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EMOTIONS IN WORSHIP
Worship
ministry is often associated with music. Although worship is not synonymous
with music, there should be no denying that music is assuredly a strong part of
worship, particularly in a corporate sense. Further, the connection between
music (or the arts in the broadest sense) and human emotion holds a formidable
tie. In fact, I would contend that the emotional aspect of Christian worship is
frequently overutilized and overemphasized, albeit perhaps without proper
realization; yet, to separate from the misguidance of emotion-based worship,
many churches unfortunately whitewash their practices of anything that resembles
the God-ordained unique and emotional impacts artistic expression yields. Thus,
there subsists a delicate balance between overemphasis of emotion in Christian
worship and a dishonoring deception by the removal of emotion in Christian
worship practice.
Several
questions arise in the discussion of emotions in worship. Therefore, to
facilitate the discussion of this topic, my aim is to answer four crucial
questions.
1. Should
emotions play a role in Christian worship?
2. What
(or who) should be the source of emotions in worship?
3. What
other human elements should be present in Christian worship?
4. How
should churches balance emotions and other necessary elements in worship?
Answering such questions will offer guidance and balance in approaching the appropriate use of human emotion in Christian worship.
Should
Emotions Play a Role in Christian Worship?
Artistic stratagems are utilized to evoke and even arouse human emotions continuously, e.g. music in movies. Aesthetics are powerful tools; should such attempts, however, be made in juxtaposition with Christian worship? Without dismissing the necessity of emotions in Christian worship and without elevating them to an unnecessary and selfish level, my answer to this question is yes. Emotions should surely play a significant role in worship, for God created human emotions and designed them to be used for the benefit of his people and to the glory of his name. Like other aspects of human life, however, emotions may be utilized for honor or dishonor and, in fact, seem to often be used for the latter. One might point to Paul’s definition of love (1 Cor 13) and suggest that emotion is nowhere to be found; yet, emotion is unwaveringly connected to action throughout Scripture, e.g. delight (Ps 37:4), affection (Rom 12:10), anger (Ps 37:8), and joy (Ps 5:11). To deny the necessity of emotion is to effectively deny its existence, which would be a lie. I am reminded that even when Elizabeth visited Mary, John the Baptist, within her womb, leaped for joy (Luke 1:41), for Mary carried the Savior of the world within her own womb. Emotion then plays a significant role in many biblical accounts and in the context of Christian worship, e.g. throughout the Psalms. In its simplest form, therefore, the answer to the first question is yes, emotions should play a role in worship.
What
(or Who) Should Be the Source of Emotions in Worship?
Beyond the resounding affirmation that emotions should play a role in worship, believers must determine to what extent. A seventeenth-century theory called the Doctrine of the Affections suggested that artistic works could represent or even control human passions and emotions. Perhaps, in a modern context, many churches attempt to regulate or influence human emotions by the aesthetic devices used in worship, e.g. music (including tempo and style), lighting, etc. If the answer to whether emotions should play a role in worship is an emphatic yes, how then do Christian measure the extent to which emotions should be utilized? Jonathan Edwards perhaps offers the clearest answer to this question. He writes: “I should think myself in the way of my duty to raise the affections of my hearers as high as possibly I can, provided that they are affected with nothing but truth, and with affections that are not disagreeable to the nature of what they are affected with.”[1] Thus, the answer to the question centers not around emotions themselves but the source of emotion, which should be not the aesthetic contrivances employed but the one for whom they are employed, namely triune God. Leaders of worship should strive to destroy any tool that manipulates human emotions in worship so that the glory of God is seen and God himself is the only one who regulates the emotions of God’s people in worship.
What
other Human Elements Should Be Present in Christian Worship?
The heart often represents the seed of the emotions in biblical literature. It is no coincidence that the greatest commandment (Mark 12:30) teaches to love God with the heart, soul, mind, and strength but begins with the heart. Emotions then are central to honoring God, particularly in the context of corporate worship. Nevertheless, other elements are involved, e.g. the soul, the mind, and the strength. The Apostle Paul, after instructing the Church at Corinth to employ orderly worship, says, “I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also…” (1 Cor 14:15). There is seemingly an overemphasis of the heart in Christian discussions. While the heart is substantial in the greatest commandment and in acts of worship, the heart must be complemented by soul, the mind, and the strength. Christians must live (and worship) with a constant realization that the human heart is evil and deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9). While uninhibited worship is right and necessary, the concept has perhaps been distorted to be tantamount to emotional worship that excludes the mind, i.e. the heart overrides other areas of human involvement. God-honoring worship, however, must include a delicate balance of other elements besides emotions. Moreover, it is the responsibility of worship leaders to guide God’s people in such a manner that emotions are present but not exaggerated.
How
Should Churches Balance Emotions and Other Necessary Elements in Worship?
Understanding
that emotions are imperative in Christian worship and that emotions must be
steered by God himself rather than the aesthetics of the worship gathering,
churches should ascertain how to balance emotions and other necessary elements.
To aid in such a task, I have three suggestions that, if implemented, will help
tremendously in balancing emotion with other elements necessary for
God-honoring worship.
First,
worship leaders must read and understand the congregation. Without crafting
worship gatherings to conform to the desires of people, worship leaders should
be aware of what congregants need, even if the congregants themselves do not
know, which could certainly include violating the wishes of the people.
Nonetheless, such an understanding could bring God’s people to a place where he
can move and work in their lives in as magnificent way that otherwise would not
have happened.
Secondly,
worship leaders should ensure that every element of the worship gathering has a
purpose. For example, music should not be used as mere filler or prayers to
merely kill time and fill space. Each element should hold a specific purpose
designed to play an important role in the entirety of the worship gathering; if
the element does not have a specific purpose, it should be removed or modified.
Thirdly,
worship leaders should strive to create a dialogue with the content of each
worship gathering, i.e. worship gatherings should not be compartmentalized to
individual elements, e.g. music (including individual songs), sermon,
invitation, etc. All aspects of worship should center around an evident
dialogue and theme; all parts should tell a singular story of God and his
people. I would even suggest that the gospel narrative should be told through
every worship gathering. Christian lingo often separates sermons and the
Eucharist from worship by forcing the term, worship, to be synonymous with
music; yet, messages and sacred acts such as the Eucharist and Baptism are
assuredly vastly important parts of worship. To engage in a singular dialogue
then, the elements of worship should not be compartmentalized and separated
from the entirety of the gathering. Consider the worship gathering as one
event, a seamless dialogue (and narrative) between God and his people.
If churches endeavor to approach worship with these three suggestions in mind, I believe the balance between emotions and other aspects of Christian worship will be ameliorated magnificently.
Worship:
An Experience, Not a Feeling
Christian
worship should be considered an experience more than a feeling. While feelings
may surely arise during the process of worshipping God, an experience ensures
life-change, while feelings do not. Feelings are fleeting and temporary while
experiences change hearts and minds. God’s people must measure their emotions
in worship against what the mind knows, what the soul experiences, and what the
strength faces. The standard is God’s word; if anything violates the truth of
Holy Scripture, Christians are to steer clear of such items. In conclusion
then, emotions are necessary and good in Christian worship. Nonetheless, a
balance exists between emotions and experience. It is the role of God’s people
and especially those who lead in worship to safeguard worship gatherings that
do not manipulate human emotions but rather allow the Holy Spirit to conform
the emotions of God’s people to points of life-change. Such conformation is the
balance of human emotion in Christian worship and should be treated sensitively
by local churches.
