Worship And Spirituality In The Jewish And Christian Traditions

Christian corporate worship grew out of Jewish liturgical practice. Understanding the unique spirituality of Jewish worship can suggest both how the first Christians approached their own worship and how Christians today can more fully integrate their own spiritual pilgrimage with corporate worship. Jewish Liturgical Spirituality Jewish liturgical spirituality is the lived awareness that all of life can be a means of becoming holy as God is holy. For a devout Jew, all of life can be liturgy. The prayer of blessings and praise (berakah) enables everything to be a source of remembering who one is in the presence of the All Holy One. The living Word of God, the Torah and cultic liturgy, are central to the living of a liturgical spirituality. Together, Torah and cultic liturgy encompass the life of the community in its ongoing journey into the heart of God. Both foster communion with God, which is expressed through actions similar to those of God. To be holy as God is holy is the purp…