Do you worship and serve your God or Goddess?

[BlackMagicalCat]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

Do you worship her/him?

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

How much do you love him/her?

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

Thanks for the responses.

[Ishtara]

Yes, I definitely worship and serve my Gods, as opposed to "working with them", which is one of the reasons why I do not practice magic.

As a Kemetic, I feel that it is my duty and personal responsability to help the Names of Netjer uphold Ma'at (truth / justice / balance) and repel Isfet (chaos). Of course, as a human being my contribution is limited, but hopefully even my flawed attempts at upholding Ma'at help! :)

I feel a lot of love for and from Netjer, even if some Names of Netjer can sometimes practice tough love... I am sure it is for my own good ;)

[Snapdragon]

I'm glad you asked that question--or series of questions.

For me, they can be usefully distilled to the question of what it is to worship.

As a Wiccan, I understand the sacred to be immanent--which means in no sense "elsewhere." What is real, true, deep, and powerful, is present--now. Beyond that, the Wiccan perspective is that what is present can be "worked with" to understand and influence the sacred. Some might call this prayer, or its analogue.

So, with that said, what is worship? It is feeling-with-attitude (not "attitude"), specifically the feeling that goes with the atittude that what presents itself is both real and not all that is present. There is always more than is obvious, apparent. Thus, to worship is to appeal to, approach, the gods as a Mystery.

We do rituals, make times and places and spaces to "formally" address this. The greater part of worship does not take place in this formal way, though, but in life lived in all the mundane ways and moments that form our lives. So, I take your question and apply it to the place that matters, which is where you and I live--our shared world. What is it, in the world, to worship the sacred?

I said that it was feeling-with-attitude. The feeling is one of awe in the face of Power, the mystery of Being, the awareness of intention beyond my grasp, of my mortality and existence that transcends my life. The attitude is one of openness tinged by guardedness, as well: in the face of 100,000 volts, it is hard to be relaxed! (That's meant as analogy.)

Worship and service are simply different moments of the same thing. Realizing the world is being destroyed by greed and indifference, I have a pretty good idea that some noise and some action is needed. This both comes from and expresses my devotion to Her. The world is Her body, and it is being ravaged. When you feel love for someone, you don't just stand around and go "ho hum" while they are being hurt.

Of course, the gods need us like a hole in the head, so it makes sense to do something out of self-interest, too--we won't be allowed to destroy the planet, because if we are too destructive, we will start being "harvested" by angry deities. So, worship has an element of awe, as I mentioned. You tick off the gods only so far, and then the pandemics, tsunamis, and die-offs begin. We are indeed going to reap what we sow. The icecaps are melting.

So what is worship? If it means anything at all, it is to save this world, heal the hurt, and with real humility, acknowledge how badly we have screwed things up.

That's my understanding. Blessed Be.

[BlackMagicalCat]

I'm glad you asked that question--or series of questions.

For me, they can be usefully distilled to the question of what it is to worship.

As a Wiccan, I understand the sacred to be immanent--which means in no sense "elsewhere." What is real, true, deep, and powerful, is present--now. Beyond that, the Wiccan perspective is that what is present can be "worked with" to understand and influence the sacred. Some might call this prayer, or its analogue.

So, with that said, what is worship? It is feeling-with-attitude (not "attitude"), specifically the feeling that goes with the atittude that what presents itself is both real and not all that is present. There is always more than is obvious, apparent. Thus, to worship is to appeal to, approach, the gods as a Mystery.

We do rituals, make times and places and spaces to "formally" address this. The greater part of worship does not take place in this formal way, though, but in life lived in all the mundane ways and moments that form our lives. So, I take your question and apply it to the place that matters, which is where you and I live--our shared world. What is it, in the world, to worship the sacred?

I said that it was feeling-with-attitude. The feeling is one of awe in the face of Power, the mystery of Being, the awareness of intention beyond my grasp, of my mortality and existence that transcends my life. The attitude is one of openness tinged by guardedness, as well: in the face of 100,000 volts, it is hard to be relaxed! (That's meant as analogy.)

Worship and service are simply different moments of the same thing. Realizing the world is being destroyed by greed and indifference, I have a pretty good idea that some noise and some action is needed. This both comes from and expresses my devotion to Her. The world is Her body, and it is being ravaged. When you feel love for someone, you don't just stand around and go "ho hum" while they are being hurt.

Of course, the gods need us like a hole in the head, so it makes sense to do something out of self-interest, too--we won't be allowed to destroy the planet, because if we are too destructive, we will start being "harvested" by angry deities. So, worship has an element of awe, as I mentioned. You tick off the gods only so far, and then the pandemics, tsunamis, and die-offs begin. We are indeed going to reap what we sow. The icecaps are melting.

So what is worship? If it means anything at all, it is to save this world, heal the hurt, and with real humility, acknowledge how badly we have screwed things up.

That's my understanding. Blessed Be.
Wow,thanks.I talked to someone who is pagan,who didnt feel a need to worship anyone.And actually didnt believe in God/Goddess in a personal way I guess,if I understood him correctly.

I have seen wiccan songs that do call for worship to the Lord and the Lady,and addresses them as creator.

Thanks

[BlackMagicalCat]

Yes, I definitely worship and serve my Gods, as opposed to "working with them", which is one of the reasons why I do not practice magic.

As a Kemetic, I feel that it is my duty and personal responsability to help the Names of Netjer uphold Ma'at (truth / justice / balance) and repel Isfet (chaos). Of course, as a human being my contribution is limited, but hopefully even my flawed attempts at upholding Ma'at help! :)

I feel a lot of love for and from Netjer, even if some Names of Netjer can sometimes practice tough love... I am sure it is for my own good ;)

Thanks,how insightfull.Someone told me the Goddess didnt need servants,and wasnt looking for fanatics.

I feel like Im owned,and a servant also,I dont feel it is a bad thing to honor Goddess,as awsome.But some do say I have christianized my view of the Goddess,by treating her like christians treat God.

I love the way you are devoted too,and humble.And you are right,you are saying a lot of names I dont know,LOL

Thanks Ishtara

[Vincent Verthaine]

If the "gods and goddesses" create tsunami's,earthquakes,plagues,etc, because they are "pissed" maybe they need to go to anger managament classes.
I say,if a deity has something to say,stop with the mystic bullshit and comedown themselves and say it to the whole world.
Not through messingers,delivery boys,dreams,boring long obtuse Holy books,hallucinating mystics,money grubbing preachers,ego driven pagan priests,etc.
Just get on every channel on tv and radio and say what they got to say.

Unless there is absolute proof of their physical existance,all deities "named" owe their existance to humans.


Their is nothing wrong with giving thanks to the Sublime Oneness that Transends All Names",but worship,and servitude are personal choices (again,nothing wrong with that as long as you allow others to belive differently) that not everyone feels the need to make that choice.

One of the biggest problems that people who "serve" the "Deities",(NOTE-I AM NOT ACCUSING ANYONE HERE OF THIS) is the feelings of superiority to those who don't.
Another is the lack of personal resposibity of those who commit atrocities "because God told them to/In the name of God".

[OpenHands]

How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

I worship several and I expect to spend a very, very long time getting to understand them. I've only touched upon the tip of the iceberg. :)

Do you worship her/him?

Yes.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

I treat all of the gods as divine older relatives that command a great deal of respect. Ilu and Athirat- parents to the gods and humanity, are the ones I consider my divine parents/creators. I don't really think of the relationships so much as master/mistress - servant. More like parents/relatives asking or instructing a child to do something. Depends on how you look at it, I guess.

How much do you love him/her?

It's not a real mushy mommy and daddy love thing, but there is a type of love present.

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Absolutely.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

It's difficult to answer that. Yes for some, no for others. I worship them because I think they deserve nothing less as gods and because I am constantly in awe of them. Reciprocity of feelings isn't necessary.

[Athena-Nadine]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

I know Them as well as any mortal can know the gods--as well as my hugely limited understanding allows, which is probably not very well at all, really.

Do you worship her/him?

Yes.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

Yes.

How much do you love him/her?

As much as I am able. I also respect Them, revere Them, and occasionally fear Them--much as a child does her parents. That's not really it, but it's the easiest explanation of it.

Do you lift them up as dietys?

It is not for me to lift Them up or bring Them down or try to force Them into any mold or mortal concept. They are gods.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

At times.

Thanks for the responses.

Anytime. :)

[Brandon Bee]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?
I have many gods. I know a few, but it will be a while before I have an understanding of them all.

Do you worship her/him?
Yeah.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?
I feel like both. As a servant, I feel like I need to praise, honor and worship them. As a child, I feel guided, protected, and punished by them.

How much do you love him/her?
I love them for who they are. Like OpenHands said, it isn't the mushy-gooey love, but a feeling of deep respect for them.

Do you lift them up as dieties?
Of course.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?
I suppose I am loved by some of my deities. I am sure there are deities that really could care less for me.

[OpenHands]

One of the biggest problems that people who "serve" the "Deities",(NOTE-I AM NOT ACCUSING ANYONE HERE OF THIS) is the feelings of superiority to those who don't.

I was actually discussing this subject with some people a short while back. There seems to be a sort of split in pagan religions between the worshippers and the non-worshippers (crappy labels, but hopefully you get what I mean).

My stance, as a worshipper of gods, is that people are free to interact with the gods however they wish and I respect that right. If a god doesn't appreciate being treated in a certain manner, they can make that clear. I may not agree, personally, with some of the ways that the gods are approached, but I'm also not some mortal defender for them. They can take care of themselves just fine.

I have no doubt some people take it beyond polite disagreement and act like assholes about the issue. That said, I tend to bristle when some non-worshippers do the same. Worshippers are sometimes disdainfully described as groveling on our knees, noses in the dirt. Or fawning like pathetic supplicants. Apparently they've never witnessed someone stand before their gods with their head held high, arms raised in a gesture of welcome and generosity. I have to wonder if some people are locked into very narrow ideas about what exactly worship can be.

The issue goes both ways, unfortunatley.

[Athena-Nadine]

One of the biggest problems that people who "serve" the "Deities",(NOTE-I AM NOT ACCUSING ANYONE HERE OF THIS) is the feelings of superiority to those who don't.

I was actually discussing this subject with some people a short while back. There seems to be a sort of split in pagan religions between the worshippers and the non-worshippers (crappy labels, but hopefully you get what I mean).

My stance, as a worshipper of gods, is that people are free to interact with the gods however they wish and I respect that right. If a god doesn't appreciate being treated in a certain manner, they can make that clear. I may not agree, personally, with some of the ways that the gods are approached, but I'm also not some mortal defender for them. They can take care of themselves just fine.

I have no doubt some people take it beyond polite disagreement and act like assholes about the issue. That said, I tend to bristle when some non-worshippers do the same. Worshippers are sometimes disdainfully described as groveling on our knees, noses in the dirt. Or fawning like pathetic supplicants. Apparently they've never witnessed someone stand before their gods with their head held high, arms raised in a gesture of welcome and generosity. I have to wonder if some people are locked into very narrow ideas about what exactly worship can be.

The issue goes both ways, unfortunatley.

Very well said! I have to say, there have been times when I have grovelled on my knees in supplication. There have also been times when I have stood tall, with my arms and hands raised to the sky, in joy and thanksgiving. I see nothing wrong with either. They all have their place and time.

[Snapdragon]

There is nothing wrong with being on your knees; some of the most worshipful feelings one can ever express are achieved in just that pose.

[Hawk Shadowsoul]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?


Which ones? Some better than others.

Do you worship her/him?


No.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?


It is a working partnership or no deal.


How much do you love him/her?


What am I? A puppy?


Do you lift them up as dietys?



No.


Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?


LMFAO.


Thanks for the responses.
You're welcome.

[Philosophia]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

As well as I need to. I'm constantly amazed at the different sides I find as I follow this path.

Do you worship her/him?

Yes.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

Not a servant, but a child.

How much do you love him/her?

They saved my life. I love them as I would love a teacher, parent, and a guide.

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Yes

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

Yes, I do.

[OpenHands]

There is nothing wrong with being on your knees; some of the most worshipful feelings one can ever express are achieved in just that pose.

I tend to kneel at my altar when I pray and perform parts of ritual so I agree that it can have powerful meaning for many. I don't agree with the view that worship can only mean falling on one's face in a groveling manner. My apologies for not expressing that clearly enough.

[OpenHands]

Very well said! I have to say, there have been times when I have grovelled on my knees in supplication. There have also been times when I have stood tall, with my arms and hands raised to the sky, in joy and thanksgiving. I see nothing wrong with either. They all have their place and time.

I didn't express myself clearly enough, sorry. I was trying to describe the narrow view some take of worship. If someone finds it appropriate to take a more submissive (if that's the best word) attitude and posture at times, no problems here.

[Theres]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

Do you worship her/him?

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

How much do you love him/her?

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

Thanks for the responses.

yes.

[Mouse]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

I know the Goddess better than I know the God (he seems kinda like the strong-silent-type), but I'm still getting to know them both.

Do you worship her/him?
Yes, I worship them both.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?
I consider myself both their servant and child. A lot of people seem to think a life of service is a bad thing, but I could not be happier. I feel owned in a way, but not controled. I hope this makes sense.

How much do you love him/her?
Enough to dedicate my whole life to them. Enough to make them the center of my universe. Enough to stand and defend their other children when needed... But how does one mesure love?
I love them more than any other.

Do you lift them up as dietys?
I'm not sure I fully understand this question, but yes I lift them up with prasie and honor them, and i hold them above all other entities, if that's what you mean.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?
Yes, but more than that. I feel protected also. I feel that they have high expectations of me, and that often they tip the scales in my favour.

[BlackMagicalCat]

Wow,how insightfull,Thankyou kindly.

[elfmage]

How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

I'm still getting to know them in a lot of ways. Given that they are infinite, more or less, and I've been truly familiar with them for a grand total of about 2 years (I just practiced witchcraft prior to that), I know that I have a lot more to learn about them.

Do you worship her/him?

Most definitely and unashamedly. I pray and make offerings, and have created a shrine. I see no shame in worshipping my God and Goddess quite wholeheartedly.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

Both. I am their servant in that I worship them, and try to behave in a manner that honours them on Earth. At the same time, I am their child in a spiritual sense, and a teachin/mentoring sense.

How much do you love him/her?

I don't know how much it is love, and how much it is complete respect. To me, they are Gods, and I cannot really love them in the same anthropomorphic sense as say a friend, lover, or even family member.

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Of course! I am a hard polytheist, although I follow my pantheon specifically, and I believe that the Gods are precisely that; I personally do not subscribe to the idea that they are just thought-forms, or archetypes, etc.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

Again, I don't think it can happen in the same anthropomorphic sense that most people associate with "being loved by someone." To me, they take interest and pride in my, and care for me, but I don't know if you could truly call it love.

[Gede]

Khaire,

Do you worship her/him?
I'm not sure I like the word 'worship'...I much prefer the term 'revere' or 'honour'. It works for me.

Do you consider yourself their servant or child?
The son of the Goddess Persephone, yes...

How much do you love him/her?
A hell of a lot.

Do you lift them up as deities?
Indeed I do.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?
Yes, very much so.

Thanks for the responses.
Thank-you ;)

Namaste*

[BlackMagicalCat]

Thanks everyone,Im a bit mushy,and feel like a servant,and I feel owned too.

I dont know how or why I feel that way.

I also feel loved too.

I look around my life and see thigs happening that I didnt do,like Tabitha.
So,I feel an unseen hand moving in my life,guiding me,and teaching me,and helping me,and blessing me.

And I honor and worship God,and Goddess,as diety.I have no deisre to lift up my voice against them,seeing I am a mortal,and lacking in both vision and knowledge,,who Am I anyway,and what do I know.

Thanks for the responses.

[Kalika]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

I suppose I know Kali as well as anyone can truly know a Goddess. She is ever changing and evolving, which keeps me on my toes. :)

Do you worship her/him?

Yes, though my definition and idea of worship may be different than yours.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

Her child.

How much do you love him/her?

Very much. Her guidance and influence has helped me become who I am today.

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Er... meaning place them on a pedestal? Not really.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

Yes.

[Little Billy]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

Do you worship her/him?

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?




Hell, no. I wouldn't even have a beer with him.

[Malcolm]

Hell, no. I wouldn't even have a beer with him.

You don't drink anyway.

[Kalika]

You don't drink anyway.

:lol:

So, technically... his answer could mean yes. ;)

[Malcolm]

So, technically... his answer could mean yes.

Could...I never can tell with those crazy bobites.

[SilentDreams]

My mother persephone and father eros don't talk to me with words or visions but they communicate to me through my "feelings". I can think on topics and feel what they want. She doesn't want me to feel as though I have to "serve" them. And I can tell she gets a good bit dissapointed(if not annoyed at times) when I get too worried about doing things wrong when praying to them or in ritual. She doesn't want me to beat myself up over worshipping them, she doesn't even want to be worshipped. She just would like me to learn from her guidance and love her as a mother. And mothers shouldn't be worshipped, they should be respected and treated with kindness and love. As for Eros, I don't get much from him. I don't worry to often about him and as I type this, I realize I don't think about him often enough. I would like to say what he has me "Feel" but I'm not sure if we're bonded enough. But what I do know is really when it comes to how I present myself he could care less about worshipping. So thats why I don't worship them. I treat them with respect and give them the love the deserve.

[Morr]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

Very well. They are my family.

Do you worship her/him?

Yes, I do.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

Yup. I consider myself their child, not a servant. There is a difference between those two terms. And they treat me as their child, not as their servant.

How much do you love him/her?

As much as a human can love Dieties. As much as I can comprehend them.

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Yes.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

Very much, yes. As I've said, they are like my family. They love me as part of their family and accept me as I am.

[Redshire]

How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

I know then well enough at the moment, but am perpetually learning more and more.

Do you worship her/him?

Yes.

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

both

How much do you love him/her?

with all my heart

Do you lift them up as dietys?

Lift them up...? I don't understand that question.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

indeed I do

[Yasmine Galenorn]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?

Do you worship her/him? Yes, I worship them. (I'm pledged to Mielikki and Tapio, and also devoted to the 'parent deities' of the pantheon: Ukko and Rauni).

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child? I am their servant--as in, I serve them as they will need me to, their Priestess, their daughter.

How much do you love him/her? Enough to bind my life and blood to them this life...I am bound by blood, by life, by soul, by heart, by love.

Do you lift them up as dietys? Yes, but I do not believe any deity is infinite/omnipotent. I believe all deities are finite beings and have limitations.

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess? Most certainly. I wouldn't have bound myself to gods who did not call me with love.

Thanks for the responses. De nada. I've been pledged to my gods since 1992, I've been in the Craft since 1980...this is my soul's journey this life.

Yasmine :colorful:

[TaysatWesir]

Do you worship her/him?

Yes

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?

Both

How much do you love him/her?

Alot

Do you lift them up as dietys?

What does that mean?

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?

Yes

[Incendia]

I was wondering,How well do you know the God or Goddess you serve?
Pretty well, enough where I feel that I can "talk/communicate" with Him daily. How often He listens to my daily banter is unknown, but when He wants to make His presence known, I know it!!! He's pretty "laid back", has a great sense of humor, and doesn't seem to be quick to anger...and I hope I never give him reason to be! :D

Do you worship her/him?
Yes

Do you consider yourself thier servant or child?
Hmmm, not sure. I'm leaning toward yes on the servant part. I am striving to honor him more frequently and in a timely manner.

How much do you love him/her?
I have great reverence and admiration for Him. He IS just amazing! I would like to develop a more "loving" relationship.

Do you lift them up as dietys?
Yes

Do you feel loved by your God/Goddess?
Not sure. I feel that He cares a lot for me but I don't know if He "loves" me...at least not yet. I'm hoping that I will know for sure someday.

Thanks for the responses.[/quote]
Aaaaay! No probemo! Thanks for the questions! :)

[Little Billy]

You don't drink anyway.


Yeah? Well...yeah.