Expressions of Overt and Inner Worship in Two Cultures
How do we worship God? People from different cultures have diverse ways that they express gratitude and celebrate GodÆs gifts. Worship may be obvious, as in a formal gathering at a meeting-house and may utilize overt symbols, chants, music and dance. Other forms of worship are not so visible but take place in the heart of the worshiper. Acts such as charity, hard work, artistry, and the simple appreciation of life may not strike an onlooker as necessarily being forms of worship. However, a personÆs state of mind and heart may create an experience of worship out of day-to-day experiences. The interplay between outward and inner worship exists in all cultures and can be examined in many specific examples, such as that of the Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur and the Navajo experience of traditional of weaving. Even these very specific examples exhibit both overt and internal aspects of the worship experience.
The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, called ôThe Day of Atonement,ö takes place just after the start of a new Jewish year and marks a reverent end to the religious experience of the previous year (ôYom Kippurö). In an overt expression of penitence, participants spend the day fasting and praying in atonement for sins committed in the previous year. Jews meet at temples, dressed in formal garb. The spiritual and song leaders, most often a rabbi and a cantor, lead the congregation in prayer, song, chanting, and storytelling. The songs and stories convey religious messages and morals (ôYom Kippurö). In participating in this group gathering, Jews bind themselves to the community and dedicate their attention to messages, relayed from their religious leaders, which help them feel closer to God. It is interesting to note that though these methods of paying homage to God are very regimented and obvious, the goal of these events is to incite worship on an internal level.
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