Worship is……?

Res_1117015444__william_temple Both for perplexity and for dulled conscience the remedy is the same, sincere and spiritual worship.

For worship is the submission of all our nature to God.

It is the quickening of the conscience by his holiness,  the nourishment of mind with his truth, the purifying of imagination by his beauty, the opening of the heart to his love, the surrender of the will to his purpose; and all of this, gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable….

William Temple,

Archbishop of Canterbury, 1942-44.

Bono1206

Anyway I stopped going to churches

and got myself into a different kind of religion. That’s what being in a rock and roll band is, not pseudo religion either…

Music is worship.

Whether it’s worship of women or their designer, the world or its destroyer, whether it comes from that ancient place we call the soul or simply the spinal cortex, whether the prayers are on fire with a dumb rage or dove-like desire….the smoke goes upwards…to God, or something you replace God with…

usually yourself.

Bono (Paul Hewson), U2

Comments

8 responses to “Worship is……?”

  1. Stuart Blythe avatar

    U been in my class…I had forgotten about that quote from Bono – we have been wrestling with the question – after watching last week, U2 end a concert by singing the anthemic ‘YHWH’ and ’40’ (from Psalm 40)and hanging a crucifix on the microphone stand, whether, they are the best worship band in the world!
    Last week we also looked at that quote from Temple!

  2. Stuart Blythe avatar

    U been in my class…I had forgotten about that quote from Bono – we have been wrestling with the question – after watching last week, U2 end a concert by singing the anthemic ‘YHWH’ and ’40’ (from Psalm 40)and hanging a crucifix on the microphone stand, whether, they are the best worship band in the world!
    Last week we also looked at that quote from Temple!

  3. jim gordon avatar

    The definition from Temple is a prose poem of condensed theology. It comes from his Readings in John’s Gospel in his exposition of the conversation Jesus had with the woman of Samaria. This volume by Temple is studded with such passages of lucid spiritual theology. The book’s a neglected treasure.

  4. jim gordon avatar

    The definition from Temple is a prose poem of condensed theology. It comes from his Readings in John’s Gospel in his exposition of the conversation Jesus had with the woman of Samaria. This volume by Temple is studded with such passages of lucid spiritual theology. The book’s a neglected treasure.

  5. Margaret Sutherland avatar
    Margaret Sutherland

    Once I found out what YHWH meant ( יהוה‎) and what condensed theology might be (Condensed Theology is a simplified treatment of systematic theology aimed at all believers) I think I might just be beginning to follow this discussion……and I thought the title of the post was straight forward…….

  6. Margaret Sutherland avatar
    Margaret Sutherland

    Once I found out what YHWH meant ( יהוה‎) and what condensed theology might be (Condensed Theology is a simplified treatment of systematic theology aimed at all believers) I think I might just be beginning to follow this discussion……and I thought the title of the post was straight forward…….

  7. jim gordon avatar

    Oh, that’s what YHWH means!Condensed aint necessarily simple – could mean concentrated as in Campbell’s soup, or sweet as in Fussell’s milk – but all I meant was temple’s definition packs multum in parvo!

  8. jim gordon avatar

    Oh, that’s what YHWH means!Condensed aint necessarily simple – could mean concentrated as in Campbell’s soup, or sweet as in Fussell’s milk – but all I meant was temple’s definition packs multum in parvo!

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