Thursday, April 19, 2012

Worship

In Islam it is believed that through intention (niyyah) every act may become an act of worship. And that without pure intention, no act, however exalted or ‘holy’ can qualify as worship.

To me, when our intention is based in Love*, we worship with every breath.

Real love in our hearts sensitises us to those around us.

Love is a living thing, a giving thing. It is not something that resides quietly in the corner of our hearts.

Love is creative by nature. It leads to actions.

Love leads us to take risks with our heart; it leads us to face our personal fears in order to give a gift we value more.

Put simply, love leads us to serve. Whether it is to feed the hungry one beside us on the bus from our own lunch bag, or to lead a revolution against poverty globally, love ignites passion and creativity in us and causes us to want to share what we have in ways that will benefit more than just ourselves.

It seems I have heard so often that love takes sacrifice. Yet the beautiful truth I perceive is that when love truly lives in our hearts, we do not feel sacrifice in our service. We only willingly embrace an opportunity give a gift of love. The love in our intentions gives us sustenance and joy.

When we act in true service, we also worship.

****

Where there is love and faith, we hold the knowledge that God is Love and that we serve Him even as we serve another. 

I may worship Him, not just by loving Him and receiving His Love for myself, but by honouring His Love for all things and persons.

What a dream, to let Gods Love permeate my life to such an extent that I could honour Him, and serve others, in every breath and act.

Intention and longing must be my first steps to achieve this goal.

In this I know my need for God. If I am to love all things just as He does, I need Him to teach me love.

I am meek in my need.

Yet how beautiful that my desire to love would lead me to find worship and my desire for worship leads me again to my need to learn love.


God, help me to know the true nature of love, in its creativity, its vigour and hope.

Let me have a humble heart so that love may lead me thoughtlessly and joyfully to serve my brothers and sisters.

I pray for the development of my soul so that you may receive my worship, even through the routine acts of my day-to-day life.

* A Love in harmony with Divine Love

4 comments:

  1. What a beautiful prayer! Reading your entry today Mary exposes much within me. I grieve my fear riddled heart. I grieve how often I have felt 'love' as static/intellectual not living, how often I have chosen against love, how often I have not taken action (and still don't).

    I reflect upon my intentions. I often convinced myself they were 'honorable' or unimportant, I am learning differently and learning about myself through this process.

    I thank you for writing these entries! I pray for humility to open my heart and be real and feel what ever it is that blocks me from knowing such love, feeling God's Love, and taking loving actions each moment.

    I borrow your prayer.

    With Thanks

    Eloisa

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  2. Mary

    I wanted to share this with you. For me it speaks of reckless abandonment, humility, service and true worship I can only aspire to.

    http://www.godvine.com/Homeless-Man-Joins-a-Musician-for-a-Moving-Performance-653.html

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    Replies
    1. Hi Amanda,

      I just watched the video.. so beautiful. I wanna be that brave and true that my heart for God bounds out of me unbidden to share with others praising Him..

      Thank-you for sharing

      Mary xo

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    2. Thank you Mary...I think you're doing that already....in your own way

      My favourite parts

      One God One Father One Creator

      Clap your tiny hands for Joy (wow)

      Oh Jah remember me, while I go down on my knees to pray
      I give thanks and praise every day.

      Hallelujah is the Highest Praise

      1,2,3,4,5,6,7,....and I'm on my way to heaven.

      What a lesson in humility ...the guy with the guitar, Carlos goes with an attitude to give something, Danny responds and gives something very beautiful and totally unexpected to him, to God and us.What a contrast to formalised empty worship.

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