For those that worship. . . .why?

[_SPG]

Not sure why I am curious about this.

I love God, I hold some things sacred.

But. . . ., I've never considered myself a "worshiper." A seeker, yes.

I believe, if you hold some things as sacred, holy, better, that you tend to move in the direction. But, I pray on my feet, mostly. If life humbles me, I kneel, not because I worship, but because I am humbled.

If in a public place, I follow tradition, mostly in respect of those I am around. I will bow my head for pray, if taking the time to pray "over" something. But mostly, I've lost the ability to really do rituals on a regular basis.

Anyway, I've noted that a portion of 'shifting Mormons" seek other places to "worship." I'm curious, coming from the background that you do, why?

[_AmyJo]

In Judaism it's forbidden to kneel to pray, because it's considered a pagan practice. Jewish men and women bow to no one but for almighty God. In prayer it's perfectly acceptable to pray standing up, sitting down, lying down, etc. Just.not.kneeling.

I found that ironic after growing up LDS where we were taught to kneel to pray.

Jewish custom is to pray following a meal, not before, to bless the food. That's just how it's done.

As for worhip, not sure why it's important other than to glorify our Creator who gave us life.

I heard it said if the only reason we existed was to glorify our Creator, that would be enough.

[_Maksutov]

In Judaism it's forbidden to kneel to pray, because it's considered a pagan practice. Jewish men and women bow to no one but for almighty God. In prayer it's perfectly acceptable to pray standing up, sitting down, lying down, etc. Just.not.kneeling.

I found that ironic after growing up LDS where we were taught to kneel to pray.

Jewish custom is to pray following a meal, not before, to bless the food. That's just how it's done.

As for worhip, not sure why it's important other than to glorify our Creator who gave us life.

I heard it said if the only reason we existed was to glorify our Creator, that would be enough.

AmyJo, you might find this group of interest. I've driven through their place a couple of times. They started as a Mormon dissident group, then began developing their own theology and ways that have reincorporated some Jewish concepts and practices. They remind me of Mennonites and Hutterites in their appearance but are more observant of Jewish cultural elements.

http://www.messianicisrael.com/m/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EskDale,_Utah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Aaron

Here's a bit on a Jewish settlement experiment in Utah:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarion,_Utah

[_SPG]

In Judaism it's forbidden to kneel to pray, because it's considered a pagan practice. Jewish men and women bow to no one but for almighty God. In prayer it's perfectly acceptable to pray standing up, sitting down, lying down, etc. Just.not.kneeling.

I found that ironic after growing up LDS where we were taught to kneel to pray.

Jewish custom is to pray following a meal, not before, to bless the food. That's just how it's done.

As for worhip, not sure why it's important other than to glorify our Creator who gave us life.

I heard it said if the only reason we existed was to glorify our Creator, that would be enough.

I enjoy the Jewish perspective. Sometimes I think I have stumbled onto a new thought, only to learn Jews were discussing it in 500BC.

[_Maksutov]

In Judaism it's forbidden to kneel to pray, because it's considered a pagan practice. Jewish men and women bow to no one but for almighty God. In prayer it's perfectly acceptable to pray standing up, sitting down, lying down, etc. Just.not.kneeling.

I found that ironic after growing up LDS where we were taught to kneel to pray.

Jewish custom is to pray following a meal, not before, to bless the food. That's just how it's done.

As for worhip, not sure why it's important other than to glorify our Creator who gave us life.

I heard it said if the only reason we existed was to glorify our Creator, that would be enough.

I enjoy the Jewish perspective. Sometimes I think I have stumbled onto a new thought, only to learn Jews were discussing it in 500BC.

A few years back I got to tour through the Chabad center in SLC. It was an interesting experience.

[_AmyJo]

In Judaism it's forbidden to kneel to pray, because it's considered a pagan practice. Jewish men and women bow to no one but for almighty God. In prayer it's perfectly acceptable to pray standing up, sitting down, lying down, etc. Just.not.kneeling.

I found that ironic after growing up LDS where we were taught to kneel to pray.

Jewish custom is to pray following a meal, not before, to bless the food. That's just how it's done.

As for worhip, not sure why it's important other than to glorify our Creator who gave us life.

I heard it said if the only reason we existed was to glorify our Creator, that would be enough.

AmyJo, you might find this group of interest. I've driven through their place a couple of times. They started as a Mormon dissident group, then began developing their own theology and ways that have reincorporated some Jewish concepts and practices. They remind me of Mennonites and Hutterites in their appearance but are more observant of Jewish cultural elements.

http://www.messianicisrael.com/m/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EskDale,_Utah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Aaron

Here's a bit on a Jewish settlement experiment in Utah:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarion,_Utah

Thanks for sharing those links. They look really interesting. The Clarion settlement especially. My Jewish forebears had settled in the Salt Lake City area around the same time as the Clarion was getting started. They're buried in the SLC old Jewish cemetery (great & gg grandmothers.) My grand uncle should be buried there with them, but he is not. I couldn't locate his grave when visiting there in May. They moved to SLC around 1912 or 1913 - Salt Lake City was advertising in the mid-west for Jews to move there to in pursuit of opportunities.

I feel they were exploited in going, but no more than other places luring settlers perhaps. My great grandmother died in SLC at age 34 from blood poisoning. A Jewish history buff who was analyzing my family tree suggested the blood poisoning well came from the dyes in the fabrics people wore during that era. The chemicals in the clothing seeped into the skin and it was a common cause of death when she died in 1918. If only hindsight had been 20/20 vision. My grandmother might not have grown up an orphan.

The House of Aaron sounds like a peculiar cult. I know the Messianic Alliance may well be. I attended one of their synagogues where I live from 2006-2011, and had a really bad experience there with the rabbi after my daughter went borderline on me. It was so revealing how utterly unsupportive the synagogue was and outright clannish, is when I noticed how much like a cult it is ran. He was the president of the National Messianic Alliance for America while I was attending there, so represented the entire global alliance basically.

He and his wife run their synagogue with a iron fist. His right hand man is a CPA and assistant "rabbi" who helps manage the books. That would be fine except there was no tolerance for dissent or debate. In a truly Jewish community, debate is the norm. I may not be very comfortable with that having grown up a Mormon, but at least it isn't "Group Think," where everyone must think alike in order to get along.

[Guest]

If in a public place, I follow tradition, mostly in respect of those I am around. I will bow my head for pray, if taking the time to pray "over" something. But mostly, I've lost the ability to really do rituals on a regular basis.

Anyway, I've noted that a portion of 'shifting Mormons" seek other places to "worship." I'm curious, coming from the background that you do, why?

I don't worship nor do I consider myself to be a Christian or theist, but I have a morbid curiosity to learn and experience other faith traditions. I enjoy attending mass and visiting cathedrals. Our family does Seder and attends the local Easter Sunrise service, and this year for Christmas we are attending and participating in Winter Solstice with a bunch of my daughters college pagan friends.

ETA. They assure me there will be no nude dancing or orgies.

[_Maksutov]

If in a public place, I follow tradition, mostly in respect of those I am around. I will bow my head for pray, if taking the time to pray "over" something. But mostly, I've lost the ability to really do rituals on a regular basis.

Anyway, I've noted that a portion of 'shifting Mormons" seek other places to "worship." I'm curious, coming from the background that you do, why?

I don't worship not do I consider myself to be a Christian or theist, but I have a morbid curiosity to learn and experience other faith traditions. I enjoy attending mass and visiting cathedrals. Our family does Seder and attends the local Easter Sunrise service, and this year for Christmas we are attending and participating in Winter Solstice with a bunch of my daughters college pagan friends.

ETA. They assure me there will be no nude dancing or orgies.

That's interesting. My parents were never religious but my current in-laws are ultraconservative Catholics. I'm often rifling through their book shelves. I've always enjoyed reading stuff like the Lives of the Saints and the skeptical literature as well. I'm impressed by the body of material the RCC has organized into the Catechism and the RCIA program to teach it. Their parish is struggling, though. Aging Italians and Irish whose new priests are increasingly from Ghana or India. In their part of the country they're in a cold war with some aggressive Jewish groups. Has a downright medieval flavor to it at times.

I look at religions mostly from the POV of an anthropologist or a Martian.

[_AmyJo]

In Judaism it's forbidden to kneel to pray, because it's considered a pagan practice. Jewish men and women bow to no one but for almighty God. In prayer it's perfectly acceptable to pray standing up, sitting down, lying down, etc. Just.not.kneeling.

I found that ironic after growing up LDS where we were taught to kneel to pray.

Jewish custom is to pray following a meal, not before, to bless the food. That's just how it's done.

As for worhip, not sure why it's important other than to glorify our Creator who gave us life.

I heard it said if the only reason we existed was to glorify our Creator, that would be enough.

I enjoy the Jewish perspective. Sometimes I think I have stumbled onto a new thought, only to learn Jews were discussing it in 500BC.

Everything old is new again? There is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes.)

[_Amore]

SPG,
I don't really do regular rituals besides praying. I love nature - I feel more spiritual surrounded by it. I don't worship it but I honor the spirit there.

One divination tool I picked up (besides bibliomancy but with any good book) is runes - not as prediction, but only if I want to consider things from new angles. Once you mentioned, you've explored Reiki and things like that, right?