Emotions and Worship...

Here is an extract from a recent theological reflection concerning emotions and worship expression...

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I must observe the difference between emotional response to God in worship and a conscious, wilful action as a response in worship. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me you will obey my commandments.”[1] This verse highlights to me a two-fold nature of response. To love God is both an emotional and a cognitive event. Not only does one respond to God in love from the heart but also in love that begets action, that is service. Worship is clearly an active event, a choice to engage and to respond, rather than “something that arises from a feeling which ‘comes upon you.’” [2]; otherwise there is no true transforming encounter with the Living God. However, one does not engage in worship with dulled senses, feeling no different, with no emotions invoked. One only has to glance at the Psalms to observe that emotions are prominently involved in prayer and intercession, in complaint and praise. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.”[3] “In the believer’s life joy often overflows into worship for God. The act of worship is most often a joyful emotional experience.”[4]

We ought to consider that Paul had an emotional response to his Christophony in Acts 9, that Peter responded emotionally to Jesus’ question ‘Do you love me?’[5], that Stephen was engaged emotionally when he was crying out to God as he was being stoned in Acts 7, that Moses was greatly affected by God’s promise that he would not see the promised land, that Isaiah’s emotions went into overdrive when he cried ‘Woe is me.’[6] Encounter with God effects and transforms us completely, physically, spiritually and emotionally. In the same way in which we surrender to God our plans, our lives, our wills, we surrender our hopes and our dreams, our minds and our hearts.

Therefore, whilst allowing an emotional side to response in worship, the challenge is to remain unaffected by one’s emotions themselves. Here lies the often-voiced critique of festival culture, that 10,000 young people gathered into one room engaging in expression of worship that is vibrant, loud and participatory will become victims of ‘mass hysteria.’ “[Worship] is not…mindless ceremony, or working oneself into a religious frenzy.”[7]

In an atmosphere of high emotions and “pent up excitement, being told to wait for the powerful Holy Spirit to work,”[8] it is not uncommon for some to try and emulate the responses of others, often emotional. “Expecting a response from the Spirit just for the sake of a response is bad theology…it isn’t for some emotional show.”[9]

This is what Webber is alluding to when he speaks of ‘program worship’ (where the congregation is ‘entertained’ rather than engaged), the extremely concerning but prominent view that worship is self-focused. “Did I experience the presence of God? Did the worship experience make me feel good?”[10] “Something is seriously wrong when people equate spiritual self-gratification with worship.”[11]

How then do we engage our emotions in worship, without being manipulated (either by those leading, those around us, or indeed ourselves in response to what is going on around us), or distracted by emotions evoked by the worship expression.

The second issue to consider is that of the worship ‘experience’. ““In post-modern culture, the experience is the message.”[12] Post-modernity heralds the importance of experience in corporate worship, a personal or corporate communion with God. The truth that on encounter with God, we are transformed inwardly by the power of the Holy Spirit is experiential. Churchgoers, particularly young people come to worship with expectation to meet with God. However theologically misguided it is, people go to church to get changed, to feel God, to experience something.[13]

Many would suggest that this is an over-emphasis on the self and a withdrawal of focus upon our object of worship, which it would be, if the emphasis were on the experience itself. I would suggest that expectation in times of corporate worship is crucial, given that the God whom we worship is a God who desires intimate relationship with His people. The summer festivals have been blamed for encouraging a generation of young people who are too individual, too self-centred and too inward looking in worship. However, I would praise what Soul Survivor has achieved in encouraging young people to engage fully and personally with a God who loves completely and desires fullness of life in relationship for each one. It is out of this experience and full engagement with God that an individual is transformed and walks in obedience to the will of the Father. “The test of a substance’s religious worth or validity is not what kind of far-out experience it can produce, but is the life improved by it?”[14]

The obvious danger with such pursuit of experience in worship is that with so great a desire for something ‘other’, an emotional response may become confused with a spiritual response. It is therefore entirely necessary to exercise discernment in such responsive situations. The pursuit of experience must be fuelled by a desire to meet and experience God whom we love, rather than a desire to feel something for the sake of it.

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[1] John 14:15

[2] Kendrick, Worship, 27.

[3] Psalm 9:1

[4] Elliot, Faithful, 177.

[5] John 21:17

[6] Isaiah 6:5

[7] Elliot, Faithful, 177.

[8] Miles, Real, 20/08/09.

[9] Miles, Real, 20/08/09.

[10] Webber, ‘The Crisis of evangelical worship’, from Next Level, 91.

[11] Peterson, Engaging, 17.

[12] Sweet, ‘A New Reformation’, from Next Level, 106.

[13] Dean, ‘Moshing for Jesus’, from Next Level, 118.

[14] Sweet, ‘A New Reformation’, from Next Level, 112.