Christian Affirmations by Norman Pittenger
"....the third category, "latreia," or absolute worship. In
all branches of Christianity such absolute worship is to be given to God
and to God only. This is that supreme adoration which involves the total
offering of self to the almighty Source of life, the ultimate and eternal
Reality. And it is with this that we are here to be concerned. The lesser
kinds of reverence have been noted only in order that we may be quite
clear that even in Catholic circles the term worship is applied normally
to God and none other, although it is important that we understand that by
association with God and His presence and work, creatures are seen in the
Christian tradition as worthy of something even more remarkable than the
respect for personality of which democracy has spoken -- they are worthy
of reverence which is religious in quality, reverence about which there is
a mystery, just as in human personality itself there is a deep mystery by
reason of its being grounded in the mystery of God.
In the first place then, worship is the offering to God of that praise
which rightly belongs to Him. The words in the Gloria in excelsis express
this: "We give thanks to thee for thy great glory." So highly exalted, so
wonderfully holy, so altogether supreme and mighty in His majesty is God
the ultimate Reality, that men are drawn to ascribe all praise to Him."
http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=2663&C=2425