"Emotionalism"
There are so many different opinions on what a church service ought to look like. And really, what "feels" right may be very related to how we grew up, or what our genetics dictate.
After all, why is it that African churches tend to be louder and have more rhythmic music, than European churches?
Does God view European church traditions as more spiritual than African or Latin-American churches?
It is very true, that our comfort zones are shaped by how we grow up. Those raised in a liturgical church, with responsive readings, 200-year-old hymns, and an organ playing, just "feel God" in these surroundings. (Or at least they feel more religious, which is a different thing altogether.)
To one who grew up in a strictly traditional Catholic church, the sound of Latin being read in somber tones, and filing forward to kneel before the robe-clad priest, crossing oneself, and feeling the wafer pressed on the tongue, may feel the most spiritual of all experiences. (But isn't that just a religious feeling?)
And to one raised Amish, sitting in a house with all your like-minded "plain folk" of the community, hearing the Scriptures read in High German (which you can't even quite understand) and singing very slow German melodies is the only "right" way to approach God! (Again, is this actually God they feel, or is it just an emotionally-based feeling fed by religious tradition?)
I grew up in a very traditional Mennonite church, with no instrumental music, very hushed, somber attitudes, and carefully sitting very still. Even in singing, the voices were to blend: no one voice ought to "draw attention" to itself, by singing louder than anyone else. The sermons were carefully thought-out and well-constructed logically... but I used to hold a straight pin from my covering in my hand, ready to stick myself in the leg, if I felt myself falling asleep.
After all, self-control is the pinnacle of spiritual maturity, is it not?
I was taught that those who worshiped God in a less-subdued way were actually more "emotional"... as if being "emotional" was less spiritual.
But what exactly is emotionalism?
Aren't the religious-righteousness feelings, based on our surroundings, our appearance, and our silence, actually just as emotionally-based as the exuberant feelings found in churches of other, louder cultures? After all, we just "feel" that silence is more spiritual than loud shouting, right?
What if... what if all of our European-style of church services are just as emotionally-based as the African style?
What if our emotional reaction of tears is just as much "emotionalism" as loudly shouting Hallelujah?
What if our silence is actually a struggle for humans to remain in control?
What if our preference for silently holding still in church is actually a spiritual stronghold of stubbornness and fear?
Fear? yes. Fear of what others would say or how they would look at us... or fear of anything different from our tradition. Because our tradition is our safety net. It's what keeps us safe. Safe from the unknown. Safe from change. Safe in our comfortable religious culture.
Can one have such simple, unquestioning faith in tradition, and also have complete faith in Christ?
What if our faith in Jesus Christ is compromised, by faith in our traditions of men?
How can we know if our church services please God?
How can we know if we are only comforting our own hearts with fleshly religious emotions that "feel right" to us, in our style of worship?
How do we know if we are really feeling God, or if all we're feeling is a religious emotion?
What does God actually feel about all this?
Wait, does God feel?
Does He actually respond with His OWN emotions, when we express certain emotions to Him?
What kind of church service does He prefer?
What does the Bible say about this?
Stay tuned!
After all, why is it that African churches tend to be louder and have more rhythmic music, than European churches?
Does God view European church traditions as more spiritual than African or Latin-American churches?
It is very true, that our comfort zones are shaped by how we grow up. Those raised in a liturgical church, with responsive readings, 200-year-old hymns, and an organ playing, just "feel God" in these surroundings. (Or at least they feel more religious, which is a different thing altogether.)
To one who grew up in a strictly traditional Catholic church, the sound of Latin being read in somber tones, and filing forward to kneel before the robe-clad priest, crossing oneself, and feeling the wafer pressed on the tongue, may feel the most spiritual of all experiences. (But isn't that just a religious feeling?)
And to one raised Amish, sitting in a house with all your like-minded "plain folk" of the community, hearing the Scriptures read in High German (which you can't even quite understand) and singing very slow German melodies is the only "right" way to approach God! (Again, is this actually God they feel, or is it just an emotionally-based feeling fed by religious tradition?)
I grew up in a very traditional Mennonite church, with no instrumental music, very hushed, somber attitudes, and carefully sitting very still. Even in singing, the voices were to blend: no one voice ought to "draw attention" to itself, by singing louder than anyone else. The sermons were carefully thought-out and well-constructed logically... but I used to hold a straight pin from my covering in my hand, ready to stick myself in the leg, if I felt myself falling asleep.
After all, self-control is the pinnacle of spiritual maturity, is it not?
I was taught that those who worshiped God in a less-subdued way were actually more "emotional"... as if being "emotional" was less spiritual.
But what exactly is emotionalism?
Aren't the religious-righteousness feelings, based on our surroundings, our appearance, and our silence, actually just as emotionally-based as the exuberant feelings found in churches of other, louder cultures? After all, we just "feel" that silence is more spiritual than loud shouting, right?
What if... what if all of our European-style of church services are just as emotionally-based as the African style?
What if our emotional reaction of tears is just as much "emotionalism" as loudly shouting Hallelujah?
What if our silence is actually a struggle for humans to remain in control?
What if our preference for silently holding still in church is actually a spiritual stronghold of stubbornness and fear?
Fear? yes. Fear of what others would say or how they would look at us... or fear of anything different from our tradition. Because our tradition is our safety net. It's what keeps us safe. Safe from the unknown. Safe from change. Safe in our comfortable religious culture.
Can one have such simple, unquestioning faith in tradition, and also have complete faith in Christ?
What if our faith in Jesus Christ is compromised, by faith in our traditions of men?
How can we know if our church services please God?
How can we know if we are only comforting our own hearts with fleshly religious emotions that "feel right" to us, in our style of worship?
How do we know if we are really feeling God, or if all we're feeling is a religious emotion?
What does God actually feel about all this?
Wait, does God feel?
Does He actually respond with His OWN emotions, when we express certain emotions to Him?
What kind of church service does He prefer?
What does the Bible say about this?
Stay tuned!
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