The Best Way To Worship
Photo by Nayaswami Jyotish (View more art by Nayaswami Jyotish)
Mercy Entails Empathy
Reading and Affirmation for May
From the book The Beatitudes: Their Inner Meaning by Swami Kriyananda
Rays of One Light: Weekly Commentaries on the Bible and The Bhagavad Gita
The Best Way To Worship
The following commentary is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.
In Chapter 4 of the Gospel of St. John, the woman of Samaria asks Jesus, Where is the best place to worship? This question might be expanded to include: What is the best church? What is the best religion? Is it important to go on pilgrimage to holy shrines? What is the best ritual? What is the best mantra or prayer?
Jesus cut across all such questioning with his reply:
The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
It was not that outer considerations of place, church, ritual, etc., are irrelevant. Each person should find those practices and observances which are compatible with his own nature – one might say, with his own vibrations. Not everyone’s natural path is the same. God sent different religions into the world to satisfy different human needs.
The overarching concern, however, considering that the goal is to find God, is to include in one’s worship daily, inner communion with the Lord. God is Silence: He must be sought, therefore, in inner silence. God is Absolute Love: He must be sought, therefore, in the silence of love. God is Spirit, and thus immaterial: He must be sought, above all, in the expanding peace of deep meditation.
Thus, the Bhagavad Gita states in the sixth Chapter:
Sequestered should he sit,
Steadfastly meditating, solitary,
His thoughts controlled, his passions laid away,
From every craving for possession freed.
Wherever you are, whatever your outward beliefs and observances, seek God in the silence of your own soul.
Thus, through holy Scripture, God has spoken to mankind.
Whispers From Eternity
45. Come into the Garden of my Dreams
In the garden of my dreams grew many dream-blossoms. All the rarest flowers of my fancy bloomed there. Unopened buds of earthly hopes audaciously opened their petals to the fulfillment they anticipated, warmed by the light of my dreams. In that dim glow I spied the specters of beloved, long-forgotten faces, ghosts of dear, dead feelings long buried in the soil of my mind, rising, all of them, in shining robes. I beheld all my past experiences resurrected by the trumpet-call of my dream-thoughts.
O King of all my dreams and of countless worlds in Thy garden of dream-galaxies! Let me be a tiny star twinkling by Thy side as a beloved dream in Thy chamber of cosmic dreams. Or, if I be not a star-bead strung on the garland of Thy dreams, then let me have the humblest place at the heart of all Thy dreams.
In the chamber of Thy heart shall I behold the making of all the noble dreams of life. O Master Weaver of Spells, teach me to make a many-hued carpet of them for all to walk upon who love Thy pattern of dreams, as they travel to the temple of eternity beyond all dreams. Let me join worshipping choirs of angels and, with them, offer on Thy altar of Infinity a bouquet of all shining dreams of Thee.
Paramhansa Yogananda
Inspiration from The Rays of the One Light
The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We will take this biblical verse by Jesus into our meditation together for deep reflection and contemplation. But firstly, we will listen to some beautiful music by Swami Kriyananda, “I Live Without Fear”
I Live Without Fear by Swami Kriyananda
Listen to the I Live Without Fear
Reflect, Meditate and Listen to Instrumental Music
Reflect
Meditate
Creativity
For today’s reflection, we focused on how we worship spirit as a form of creativity in the silence, and how this deeply devotional act opens up our hearts, allowing us to connect more with our true self, and brings us ever so present in the moment and closer to God. Today I was intuitively inspired to draw the image of Swami Kriyananda, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for him and his teachings.
I sincerely thank Swami Kriyananda for guiding me and us on our spiritual journey, for bringing us closer to God, and for helping us to develop and nurture our relationship with the divine.
May you find this prayer called “Thou Art Sacred Prayer of Worship” that came from the spirit of creativity and from drawing Swami Kriyananda helpful below.
Thou Art Sacred Prayer of Worship
Beloved One, The Holy Light of Spirit,
We humbly seek your guidance to help us discover our unique and true soul nature. So that we may worship you and only you.
And when we find our way, please help us to remember each and every day, the essence of our true soul nature and our divine purpose.
In Thou sacredness of prayer and meditation, may we always hold in our hearts the truth that God is spirit, God is love, God is silence, God is peace, and God is creativity.
We thank you for always reaching out your divine hand to help and guide us from above.
Aum, peace, amen.
Aum Peace Amen
Blessings & Love
Rev Dinah Pemberton