I’ve been thinking about worship lately.  In particular, I’ve thought about the difference between Quaker worship and the kind of worship you see in most churches.  You know the kind—people raising their hands while singing, that kind of stuff. For most of my life, I had two images in mind when thinking of worshipping God: the singing with uplifted hands image, and people laying with their faces to the ground in God’s presence.  And since I haven’t been sure what worship really is, I looked it up.  The dictionary defines worship as

“Homage or reverence paid to a deity.  Acts, rights of ceremonies of worship. Adoration or devotion.”

 I’m not sure I like what the dictionary says.  I know some would think differently, but I see God as more than a mere deity.  He’s someone I have a relationship with.  I think about him a lot, and consider what he would want me to do throughout the day.  I think of his desires in all of my interactions with the world around me.  And once a week I gather with my fellow Quakers and wait silently to hear what God has to say to us.This does not look like the worship that I always imagined, nor does it resemble what many encounter in churches.  But it’s real, and I think it’s what God had in mind when he made us to “worship” him.