By Dr.Y’Shua YISRAEL
The word “worship “is associated principally with ecclesiastical orders. However, in the general public, there is no singular definition for the word worship. Consequently, the concept of worship is ambiguous, and at best, confusing. Confronted with this enigma, the author has considered worship from a universal perspective and concluded that in order to optimize the evolutionary momentum inherent in worship, society needs greater specificity regarding the concept. Going forward into the 21st century, an enlightened perspective will obviate the inordinate slow pace of our collective spirituality, thwarting the risk of spiritual stagnation.
American society has reached the precipice of materialism, and the consequences have become deleterious for the masses. In my view, spiritual emptiness accounts, in part, for the litany of mass shootings that are occurring. During the first quarter of this new millennium, we have witnessed the unraveling of traditional orthodox spiritual practices. The reputation of the Church is maligned. The Pope has recently made public apologies for the ubiquitous practices of child abuse imposed on the indigenous children of color; Native Americans. In my view, there is a contemporary mandate for spiritual autonomy. My vision encompasses a restructuring of education to include periods of Self Reflection. Each student will be taught how to engage the structure and fundamentals of worship.
The curriculum addresses: (1) What are the subjective and objective parameters of worship? (2) What is a working definition of worship and what is its structure? (3) What is the indication that the goal of worship is achieved? Worship is a formal performance of an action directed to the transcendental Being, which yields purification and elevation of consciousness in the worshipper. The formality involves both the objective ritual of prayer, offerings, and physical gestures.
The subjective aspect is the inner experience of the mind as it settles into the deeper, previously unfathomable regions of the subconscious. Both the subjective and objective are essential for culturing the nervous system to maintain the consciousness of the worshiped outside of worship; when the mind is involved in secular, mundane activities. The goal of worship is the absolute union with the object of worship. Worship involves “devotion;” which is love and loyalty to a cause.
Devotion is the essential bond that links the devotee to God during worship. Devotion engenders feelings of service, reverence, and love. The formality of worship is a pleasure that fulfills the worshipper’s heart and eventually his entire being with adoration, which gives meaning and spiritual purpose. The second component of worship is, “Dedication,” the degree and quality of commitment towards an endeavor, the word dedication is best exemplified by the Latin phrase, “Semper Fidelis”, which means always faithful, always loyal, and resolutely focused. The third component of worship is, “Dependance” which may be defined as a state of relying on someone, being controlled by someone. The final component is Surrender.
Surrender is the total abandonment of oneself emotionally to someone else. Without these four components, worship is a vacuous endeavor; a tree that bears no fruit. These four components are the essential infrastructure of sacred worship. Worship is not the end, but a means to fulfillment in unity consciousness. Unity is the aim of worship, for in unity consciousness individuality is lost in eternal bliss and liberation. Having considered these four components, it is plausible to conclude that worship involves the mind and the heart. The mind is needed for intellectual reasoning which is the precursor of faith, and secondly, the heart can only be satisfied by a direct experience. Complete knowledge requires both, the mind and heart. During worship, the mind uses a tool, the “Mantra.” The mantra is the medium by which the mind experiences its own nature. The mantra can be the name of God. Mental repetition of the name of God introduces “vertical thinking.”
Ordinarily, the mind is engaged in horizontal thinking, that is, one thought image follows another which follows another without ceasing. Vertical thinking however, uses the natural resources of the mind to refine levels of perception of the mental medium. Doing vertical thinking, as the mental medium is refined, the nervous system settles down, stress is released, and neurophysiology is renewed. With continued mental repetition and refinement of the subtle perception of the mantra, the mind arrives at the source of thought and slips innocently beyond relativity into the pure field of consciousness; the divine intelligence. During this state of self-submersion of the mind into the source of existence, it is filled with divine intelligence; the source of everything in creation. After worship, the mind regains individuality. Coming out of divinity it has been infused with the divinity and purity of God.
The nervous system is refreshed, stress has been released, and intimacy with life has been intensified. This is worship! In the life of the worshiper, daily worship structures the nervous system to maintain the perception of pure consciousness; the source of everything in creation. The word, God, is not anthropomorphic, rather it is an acronym for, generator, organizer, and dispenser. During the initial stage of worship, following worship, the light that was gained doing worship eventually is overshadowed in the activity of the world. However, with the repeated practices of taking the mine into the pure field of divinity, inside the kingdom of heaven, the mind becomes saturated with divinity; it becomes aligned with the organizing intelligence which orchestrates evolution.
Consequently, all thought, and action becomes right actions that are in harmony with divine law. Once this level of development has been achieved, individual life becomes divine life set- apart. The divine being is worshiped through the most natural way of living, based on God’s consciousness; when every word is a prayer and every action is an offering to GOD. Worship becomes the means of living perpetually in the sanctuary of God.
Dr. Yisrael teaches an introductory Hebrew course as well as Self Reflection. Interested parties should contact baba Yshua @gmail.com