Dear Reader,

I don't think there is a "should" one way or the other about this. That said, many progressive Christians would point out that Jesus didn't ask anyone to worship him, but rather, he asked people to follow him. Some progressive Christians might redefine things and suggest that they are worshipping as they encourage people to have faith in God (instead of "Caesar"), love unconditionally, forgive others, seek reconciliation, and pursue restorative justice. When it comes to a more conventional understanding of worship, some of us would say that we don't worship Jesus. Instead, we worship the God Jesus worshiped. Similarly, I don't pray to Jesus, I pray to the God Jesus prayed to.

In the synoptic gospels, Jesus consistently took the focus off himself and redirected people to God. Thus, what is meant by "God" is a matter of concern. For instance, many progressive Christians understand the Trinity as being a lovely metaphor, a devotional poem, conveying what God is like (inter- and intra-relational). Not what God literally is. It may be that considering Jesus as being "God" is idolatry. If so, I'd suggest that it's with a lowercase i, not a capital I. And it's one that God likely (metaphorically) smiles at with grace, sweetness, and understanding.

French theologian and poet Alain of Lille said, "God is an intelligible sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere." I think this jibes well with the panentheist theology that God is fully immanent within all of Creation and is fully transcendent beyond the Created order. Both aspects are ways for people to connect and relate to God. Some can commune with God simply by being in nature, others do so in a more private inner prayer life that can take place just as readily in an ornate Gothic cathedral as in a plastic booth at McDonald's. This suggests a seamless wedding of transcendence and immanence, as with a circle, if you go far enough in either direction, you reach the same point. Paradox. That said, as a Christian, I believe that the qualities and characteristics of God are well conveyed in the person of Jesus, including God’s passions and emotions. Hence, I love Jesus-Yeshua of Nazareth - and I'm devoted to following his way, teachings, and example as best I can as my primary way of experiencing and celebrating the Divine.

~ Rev. Roger Wolsey