Friends Worship

Another writing from some time in the past. I am not sure I would use some of the same words now, or rather I would probably add some "qualifications" or explanations of some of the words, for example "his," "Redeemer," "creator". As one who continues to seek more openings, deeper understandings, and ever more "wisdom," I have found it hard to resist interminable editings, revisions, updatings, expansions, explanations, etc. However, at several times in the past I have tried to work hard at being more concise. I even tried using a very unorthodox form of Haiku. One of which is:

Writing is a form
Of capturing one's ideas
In a frozen trap

"The worship of God is not a form but an acting out of his will in relationship through justice and kindly love with people, our family, our neighbor, and all the people of the world. What Friends speak and believe they must do. The apex of the religious life and worship experience is found in the very Presence of God, felt and known without any intermediary, immanent, and known as Loving Redeemer and Creator sharing not mechanically in social order, but personally. The prophets declared that to know and worship God one is to look within and to look around.

It is not so much that we are against ceremony or rituals but that the real demands of God on humans are moral and spiritual and the proper worship of God is a life obedient to those demands. As beautiful and simple as it may sound, "to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God," is far from a comfortable religion. Every prophetic spirit in every age will testify to the cost and continuous struggle in reaching for justice, mercy, and humility."