WORSHIP: WHAT CAUSES THE GOOSEBUMPS?

In the early 70’s when pizza parlors had just begun to proliferate my family joined another family in a rare trip to a new-to-us, favorite pizza place. We were sitting at the table eating, laughing and having a generally good time when our attention was suddenly arrested by the blaring sounds of an impromptu band. There was tambourine shaking, trumpet blowing, drum beating, cymbals clanging, along with a few other instruments, as a parade of servers and staff began to pass between the tables. You have already guessed what was taking place. The cacophonous cavalcade was on its way to celebrate a patron’s birthday. Today, we are all very familiar with such a thing, since many restaurants now have their version of it, but it was totally new to us at the time. Later, as we departed, I heard my dad say, “When I first heard that music start up, I got goosebumps just like when I feel the Spirit moving in Church. I knew it wasn’t the Spirit, but I felt goosebumps just like it was.” Wise dad—recognizing it wasn’t the Spirit and all. Wise conclusion but frightening observation. How many in America’s churches involved in contemporary worship imbibed with adopted practices from eastern religions never realize that it’s not the Spirit in worship that is giving them the goosebumps. Many things can get the same response from our emotions. Just because something solicits an emotional response from us does it mean that thing is a good thing or a God thing. Much of modern worship has veered from vertical attributing of God to horizontal evoking of emotion from worshipers. The danger of seeing worship as evoking an emotional, enthusiastic, favorable response from worshipers is that it soon becomes motivated only by the pragmatic—what works in evoking emotion. The danger of choosing elements of worship based on what pragmatically evokes emotion is that our emotions can be falsely evoked and evoked by the false. Here is a simple illustration: You can know that the book you are reading or the movie you are watching is fiction—it is not true. The favored character tragically dies in his lover’s arms. You feel hot tears pooling in your eyes; you struggle to hold back sobs less someone see your crying. Here’s the point: You know the story is made-up, not true. You know that the person playing the character did not really die. Yet, you feel the same sadness you would if you got the real news that one of your friends passed away. Emotion can be moved by what is not true. Emotions do not distinguish between what is true or fictional. When the motive of worship is pragmatic, simply to get a response, the only thought is what will move the emotions, what is evocative. Little thought is given whether what is moving the emotions is true, right, acceptable to God, reverent of God, inspiring of holy inclinations. True worship is Truth driven. There should be no need to rely on anything but Truth to drive our worship. Is Truth not adequate? Is it better to be moved by a mind-numbing beat of a song with a mantra of a looping repetitive phrase than by a reading from Scripture? Is it better to be moved by laser lights and billowing fog synchronized with the music than by lyrics of a song that extol the attributes of God? I am not suggesting it is wrong to create an ambiance for worship. But, observation of a worship soon discovers with what leaders are trying to drive worship. Much of worship is driven by the volume and style of music, the synchronization of lights, the swirling of fog, etc. It is driven by psychological manipulating drivel like, “How are you all feeling?” When truth driven, worship only seeks the response that comes from the presentation and proclamation, of Truth. When worship is pragmatically driven, the musical presentation of the song is considered above the lyrics; the delivery of a sermon, above its content; humor, above holiness; relativeness, above reverence; ambiance, above attitude; levity, above conviction; demonstration, above doctrine. What is driving worship is all important. Many things in worship may move the emotions. Truth moves emotion too. But, Truth can move something beyond emotion. It can move the very spirit of a person. That’s far better than just giving him goose-bumps.

WORSHIP: WHAT CAUSES THE GOOSEBUMPS?

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