The Emotional Christian

Last Sunday at church our worship team played a song titled, “The Blarney Pilgrim,” which is a wonderful hymn put to an Irish tune (this hymn is also known as “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”). At the end of the song, the band continued to play for about a minute or two (i.e. no words just jam), and I for one thought it was great. Not only did it sound good, but it also had that festive feel to it that makes you want to dance. As a matter of fact, hand clapping and hip swaying did occur, which is saying a lot for a Presbyterian church. However, as I surveyed the room I quickly noticed that there were a significant number of people who seemed a little uncomfortable. Some people had that nervous smile on, which usually translates to, “I reaaaaally hope we stop this nonsense before Jesus comes back, and strikes us down,” while others simply looked peeved. Though I don’t believe I have the right to say which is right or wrong (i.e. different people deal with their emotions in a variety of ways), it did get me thinking about how the church deals with emotions in its worship, as well as in its teaching.

Though I would consider myself to be a strong opponent of making worship into a dramatic presentation or show, I don’t think it should be void of emotion. I would even go as far to say that, at times, it can be appropriate to include elements in our worship that may provoke emotions. I believe where the problem occurs is when the primary goal of the worship service is to provide an emotional experience, especially when it results in compromising the truth. Unfortunately, what many churches do to avoid this is go to the opposite extreme in order to prevent any creep of emotion into the worship. I find this to be quite sad, as I think something is lost here. I believe that one negative consequence of this is the creation of Christians who are either ignorant of their emotions, or simply don’t know how to deal with their emotions. In turn, this can cause irrational behavior on one side, and indifference on the other. I think that by understanding how and why we experience different emotions, especially in response to the truth, we can learn a lot about the penchants of our heart. I don’t mean to sound all “Orpahy” here, but it’s true. When we become defensive or upset upon hearing the truth, there’s a good chance that something exists in our life or our heart that shouldn’t be there, or at least needs a readjustment. On the flipside, experiencing joy upon hearing the truth can serve as a good indicator that we are in line with it, and can better respond in thanksgiving to God.

I recognize that at times the proper mood of our worship should be somber and calm, but I also believe it can be boisterous and joyful. Finally, though I know that we’re never going to get this 100% right in this life, I look forward to the day when, having been completely stripped of our pride, we are free to dance, sing, and cry out to our King who has set us free, without hesitation, and without regret.