“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

- Dr. Seuss

A member of the worship team approached me after a delightful service this past week and preemptively deadpanned, "I know it isn't about the experience, BUT, I really enjoyed----"

"Wait wait wait!!!" I interjected, "not about the experience? Not about how you feel? Why are you doing this then?" Ok, I wasn't that hard on him, but I'm starting to run up against this "worship experience guilt" quite often now and I'm just gonna call the shit out when I see it.

If we really believe that worship isn't about the delight in the experience then what is it? Our time to cheer up a lonely God, maybe repent a bit, or get cajoled into dancing--it's foolishness I know. Certainly, corporate worship should not serve as ecstasy, which simply fosters escapism and loss of heart, however one of the integral points of the experience is to feel something, is it not? That feeling should be a response to beauty and truth; lead us to more heart. I suppose I should be grateful when those of us steeped in consumerist, narcissistic, ego massage culture are predisposed to trash personal enjoyment of the sacred........ but I'm not.

To be avoided:
dead·pan
1. marked by or accomplished with a careful pretense of seriousness or calm detachment; impassive or expressionless.

2. displaying no emotional or personal involvement.

&voicesonthetele
"Hosea in C Minor"