Define "Worship"

[Syele]

idolize: love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol; “Many teenagers idolized the Beatles”
show devotion to (a deity); “Many Hindus worship Shiva”
the activity of worshipping
attend religious services; “They worship in the traditional manner”
a feeling of profound love and admiration
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

wor·ship http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium.gif http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.pngcache.lexico.com/g/d/speaker.gif /ˈwɜrhttp://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.pngʃɪp/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciationwur-ship] 1.reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred. 2.formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning. 3.adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success. 4.the object of adoring reverence or regard. 5.(initial capital letterhttp://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png) British. a title of honor used in addressing or mentioning certain magistrates and others of high rank or station (usually prec. by Your, His, or Her). –verb (used with object) 6.to render religious reverence and homage to. 7.to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing). –verb (used without object) 8.to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity. 9.to attend services of divine worship. 10.to feel an adoring reverence or regard.dictionary.reference.com/browse/Worship

People are always saying one group worships this or that, or that they DON’T worship this or that. Then there are threads about how certian things aren’t proper worship and others are. I see adoration and reverence listed as different from worship and that the dictionary uses adoration and reverence to define worship. It seems we all have different ideas about it.

How do YOU define “worship”?

 

[hamba2han]

It is the Creator Himself who defines how His creations need to worship Him because it is only He who will decide whether or not to accept these acts of worship.

It is therefore totally pointless for the creations to decide by themselves and invent new ways to worship their Creator without His approval.

 

[Della]

The word worship is too broad a term now days–as seen by all the definitions in the dictionary. There it gathers all definitions that apply since the word was created. It isn’t speaking for the Catholic Church alone, nor do we expect it should.

I cannot speak for other faith communities, but for Catholics true worship/adoration of God means offering a sacrifice–and not just any old sacrifice, but the one sacrifice Christ offered to the Father on our behalf and which we re-present in the sacrament of the altar–the body and blood of Christ.

The Church has been very careful in its definition of terms related to the word worship. It defines latria as the adoration we owe and offer to God alone. Dulia is the veneration we offer to the saints, and hyperdulia is reserved for Mary because of her unique status within the life of the Church. We do not adore Mary and the saints, we only adore God, the Blessed Holy Trinity. Period.

 

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

Thanks Della, that was a powerful response. It got me thinking and I’d like to add to that “sacrifice” theme…

In the context of 1 Peter 2:5, we offer ourselves as a sacrifice - not out lives - but our earthly desires.

1 Peter 2:1 - Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealously or insulting language.
1 Peter 2:5 - Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.

 

[Della]

Thanks Della, that was a powerful response. It got me thinking and I’d like to add to that “sacrifice” theme…

In the context of 1 Peter 2:5, we offer ourselves as a sacrifice - not out lives - but our earthly desires.

1 Peter 2:1 - Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealously or insulting language.
1 Peter 2:5 - Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.

Yes, in baptism we die with Christ to rise to new life in him. This dying and rising is a constant theme throughout our lives since our nature is always being transformed into Christ as we struggle with the “old man” while living in a world of sin.

So we must make our lives a continual sacrifice to God. And to make that easier/more effective Jesus instituted the sacraments which confer the graces they symbolize in the elements used, such as the consecration of the bread and wine, the pouring of water, the laying on of hands, the anointing with oil, etc.

Thus through partaking of the sacraments, through prayer, and through acts of charity we “offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.”

 

[AquinasT]

Yes, I think “sacrifice” is the key to understanding the difference between the Catholic and Protestant notions of worship.

Since Protestants (in the broad sense of that term), on a whole, reject the idea that the Sunday worship service includes the True SACRIFICE of Christ they see their worship services as simply a form of “prayer” or “praise” to God, and that this “prayer” is the same as worship. Therefore (for these Christians) any form of “prayer” can be equated to “worship.” From their theological perspective, when Catholics pray to saints, we are really worshiping saints, since the two are equal in their eyes.

Catholics believe that worship is due only to God - and Protestants agree - but Catholics believe that worship includes real sacrifice. We believe in the Sacrifice of the Mass and we believe in “offering up” our little sacrifices in our own lives as a form of worship to God. No Catholic would ever offer sacrifices to saints. We pray to (or more properly WITH) the saints, but this is not worship since it does not include sacrifice.

If Protestants shared this concept of sacrifice and worship (especially in the context of the Mass) there would be fewer misunderstandings between us in the area of the communion of saints and the supposed “worshiping” of idols. Unfortunately, as with other theological concepts, we understand the terminology differently.

Thomas

 

[Lapell]

In most religions, worship is directed toward the divinities or the divinity. As for the use of the word worship for other things or people, well I don’t know for sure.
You mentioned music groups and singers, oh! and don’t forget the actors and actresses whom are often called “idols”. And many people would say “I adore my wife”, or “I adore my husband”, or “I adore my children”… meaning: “I love them absolutely”, but I don’t know that this would imply actual worshipping like towards a god or many gods!

 

[Syele]

Yes, I think “sacrifice” is the key to understanding the difference between the Catholic and Protestant notions of worship.

Since Protestants (in the broad sense of that term), on a whole, reject the idea that the Sunday worship service includes the True SACRIFICE of Christ they see their worship services as simply a form of “prayer” or “praise” to God, and that this “prayer” is the same as worship. Therefore (for these Christians) any form of “prayer” can be equated to “worship.” From their theological perspective, when Catholics pray to saints, we are really worshiping saints, since the two are equal in their eyes.

Catholics believe that worship is due only to God - and Protestants agree - but Catholics believe that worship includes real sacrifice. We believe in the Sacrifice of the Mass and we believe in “offering up” our little sacrifices in our own lives as a form of worship to God. No Catholic would ever offer sacrifices to saints. We pray to (or more properly WITH) the saints, but this is not worship since it does not include sacrifice.

If Protestants shared this concept of sacrifice and worship (especially in the context of the Mass) there would be fewer misunderstandings between us in the area of the communion of saints and the supposed “worshiping” of idols. Unfortunately, as with other theological concepts, we understand the terminology differently.

Thomas

Protestants teach that we are to sacrifice our entire lives to God. That is all we have. There is sacrifice. Della mentioned that in her excellent comments on the subject too.

When talking to Protestants, you you think it’s wise to assume we are using the same definition of Worship as Catholics do?
I ask becaouse so often everyone seems to assuem they are using words the same as the people they speak to, yet they are not the same.

 

[Rocky]

Protestants teach that we are to sacrifice our entire lives to God. That is all we have. There is sacrifice. Della mentioned that in her excellent comments on the subject too.

When talking to Protestants, you you think it’s wise to assume we are using the same definition of Worship as Catholics do?
I ask becaouse so often everyone seems to assuem they are using words the same as the people they speak to, yet they are not the same.

In the Liturgy of the Mass there is a part (Offertory) where the bread and wine that will be consecrated by the priest is brought to the altar. Catholic children are taught that when this bread and wine is brought, it is a time to bring to the altar our sacrifices (quietly in our minds). When the water is mingled with the wine right before the consecration is another time when we remember not only that Christ side issued forth blood and water at the crucifixion, but also that we have been made a part of Christ and His passion through our baptism.

Does non-Catholic worship include anything like this?

 

[2ndGen]

A big ship used to shoot missles into the oppositions lands.

Oh, you said "Wor"ship?

Nevermind.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Protestants teach that we are to sacrifice our entire lives to God. That is all we have. There is sacrifice. Della mentioned that in her excellent comments on the subject too.

When talking to Protestants, you you think it’s wise to assume we are using the same definition of Worship as Catholics do?
I ask becaouse so often everyone seems to assuem they are using words the same as the people they speak to, yet they are not the same.

I’ve been to Methodist, Presbyterian, and a few other denomination worship services as well as a Jewish service. I felt that the Jewish service was closer to what Catholics would consider worship and I felt very at home there. In worship I want to humble myself before the majesty of God and experience that I belong to Him.

 

[Rbt_Southwell]

Good point, Claire.

I agree wholesouledly.

Our faith as Christians, in His Church, known as the CATHOLIC Church (and I in its Latin Rite), are the fulfillment of Jewish tradition and its gifts.

There are myriad similarities in praise of God and and order of readings and prayers.

Robert