10:52pm June 12, 2014

There is No Heirarchy of Worship

ginandjack:

I’m going to say it again, there is NO heirarchy of worship. I’m not saying that those who take on the roles of priest/ess, oracles, nympholepts and god-spouses, or ordeal makers/runners are all on equal footing with Joe Blow polytheist/pagan/whatever. I’m saying there’s nothing wrong with being Joe Blow. I’m saying that while those callings may be “deeper” or “harder” they are entirely individual, as your experiences will be as well. The relationship you have with your holy powers is determined by you and them alone. I’m sick of the attacks on lay worship. You have nothing to prove to me about your faith, nor I, you. The only thing that should matter is the sincerity of your worship.

Sincerity matters. We, all of us, are ready and happy to pay lip service to the gods, because waving their banners quiets the conscience for a bit. Talking about your love of the gods, your research, or joining in talk with others isn’t inherently worshipful, but it could be! I’m happy to pay service to the gods with my lips, but not lip service! I’d much rather hear about the holy powers from an enthusiastic flag bearer than bored parade marcher. To again quote the classical ext “many are the wand-bearers, few are the Bacchoi.”

And to drive the point home, some will be called to weild their flags as a battle standard. Some will bear their battles and sacrifices in silence, some will share, and some blaspheme. They have an arduous road ahead of them, and their calling is different from yours. But that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with being in flag corp. marching, and twirling! The gods are social and they likely want it all! Be sincere with and about the gods because there is no heirarchy of worship, only the relationships you make with them. Do not pay them lip service, service them with your lips!

Also, I’m giong to go out on a limb here and say… Priest/esses/godspouses/etc. may actually be “on equal footing with Joe Blow”. Having a deeper relationship with a given god/spirit may give you more knowlege* about that god. But where this fits in in the greater scheme of things…

*Also, most gods/powers of the world tend to be about as huge and complicated as the entire ocean, hell, as the entire galaxy. One person trying to contain all that… Let’s just say that Joe Blow could be seeing something different and valid just because they are looking at a different angle.

I would say that we’re on equal footing.

I worship the way ordinary people worship. I don’t do priestly-type rituals the way a lot of Pagans do. I know, for a fact, that my relationship with the Powers That Be is no less demanding, intimate, or intense than that of someone who’s taken on the path of priest(ess). It's different, but it’s not less in any possible way. And I’d question the wisdom of anyone who thought priest(ess)es are somehow on a higher level with the Powers That Be than average people.