The Rationale for Worship

During our break-fast last night, Rebecca posed an interesting question. She asked if we thought the elaborate High Holiday services were done as a way of pleasing God. Both David and I responded that we thought the greater intention was that of reminding us of our relationships with other people and creating a greater sense of the Jewish community. For many of us, they serve as an affirmation of our belief in God, but I don’t think we are conducting these services with the idea of pleasing God. Although we recognize that there is an architect for the design of the universe, we don’t believe that our actions in any way influence that design.