiving this rejuvenation is seen through the outworkings of all your daily tasks. Your fellows do recognize you are uplifting in faith and hope.  

A few moments of acknowledging Father's mighty fingerprints in your life and the world around you is literally energizing energy that is recognized wherever you go. Light dispels the darkness; you are bearers of this light.

Many committed to going about the Father's bidding envision magnificent selfless acts they can perform. My friends, Father's bidding is much closer to home. Whether you are helping a family member, or a friend, or perhaps a neighbor or coworker, you can be sure you will have the energy to go forth, for you are connected. 

Daily worship is your drink from the well of light. Your mortal connections are your mission tasks and the exercise of regenerating hope in their presence goes a long way.

Abraham: Worship is the doorway to a new and better age.

How can such insurmountable problems be overcome in this society today? The answer is simple: By having the faith of a little child, being small enough to enter into the doorway of worship allowing Father to teach, and you glorifying His teaching by living His example in your everyday lives.

Worship brings a beautiful balance between the mortal and divine. The animal tendencies are transformed into a productive divine energy when you can step aside from yourselves to find Father and His greater meanings and values. Your vision extends beyond this mortal life to eternal realities when you can be made small and recognize the power and love of God.

The evolutionary worlds of time and space know not of their influence in the universe; how the Supreme Being can be made to grow and change when worlds are made to kneel in humble admittance to the fact that they do not have all the answers; how the universe is made to change when even small groups reach out in faith and support Michael's cause. In having died to the old ways, and taken up the new, there is certainly material changes made also.

In worship we are renewed in body as well as mind and spirit. Physical changes do occur with such a positive activity, physical changes on an individual level as well as a planetary level, of course. Father is waiting enthusiastically for His children to reach up. He finds it His supreme joy to commune with each child personally. How blessed are we that He should love and care for us! How powerful is worship that we can create such positive changes!

Most mortals, having experienced adversities that would leave them hesitant to trust a higher source, would perhaps be beaten down by life's circumstances. Many mortals who experience physical and mental illness would have a negative outlook on this mortal life. They would perhaps find no cure for what ails them. Many mortals who experience physical \ chemical addictions may find their weakness overwhelming without hope of recovery without a greater and more powerful source.

Worship brings us a connection in which we are changed physically, mentally and spiritually. There is strength to endure those daily events that would seem to break the average mortal heart and mind. There is everyday healing that would bring shock to the average mortal. There is power in relinquishing those things that have held you. In worship there is hope and sound solutions to everyday problems. It is our hope that worship will bring the worlds' people to change their point of view from how 'the world is so
bad' to 'the world is getting better.

Find time in your daily routine to acknowledge the beauty Father has put before you. Still maintain your
childlike faith, and in all things have the attitude of living for the glory of our Father in Heaven. Commit to Him daily, telling Him who you serve. 

It is well known that a child would rather flee from things unpleasant and fearful than face them with unknowing. It is evident in your society that various forms of diversion are created in order to feel liberated from life's daily grind. Forms of societal opiates are becoming popular as everyday living wondering what is life's meanings about. It is indeed difficult to take the punishment of everyday living with a smile.

The Master's living example was such an inspiration for us each. How can one take life's punishment and not become weak, embittered, angry, depressed or hopeless? How did Jesus, the man, live from day to day with strength, trust and encouragement to others? How could He accept life's disappointments without wanting to give in or being broken by them? 

I have elected to speak with you about praise and worship, hopefully with some application that will bring a different approach from the commonly perceived viewpoint of these two words, this same activity.

Praise, worship, do acknowledge a sovereignty. They are conduits for the expression of adoration by a being who realizes that the one praised or worshipped has qualities above and beyond those possessed by the worshipper. These qualities are adorable because they are desirable. The worshipper, in the long run, hopes to attain these same attributes even while knowing that there is a difference between Creator and creature. This praise acknowledges attainment hopes of the individual and permanency of such qualities in the Creator.

Jesus one time taught that he was the water of life, he was the bread of life. These two material objects are forms of nourishment and sustenance to a physically housed creature. In his day and in the location where he lived these were very important elements. They indicate, in his use of them, spiritual sustenance, the quenching of spiritual thirst, and the providing of food for spiritual hunger. This is an intake perspective. He also, however, expressed that you are to let your light so shine, to not hide the luminosity of your soul and the spiritual presence of the Father and His good spirit. This is expressive.  Light is the energy burst that comes from proper nourishment, receiving the water and the bread.

Worship becomes, if I may use my own metaphor, your carburetor wherein you mix your fuel; in reality two fuels, air and gasoline; to create combustion to make power to express. The outcome of worship is the motivation of the devotee to uphold truths realized, to demonstrate goodnesses discovered. These expressions are the combustive result of the proper adjustment of the air-fuel ratio of the worship experience. This becomes service.

Service has many forms of expression. Even when there is no other individual in your vicinity to whom you may be of service, you can be of service to the Indwelling Spirit; you can even be of service to your own well-being, a form of soul service rather than egotistical aggrandizement. This air-fuel ratio comes about through two forms of intake. Simply put, there is the intellectual base of knowledge and information; there is the feeling base of motivation and desire. The two combined brings the energy needed and required to propel the individual into service activity.

Worship is not only the acknowledgment of a greater personality with higher powers; it is also the realization of the incoming grace of this same Creator personality into your own being for spiritual combustion, though worship may rightly position the self in relation to Creator, acknowledging the reality that each one of us is simply a creature, that for all our accomplishments we have frailties and imperfections. It also ought to encourage the receptive infusion of divinity to bolster the impulse of expressing spiritual reality, no matter what level of universe attainment you currently function upon.

While Jesus was here on earth fulfilling the requirements of sovereignty attainment he also chose to promote the awareness of the Father on earth to leave with the human race a simpler though uplifted view of God, personalized, dynamic, as a relationship rather than a standard of greatness only. And he used for his staff people of his day of ordinary circumstances and training. He demonstrated with his corps of evangels that the divine and proper air-fuel ratio, through training and motivation, can combust and illuminate the world and let the spiritual light shine and energize the souls of those around them.

Once you have mixed inspiration and enlightenment you are primed to burst forward and to express — human beings uplifting one another through sincere expression of the discovery of
truth, beauty, and goodness for one another to be benefited therefrom.

Take in the bread, take in the water, be nourished, but no nourishment is worthwhile without activity to burn that nourishment. Worship is always coupled with service, for the two are really on a continuum, a spectrum, that are no more divorced from one another than is red light from blue light.

And remember, if your carburetor is dirty, there is a great carburetor cleaner that resides within you, your Indwelling Spirit, who can do the adjustments that can peak your performance, and to seek that assistance when you feel the need.

Larenzo: To worship is to take your mind and place it in the hands of your Spirit within. It is to foretaste your presence on Paradise. It is to anticipate the embrace of the Universal Father in the completion of your ascension career. It is to anticipate standing face to face with God, Himself, in person in His residential dwelling! 

To worship is to contemplate the Love that creates the universe, so that God can share His personality with other persons; so that He can share His joy with His sons and daughters. To worship is to contemplate the love that anticipates your every need, that counts the hairs of your head, that knows every sparrow that falls, that knows all, and upholds all, and works for the good of all, and yet notices, yes, even dwells within each one of us!  

Take more time for worship, my friends. I could never say this too often! Do not regard it as a chore. Let it nourish your souls. Let it provide fuel for your true soul growth and spiritual energy to do service for your
brothers and your sisters. Without worship your service energy will flag and diminish. Without service your worship will become stagnant.