Truth be told, I cannot help but like every day of the church year (some favourites include the Ascension, the Baptism of Jesus, Good Friday etc). That said sometimes I want to think that Christmas is the whole Gospel. It certainly is a major part of it. And yet, sometimes it seems like it would almost be fitting if it was the whole thing, although I know it is not.
When the Son of God becomes man he embodies all of humanity. He stands in and with all flesh and every human being. Jesus is the new head of humanity, the new Adam. Everyone can look at the manger and know that God's disposition toward us is grace and unification in Christ. God has brought man and God together in Jesus Christ, and his judgment is not disposed to condemnation. Which is why Calvinism seems to be quite a distortion of the Gospel. To deny a universal atonement seems to not only undercut Jesus' death, but also the incarnation. How can Jesus not die for all of humanity since he bears the same flesh as all humanity?
So, that is one of the ways I celebrated Christmas... by not being a Calvinist.
But I also had a few other thoughts. The incarnation doesn't just mean Jesus' conception and birth, but really the whole person of Jesus. At least that's how Athanasius seemed to use the term - which also seems why Eastern iconography depicts Mary holding the manly-faced baby Jesus. So in a certain sense I also think it is fitting to view Christmas in this way. Not simply the manner in which Jesus was born, but that he was born and that God took on our flesh in a peculiar way. I know some people downplay this because Paul doesn't make much light of Jesus' birth... however the Gospels do mention it, and furthermore, Paul presupposes it. Jesus was made like us in every way and identifies with us in every way also, including, growing up, being submissive to parents, temptation and even death.
And it doesn't end there. He is still our brother in the flesh interceding for us at the right hand of God with our own humanity. Because of this we identify in his resurrection and ascension. He not only embodies us in his life, death and resurrection, but he also embodies us in our glorification at the right hand of the Father. Because he is glorified, we too are glorified in our flesh, and we await the resurrection of our lowly bodies. So Christmas is a celebration of the incarnation which is the whole unification of God and man in Christ. (Paul's apostleship would also be proof of the ascended incarnation. The qualifications of an apostle was to see the resurrected body of our Lord, which is what Paul saw on the road to Damascus, well after the ascension. And it is also said Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.) The incarnation is here to stay.
All that to say, if you get Christology wrong, you're probably going to go wrong elsewhere with the gospel. I think that is why the Church fathers fought so hard for a robust Christology in the creeds and the life of the Church, and all those things like Monophysitism, Nestorianism, Arianism etc are called heresies. If you get Christmas wrong, you get everything else wrong.
1 John 4:2-3 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Into Our Grasp.
God binds Himself to our humanity, wine and bread, through His Word and words to give Himself and His salvation into our grasp. Luther's basis for this is simply the fact that this is what God has done and does. He will therefore allow nothing that he sees as a diminution or disruption of this. The heart of his concern is not some notional omnipresence, but what God has said, done, and gives. Here is the contingency of what God does and says which cannot survive in any philosophical system. -- Dr. Norman Nagel
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Mini Magnum Opus
I haven't been posting regularly, because I'm trying to learn how to articulate myself better. So, I decided to focus where Lutherans get most misunderstood, ignored, or even confused. And I decided to take my time with it. Sometimes, I just want to keep writing, but realize I have to stop somewhere. If you have a short attention span, I invite you to read paragraph 6. Cheers.
The “Word and Sacraments” is a phrase that commonly comes up with Lutherans. But it’s also a phrase that quickly rubs people the wrong way, as if it were the road to Rome. However, as opposed to Catholicism, Lutherans have a totally different definition of the Sacraments and Salvation because of the Word. And the Word is that which declares our salvation accomplished, Jesus himself. Roman Catholics define sacraments like a blessing, including marriage and ordination. But Lutherans would say the blessing of Christ is most sacred, and they therefore reserve the term “sacrament” for the mystery of our salvation. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are for all people, but marriage and ordination is not.
Lutherans accept that the term “sacrament” is not found anywhere in the Bible. But they believe the idea to be Biblical. The word is used by Lutherans the same way all Christians would use the term “Trinity”, which is also a word not found in the Bible. The historicity of the word “sacrament” comes from avoidance of the word “mystery”, which is a word that is used in the scriptures, but earlier Christians preferred to substitute it for “sacrament” in order to distance themselves from the esoteric mystery religions. So while a “sacrament” is not exactly a coined term in the Bible, the teaching certainly is Biblical.
Lutherans also teach that the word and sacraments are important because this is how Christians receive saving faith. Faith isn’t something that comes out of nowhere. It is a gift from God, and he comes to us in saving power through his promises. Naturally, you cannot have faith without the promises of God revealed to you. Therefore, Lutherans teach that the Word and Sacraments are where God reveals the mystery of salvation, and shows us that his disposition towards us is grace. And thus he saves us through the faith he creates in us by the Word and Sacraments. The Word and Sacraments are important because faith alone is important.
In Lutheran theology, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are characterized by words like declaration, proclamation, and promise. These are also words that characterize the Gospel. Lutherans, like all Christians, believe that the Holy Spirit has wrought faith and repentance in the hearts of all Christians through the Word of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but they also perceive God to work faith and repentance in the faithful, continually, not only through the mouth of a preacher, but also through Baptism and the Supper, because in them is found the same gospel that offers the same solid promise of the cross. That is why the Word and Sacraments go together in Lutheran terminology. Since the word reveals Christ’s saving acts and thus save us by faith, so do the sacraments because they contain the same word and revelation, but with a sign, and gives us the same faith.
This generally gets lost on evangelicals who view salvation as a one-time decision. However, Lutherans would say that all Christians are ever dependent on God’s saving grace and promises. They make it a point to confess that whenever you have the promises of salvation there you will also have forgiveness and life. Lutherans see this as a work of God who is constantly feeding our faith with the same promises that he always gives us through the Word and Sacraments. Lutherans do not ever rationalize this in any legalistic way to earn forgiveness for ourselves, but confess that God never stops declaring us righteous on account of Jesus, and that he never stops offering his promise to us, even when we have faith.
Lutherans believe when God forgives us our sins, it is complete and entire in Christ. All sins, past, present and future, are washed away. In the Lutheran churches, this message of the Crucified is revealed in several ways. They teach that Jesus comes to us and saves us through the Word, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, on account of faith. And yet, they do not regard the Word and Sacraments as something to be added up to attain salvation. But they regard each as having the whole of salvation, on account of the Word that declares us forgiven and redeemed in Christ. They believe when we come to faith through the preaching of the word we have and receive salvation, but also that when we are baptized we have and receive salvation, and when we partake of the Lord’s Supper we have and receive salvation. Salvation isn’t quantifiable as if we gain it in bits and pieces. Rather in Lutheran theology, salvation is lived in as an ever-present reality, and in it we endlessly have and receive, complete and entire grace, simultaneously, to excite faith in the One who has done it all. Lutherans hold the word and sacraments to be special promises and sure realities in this extraordinary encounter with Jesus. These gifts come through the overflowing love of God in Christ Jesus, transcending quantity, and create and sustain faith in the Gospel.
That is to say, that when Jesus says, “Take, eat; this is my body” and when he took the cup and said, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”, Lutherans teach that you actually receive the body and blood of Christ, which is for the forgiveness of sins. And when Jesus says, “he that believes and is baptized shall be saved” or when Scripture says, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name”, Lutherans believe these words accomplish what they say. Lutherans take these to be special dynamics in salvation, by the power of the Word, and should be trusted and believed. For Lutherans, to confess the Word and the Sacraments is to confess Christ, which is to confess the power of the Word. Christ’s words deliver what they say, and they deliver his promises, and his promises deliver him.
I suppose you could frame Lutheran teaching this way, “Jesus is present in his word, and manifestly present in his word-pictures. Both appear weak to human eyes and ears, but both work for the same end, and demand our faith.” Lutherans teach if someone does not have any faith, they do not receive these gifts to their benefit. The gift is still offered with integrity and sincerity, and retains every intention of the gift, but like the preaching of the Word, if it is not received in faith, it is rejected, and the gift is lost on deaf ears. But even still it doesn’t nullify the promises offered, Christ has still died for all, and the sacraments testify to every individual that he has died for them.
The “Word and Sacraments” is a phrase that commonly comes up with Lutherans. But it’s also a phrase that quickly rubs people the wrong way, as if it were the road to Rome. However, as opposed to Catholicism, Lutherans have a totally different definition of the Sacraments and Salvation because of the Word. And the Word is that which declares our salvation accomplished, Jesus himself. Roman Catholics define sacraments like a blessing, including marriage and ordination. But Lutherans would say the blessing of Christ is most sacred, and they therefore reserve the term “sacrament” for the mystery of our salvation. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are for all people, but marriage and ordination is not.
Lutherans accept that the term “sacrament” is not found anywhere in the Bible. But they believe the idea to be Biblical. The word is used by Lutherans the same way all Christians would use the term “Trinity”, which is also a word not found in the Bible. The historicity of the word “sacrament” comes from avoidance of the word “mystery”, which is a word that is used in the scriptures, but earlier Christians preferred to substitute it for “sacrament” in order to distance themselves from the esoteric mystery religions. So while a “sacrament” is not exactly a coined term in the Bible, the teaching certainly is Biblical.
Lutherans also teach that the word and sacraments are important because this is how Christians receive saving faith. Faith isn’t something that comes out of nowhere. It is a gift from God, and he comes to us in saving power through his promises. Naturally, you cannot have faith without the promises of God revealed to you. Therefore, Lutherans teach that the Word and Sacraments are where God reveals the mystery of salvation, and shows us that his disposition towards us is grace. And thus he saves us through the faith he creates in us by the Word and Sacraments. The Word and Sacraments are important because faith alone is important.
In Lutheran theology, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are characterized by words like declaration, proclamation, and promise. These are also words that characterize the Gospel. Lutherans, like all Christians, believe that the Holy Spirit has wrought faith and repentance in the hearts of all Christians through the Word of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but they also perceive God to work faith and repentance in the faithful, continually, not only through the mouth of a preacher, but also through Baptism and the Supper, because in them is found the same gospel that offers the same solid promise of the cross. That is why the Word and Sacraments go together in Lutheran terminology. Since the word reveals Christ’s saving acts and thus save us by faith, so do the sacraments because they contain the same word and revelation, but with a sign, and gives us the same faith.
This generally gets lost on evangelicals who view salvation as a one-time decision. However, Lutherans would say that all Christians are ever dependent on God’s saving grace and promises. They make it a point to confess that whenever you have the promises of salvation there you will also have forgiveness and life. Lutherans see this as a work of God who is constantly feeding our faith with the same promises that he always gives us through the Word and Sacraments. Lutherans do not ever rationalize this in any legalistic way to earn forgiveness for ourselves, but confess that God never stops declaring us righteous on account of Jesus, and that he never stops offering his promise to us, even when we have faith.
Lutherans believe when God forgives us our sins, it is complete and entire in Christ. All sins, past, present and future, are washed away. In the Lutheran churches, this message of the Crucified is revealed in several ways. They teach that Jesus comes to us and saves us through the Word, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, on account of faith. And yet, they do not regard the Word and Sacraments as something to be added up to attain salvation. But they regard each as having the whole of salvation, on account of the Word that declares us forgiven and redeemed in Christ. They believe when we come to faith through the preaching of the word we have and receive salvation, but also that when we are baptized we have and receive salvation, and when we partake of the Lord’s Supper we have and receive salvation. Salvation isn’t quantifiable as if we gain it in bits and pieces. Rather in Lutheran theology, salvation is lived in as an ever-present reality, and in it we endlessly have and receive, complete and entire grace, simultaneously, to excite faith in the One who has done it all. Lutherans hold the word and sacraments to be special promises and sure realities in this extraordinary encounter with Jesus. These gifts come through the overflowing love of God in Christ Jesus, transcending quantity, and create and sustain faith in the Gospel.
That is to say, that when Jesus says, “Take, eat; this is my body” and when he took the cup and said, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”, Lutherans teach that you actually receive the body and blood of Christ, which is for the forgiveness of sins. And when Jesus says, “he that believes and is baptized shall be saved” or when Scripture says, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name”, Lutherans believe these words accomplish what they say. Lutherans take these to be special dynamics in salvation, by the power of the Word, and should be trusted and believed. For Lutherans, to confess the Word and the Sacraments is to confess Christ, which is to confess the power of the Word. Christ’s words deliver what they say, and they deliver his promises, and his promises deliver him.
I suppose you could frame Lutheran teaching this way, “Jesus is present in his word, and manifestly present in his word-pictures. Both appear weak to human eyes and ears, but both work for the same end, and demand our faith.” Lutherans teach if someone does not have any faith, they do not receive these gifts to their benefit. The gift is still offered with integrity and sincerity, and retains every intention of the gift, but like the preaching of the Word, if it is not received in faith, it is rejected, and the gift is lost on deaf ears. But even still it doesn’t nullify the promises offered, Christ has still died for all, and the sacraments testify to every individual that he has died for them.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Worship Wars. Ramble.
Contemporary vs. Traditional? I find both sides, in general, to be fairly ridiculous in their argumentation. Although, I do think style is an important thing, especially when we acknowledge the presence of God in worship, but the whole Liturgy verses non-liturgy, as a debate, doesn’t even seem to merit my time. But as I was eating my subway, I had a few thoughts. (I’m almost one who even refrains from drinking coffee and reading the Bible at the same time at home. But sometimes it happens ☺)
Doctrine and Practice go together. As one prays, so one believes. I would also add that as someone worships so one believes and vice versa. But the Latin for this idea is “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi”. And it’s not a new idea. But I was reading Todd Wilken earlier today, and he said, “Pentecostals worship the way they do, because they believe the way they do. Baptists worship the way they do, because they believe the way they do. Lutherans worship the way they do, because they believe the way they do.” It makes sense. If you see people worshiping like a Pentecostal in a Baptist church, that person most likely believes as a Pentecostal would believe. Ideas have consequences, and our distinctions in faith also have consequences in worship.
I think anybody would agree with that.
So I began to think about why Lutherans worship the way they do, and try to ignore what we call the historic “liturgy”, because it isn’t about the “form” per se, but its about the substance of the form. Certain forms will gear itself up better to the substance than others. But it isn’t really about having a pat pattern except: God acts and we respond.
In Lutheran theology, we believe in Justification By Grace Through Faith Alone. Jesus saves us, through faith, and not by any works of ourselves. “God doesn’t need our works, our neighbour does” is a common mantra in Lutheran circles. And it is totally the same way in Lutheran worship. God doesn’t need our worship, but we need worship. That is why we call it “the Divine Service.” In worship, it isn’t about our service to God but about God’s service to us. Sure there are both components, but in Lutheran worship this is the center and hub, God’s service to us is in worship through his word. In worship God continues to pour out his gifts to us and they overflow out of the service and into our vocations, and our worship continues into our daily lives.
That, by the way, is why saying, ‘“so and so’ lead worship this morning” is one of my pet peeves. Unless that answer is Jesus or God, then I would be happy. Worship isn’t just our songs. It is also about being humble under scripture, shutting up and listening to God’s word to us. And even then, it doesn’t end with the scripture readings or the sermon either.
So worship is about letting God be God. And this is how we do it, faith. Faith is worship. Faith is also something that passively “receives.” By faith we lay hold of, and receive all of God’s promises. So all throughout worship God is giving gifts of forgiveness, peace, mercy and grace, and he leads and shapes and informs our faith and worship, and builds up our faith and worship as we receive him.
So worship isn’t about what God needs. It’s about what we need from God. A lot of people tend to think the opposite way about worship. But look at it like this: “Jesus came not to be served, but to serve.” That is when God is most sovereign, when he is serving us delivering us from sin. Worship is God serving us through the cross, preaching it, as we speak psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to one another, serving one another the Word of Christ, which dwells in us richly, and which externalizes richly as we recount his saving deeds to ourselves and to our other members in the body of Christ.
So what does this mean? Well, here are a few thoughts.
Does our worship convey this? As a Lutheran who believes this, I sure hope so. We have major things that really stand out in the service that testifies to this. Absolution, Communion and when we have baptisms. But all that other stuff, I’m not sure if people catch on that this is what worship does. It isn’t just a bunch of words about worship, but worship is a word that delivers what it says. God does what he does. Salvation and worship are linked really closely if worship is viewed as God’s leading. Psalm 51 is a tremendous psalm. Some Lutheran churches open up with an interesting line from it: “Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise”. I love that line. That is what worship and praise is about, God opens our lips.
Now, I do not read this in any Calvinistic, fatalistic way, as if God opens up our lips deterministically. But how does God open up our lips? He acts! This is what Lutheran worship is about. God speaks to us through his word and we respond to his grace. Not only does God open our lips by his salvific acts, but he also gives us scripture to put into our mouths that give us an idea of what praise should look like.
I think too many times we make worship about what we do for God, but just end up making it about ourselves in a fickle sort of way. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that worship is for us, but it gets fickle when you start praising yourself, and making it about us.
My previous pastor took the song “I Will Not Be Shaken” and changed the lyric “I will declare my choice to the nations” to “I will declare my Lord.” It’s a bit picky, but I think it’s a big difference. We aren’t the substance of our worship. Sure, it’s not a bad thing to tell someone about your decision for Jesus. But worship needs to have a God centered ethos and be less man centered. You shouldn’t be proclaiming yourself all throughout worship, which a lot of songs tend to do. It’s a lot about me praising God without praising him for what he has done.
So to a few particulars… I went to a few different churches in the summer to help some friends “church shop.” My pastor was on vacation and I thought it might be interesting to see how other people worship. So as I went to a church with a friend who was strongly contemplating Christianity, I thought it was interesting how she even picked up on this, saying something to the effect of, “Why do they put their hands up in the air as if they think God will notice them better?”
I didn’t really have an answer for that particular “rubric” as we would call it in my church. Haha. But I did explain that we worship God with our bodies, and not just in our minds. I’m not sure why people put up their hands, but I will try to give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
However, I’m not going to trash it because they are doing something with their body. I do things with my body in worship all the time too. Kneeling, lying prostrate, tracing my body with the sign of the cross, folding my hands in prayer, closing my eyes, standing up in song, and folding my arms during the sermon. That last one, just kidding, but, no really.
But I don’t do these things because I think it will please God. I do it because I need it for myself, I am able to receive God’s word and orient myself around it. As God has saved my spirit, so he has saved my body in the power of the resurrection, and I use my body for worship appropriately. It isn’t about me, but about God for me.
I think the difference lies in how people treat emotions. People often think that emotions are the Holy Spirit, and seek emotions rather than the Spirit who comes to us through the Word. And so dancing, and hand waving might be that high for them, possibly. But God doesn’t need our excitement, the way we think we do, but he demands our faith. Now emotions in worship aren’t bad, they come and go, but we don’t need to manufacture them.
Doctrine and Practice go together. As one prays, so one believes. I would also add that as someone worships so one believes and vice versa. But the Latin for this idea is “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi”. And it’s not a new idea. But I was reading Todd Wilken earlier today, and he said, “Pentecostals worship the way they do, because they believe the way they do. Baptists worship the way they do, because they believe the way they do. Lutherans worship the way they do, because they believe the way they do.” It makes sense. If you see people worshiping like a Pentecostal in a Baptist church, that person most likely believes as a Pentecostal would believe. Ideas have consequences, and our distinctions in faith also have consequences in worship.
I think anybody would agree with that.
So I began to think about why Lutherans worship the way they do, and try to ignore what we call the historic “liturgy”, because it isn’t about the “form” per se, but its about the substance of the form. Certain forms will gear itself up better to the substance than others. But it isn’t really about having a pat pattern except: God acts and we respond.
In Lutheran theology, we believe in Justification By Grace Through Faith Alone. Jesus saves us, through faith, and not by any works of ourselves. “God doesn’t need our works, our neighbour does” is a common mantra in Lutheran circles. And it is totally the same way in Lutheran worship. God doesn’t need our worship, but we need worship. That is why we call it “the Divine Service.” In worship, it isn’t about our service to God but about God’s service to us. Sure there are both components, but in Lutheran worship this is the center and hub, God’s service to us is in worship through his word. In worship God continues to pour out his gifts to us and they overflow out of the service and into our vocations, and our worship continues into our daily lives.
That, by the way, is why saying, ‘“so and so’ lead worship this morning” is one of my pet peeves. Unless that answer is Jesus or God, then I would be happy. Worship isn’t just our songs. It is also about being humble under scripture, shutting up and listening to God’s word to us. And even then, it doesn’t end with the scripture readings or the sermon either.
So worship is about letting God be God. And this is how we do it, faith. Faith is worship. Faith is also something that passively “receives.” By faith we lay hold of, and receive all of God’s promises. So all throughout worship God is giving gifts of forgiveness, peace, mercy and grace, and he leads and shapes and informs our faith and worship, and builds up our faith and worship as we receive him.
So worship isn’t about what God needs. It’s about what we need from God. A lot of people tend to think the opposite way about worship. But look at it like this: “Jesus came not to be served, but to serve.” That is when God is most sovereign, when he is serving us delivering us from sin. Worship is God serving us through the cross, preaching it, as we speak psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to one another, serving one another the Word of Christ, which dwells in us richly, and which externalizes richly as we recount his saving deeds to ourselves and to our other members in the body of Christ.
So what does this mean? Well, here are a few thoughts.
Does our worship convey this? As a Lutheran who believes this, I sure hope so. We have major things that really stand out in the service that testifies to this. Absolution, Communion and when we have baptisms. But all that other stuff, I’m not sure if people catch on that this is what worship does. It isn’t just a bunch of words about worship, but worship is a word that delivers what it says. God does what he does. Salvation and worship are linked really closely if worship is viewed as God’s leading. Psalm 51 is a tremendous psalm. Some Lutheran churches open up with an interesting line from it: “Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise”. I love that line. That is what worship and praise is about, God opens our lips.
Now, I do not read this in any Calvinistic, fatalistic way, as if God opens up our lips deterministically. But how does God open up our lips? He acts! This is what Lutheran worship is about. God speaks to us through his word and we respond to his grace. Not only does God open our lips by his salvific acts, but he also gives us scripture to put into our mouths that give us an idea of what praise should look like.
I think too many times we make worship about what we do for God, but just end up making it about ourselves in a fickle sort of way. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that worship is for us, but it gets fickle when you start praising yourself, and making it about us.
My previous pastor took the song “I Will Not Be Shaken” and changed the lyric “I will declare my choice to the nations” to “I will declare my Lord.” It’s a bit picky, but I think it’s a big difference. We aren’t the substance of our worship. Sure, it’s not a bad thing to tell someone about your decision for Jesus. But worship needs to have a God centered ethos and be less man centered. You shouldn’t be proclaiming yourself all throughout worship, which a lot of songs tend to do. It’s a lot about me praising God without praising him for what he has done.
So to a few particulars… I went to a few different churches in the summer to help some friends “church shop.” My pastor was on vacation and I thought it might be interesting to see how other people worship. So as I went to a church with a friend who was strongly contemplating Christianity, I thought it was interesting how she even picked up on this, saying something to the effect of, “Why do they put their hands up in the air as if they think God will notice them better?”
I didn’t really have an answer for that particular “rubric” as we would call it in my church. Haha. But I did explain that we worship God with our bodies, and not just in our minds. I’m not sure why people put up their hands, but I will try to give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
However, I’m not going to trash it because they are doing something with their body. I do things with my body in worship all the time too. Kneeling, lying prostrate, tracing my body with the sign of the cross, folding my hands in prayer, closing my eyes, standing up in song, and folding my arms during the sermon. That last one, just kidding, but, no really.
But I don’t do these things because I think it will please God. I do it because I need it for myself, I am able to receive God’s word and orient myself around it. As God has saved my spirit, so he has saved my body in the power of the resurrection, and I use my body for worship appropriately. It isn’t about me, but about God for me.
I think the difference lies in how people treat emotions. People often think that emotions are the Holy Spirit, and seek emotions rather than the Spirit who comes to us through the Word. And so dancing, and hand waving might be that high for them, possibly. But God doesn’t need our excitement, the way we think we do, but he demands our faith. Now emotions in worship aren’t bad, they come and go, but we don’t need to manufacture them.
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