Present with the Lord

 

A Pathway to Failure

1. David was a man after God’s own heart, sought and worshiped God, composer of worship music, valiant, a courageous leader, willing to wait on God’s timing to make him king and not take matters into in own hands. Yet, he was not cautious in his relationship with women.  

2. During the time while Saul was king, he had at least 3 wives, and after Saul’s death and becoming king, he took another 5, the last of which was Bathsheba. While some of these might have been political alliances and multiple wives was common at that time, the practice reflected a lack of self control that eventually led to adultery and murder.

3. How could someone with a heart for God get involved in such tragedy? David, now king had led his army to fight many times, but the writer of 1 Chronicles highlights a slight shift in his practice in I Chronicles 19:8, “When David heard about [an army coming to fight Israel] he sent Joab.” Later, he lead the army to defeat the enemy. But notice how the chronicler begins in chapter 20: “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces.”

An innocent pattern of staying home created the opportunity for a temptation that David did not resist. Even though he had 7 other wives, he chose to follow his lustful desires which led to adultery, murder, and established a model the led to the downfall of his son, Solomon.

4. While we may be aware of those things which are great temptations or weaknesses in our lives, we may pass over the innocent looking steps that create an opportunity for Satan to work. David remained king, but the consequences of his sin produced shame, disgrace, civil war, and lead to the failure of Solomon, even though he was the “wisest man” of his time. Accomplishing great things for God, leading others to worship, and being greatly blessed of God was not a vaccine against temptation.

5. We need to as God to make us sensitive to follow His leadership in temptation, and not allow us to create opportunities for failure by our own making.

As worship leaders, is it our responsibility to lead people into the presence of the Holy Spirit?

This is a great question, and on the surface, it seems as if the answer should be a simple, “yes.” However, since what God’s Word teaches is greater than our opinion, let’s review some issues as we develop an answer. 

The assumption for the above statement is a desire to worship. There are numerous passages and examples in Scripture, like the commands to praise in the Psalms. If we look at the word for worship in both the Old and New Testaments, the basic idea is bowing down in reverence. [I would encourage all to do a word study, but that is beyond the purpose of this.] Perhaps the most well-known example is that of Isaiah [chapter 6], in which God reveals Himself as holy [literally three-times holy, which was saying “holiest,” or most holy]. God has taken the initiative in that He was already in the temple before Isaiah had the vision. Immediately, the prophet sees himself as God sees him, and he confesses his sin, [individually and corporately], and is forgiven. The coal touching his lips was not only symbolic of God’s forgiveness, but preparation for his speaking for God. Verse 8 begins with the phrase, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying...” It wasn’t until He had seen God and His character, confessed his sins, and received forgiveness that he was able to hear God’s voice. Upon hearing God, “Who will go, whom shall I send?” Isaiah responds in obedience: “Here am I, send me!”  Worship has in its components God revealing Himself, a recognition of His nature and character, a recognition of sinful self, confession and forgiveness, listening to God, and responding in obedience. 

Another important passage about worship comes from the lips of Jesus Himself, when talking to the woman at the well.  In the conversation, she focuses on Jews worshiping in Jerusalem, but Samaritans worshiping on this mountain. Jesus’ response was clear: 

  “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Much has been written about this passage, and I would encourage study of it. I will just summarize in this way: Jesus was teaching that worshiping God is not about a place, but a person. God is Spirit, and to worship Him rightly must be done in spirit and truth, that is, His nature and character. Not only this, but God actually seeks those kinds of worshipers. 

When we surrendered our lives to Christ and His redemption, Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit began to indwell our lives; we are “filled with the Spirit.” We do not get “more of the Spirit” as we grow in Christ, but the Spirit gets more control and direction of our decisions as we daily surrender to His leadership. Perhaps another aspect of worshiping in Spirit and truth is surrendering our desires and the leadership of our lives to the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” [John 16:13] Truth, here is God’s will and direction. Truth is always consistent with the nature and character of God, purity, love, kindness, and holiness. So in worship, God takes the initiative to reveal Himself through His Word and His Spirit, giving us a glimpse of His nature and character.  

Let’s pull this together to apply to the original question:  As worship leaders, is it our responsibility to lead people into the presence of the Holy Spirit?  First, since God’s Holy Spirit is already present in each believer, this is a misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. In a similar vein, we do not “ask the Spirit to come to our worship," because He already there. Second, it is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin. Believers who come to worship with unconfessed sin in their lives must open their hearts to confess their sins and thank God for the forgiveness He offers. Third, since the Holy Spirit is already in the lives of each believer, and the Holy Spirit is convicting of sin, we must not confuse the role of the worship leader with the role of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and guides in all truth and glorifies Jesus.

The responsibility of the worship leader is to be a clean vessel that is able to be used by the Holy Spirit. Paul gives us direction in Colossians 3:16: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” All the music we use should be putting the Word of God and its truth in our hearts and on our lips, leading to praise and thanks to God. Manipulation is when we attempt to take on the role of the Holy Spirit, rather than allow the Spirit to work as He desires. We must first deal with any sin in our own lives and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to prepare to share the music in the best way we can. The measure of the depth of our worship is not by the depth of emotional response, but obedience to God’s will and Word.

 

 

 

An Application of Colossians 3:1-17 for Worship Leadership

 Context: The Theme of Paul's Letter

Paul's letter to the church at Colossae was written from prison to address gnostic heresies, having been briefed by Epaphras, who started the church. Among the heresies Paul addressed were an inferior view of Christ, philosophies not based on Christ, legalistic observance of traditions, viewing the body as evil, and false teachers who claimed to have a special view above the Scriptures. Overall theme: Christ is sufficient. Chapters 1 and 2 deal with the theological topics mentioned and chapters 3 and 4 with practical exhortations to live out God's truth. [CSB Bible Study Commentary, & Logos ] The focus of this study will be on 3:1-17, on how believers are to reflect Christlike character in their daily lives. {This study was inspired by Mike Harland's message at the SBC Church Music Conference, 2024. I am so grateful for his insights and the example he continues to live by.}

I. A New Life [Colossians 3:1-4 ]

 1. Since, [stated fact, because] then, you have been raised with Christ,[now have a new nature, a new position: with Christ.] set your hearts [affections, desires] on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [our desires, our affections set on Christ, who is over all and in control of all.] 

2 Set your minds [After setting our focus on Christ, we set our minds on the godly things, not on things of temporal value] on things above, not on earthly things. [This a choice, an act of the will; then it explains what we are to seek. If the choice were not possible, he would not have stated it. The emphasis is on “how,” the focus is on changing the way we think, which leads to a change of actions. However, our personhood is still in the process of being transformed into His image.]

3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [Our identity is now wrapped in that for which we were created, for His Holy Spirit now lives in us. The reason: we are no longer what we were, but now have eternal life with Christ and will be with Him in glory] 

4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. [Future focus, not just temporal]

Set your minds...

Remember Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, [all we are] holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. [Worship demands all we are; Jesus is Lord of all or not at all.] 

2 Do not conform [Act of the will, a choice, otherwise it would not be stated.] to the pattern of this world, but be transformed [How are we transformed:] by the renewing of your mind. By an act of the will we choose and ask the Holy Spirit to refocus our thoughts, and the way we think.] Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is [Not only will we be more able to discern God’s will, but have more of a willingness to do it.]—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” 

Our true and proper worship that pleases God is offering Him our life, based on God’s mercy and grace. When this occurs, we are transformed as we renew our minds and thoughts in Christ as we worship.

II. Therefore, put to death [Colossians 3:5-11]

5 Put to death, [Act of the will] therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,[Internal thoughts & thinking designed to fulfill carnal desires]  which is idolatry. [How is it idolatry? If we fix our lives on pleasing ourselves, we are worshiping ourselves, our focus is on ourselves.]  

6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.    [God will judge our thoughts and actions.] 

7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [A reminder of how we once were.]

8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. [Not optional if were are to follow Him. By an act of the will through the power of the Holy Spirit we rid ourselves: anger {internal feeling}, rage {outward expression}, malice {action produced by the former}, slander {truth with even intent}, filthy language {language that does not reflect Christ’s nature and character}.]

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [source of lies is Satan]

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. [ Change is a process, as we grow in the knowledge of Christ and apply it to our lives.] 

Although we are “new creatures” in Christ, the old nature and former sinful desires still exist and are constantly at war with our new nature. Part of “being made new” is the ongoing choice to follow Christ and not choose to follow the old ways from before we knew Christ. The process continues throughout our lives and culminates in heaven with Christ. Paul’s focus here is what to “put off”; what follows is what needs to be “put on.

11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. [Old biases and natures are not now how we identify who we are, but our relationship in Christ.]

III. Therefore, put on [Colossians 3:12-17]

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [“Clothe yourselves” is an act of the will and must accompany “putting off.” Simply trying to stop something will not work; we must put something in its place. Where the previous list was of things that were self-centered, how is this list different? The focus is not on pleasing oneself, but on the needs of others, and is similar to the fruit of the Holy Spirit and can only be done in His power.]

13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [Paul knew there would be conflict, etc., but that the unity of the body was key to growth. This is possible as we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness is giving God the desired vengeance we want on those who offend us. Christ forgave us by taking our sins on the cross; in forgiveness, we realize that no one could ever do us a greater sin than we had committed against the sinless Son of God, and then hand those offenses over to Him. To forgive as the Lord forgave us: [1] not based on whether or not we deserved it, [2] based on His love, not whether or not we “feel forgiving.” It is an act of the will as well.  In forgiveness, we release to God the vengeance we desire against those who hurt us, knowing that “vengeance is God’s,” not ours.] 

Forgiveness does not mean “forgive and forget,” that there are no consequences or acceptance of sinful behavior. Forgiveness is not a feeling we have, but an act of handing over the offender’s deserved punishment to God for Him to handle. It is an act of will; feelings will catch up with us. We are not to live by feelings, but by faith. How can we do that? Let’s look at Paul’s words: Forgive as the Lord forgave you. God forgave us completely, even though we didn’t deserve it. He restored fellowship. He chose to do this; he was not driven by feelings; this is how we are to forgive. Notice that Paul anticipated that there would be conflicts between brothers that would require “bearing with one another” and “forgiving one another.”

14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. [Clothe yourselves with love” Unity in the body is impossible without love, which will result in “peace” and thankfulness. Love is not a feeling but a commitment. It is a choice, an act of the will. We act in obedience, “in the love of Christ” and more often than not our feelings will catch up with us. It is no coincidence that the command to “clothe yourselves with love” follows “bearing with one another and forgiving one another.” Love is not a feeling, but a commitment to allow Christ to respond through us according to His nature and character.]

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. [It is no coincidence that the command to “clothe yourselves with love” follows “bearing with one another and forgiving one another.” Choosing to do so is an act of love. This will result in “the peace of Christ.” ]

“And be thankful.” Thanksgiving is a thread that ties all of these things together. Expressing our gratitude can help us respond as we are called to respond and bear with one another as we are supposed to. Our gratitude to God for His forgiveness of us can help us forgive others. Surely no one has ever done anything as great for us as we have done against God: it was for our sin that Christ suffered and died. Like love, thanksgiving is a choice, one that can literally help reframe our thinking. Worship cannot exist without gratitude.

16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Paul is not changing the subject here, but he is outlining a way to fulfill what he has commanded and the practicalities of living and working with other believers. God’s Word is to become an integral part of all that we are, not just casual readings to encourage us. Visitors only stay for a time; however, if we invite them to come live with us, sleep in our home, and eat with our family for an extended period, then they are “dwelling” with us; they are becoming part of the family. Paul is commanding us to make the Word an intimate part of our lives. As we fill our minds with God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will use it to renew our thoughts and minds.

IV. Now What?

How do we do this? “in all wisdom.” Not a random combination of things, but teaching and admonishing one another. Wisdom requires that we know the Word, teach it to others, and do so in a way that encourages them along the way. Not in a way that impresses them with how much we know, but in a way that allows them to find joy in growing more like Jesus and following his commands.

How can we do that? Paul gives an unexpected answer: through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. [Don’t get lost trying to make subtle distinctions between these three. Psalms seem obvious, and we think we understand what “hymns” are, but we need the biblical context to clarify. The word for “hymns” here is the same one used in Matthew 26:30 when after the Last Supper, they sang a “hymn” and went to the Mount of Olives. Since this was a Passover meal, they would have followed what was traditionally done, part of which was singing the Psalms. Many scholars believe they would have been singing Psalm 118, which begins, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his loving-kindness is everlasting!” If you follow the Psalm to verse 24, you will find Jesus singing, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Contemplate those words as you think about Jesus facing torture and the cross. All of this is to say that “hymn” in this context is not a song from a book, but was simply another way of referring to a “psalm.” “Spiritual songs” were songs that poured forth from the heart of the Holy Spirit in praise of God.] The point of the three listed in Colossians 3:16 is meant to be inclusive: everything we sing, regardless of the type, is to be instrumental in putting God’s Word into our hearts, minds, and lives.

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Notice the direction the songs are directed toward: singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Everything we sing is meant to serve the purpose of building God’s Word into our lives and is done to praise and honor God in a spirit of gratitude. Paul underscores this in verse 17: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Thankfulness can help build unity if we focus on God’s goodness and greatness, rather than our selfish desires. We can express our thanks by singing God’s Word, the Gospel message, through the songs we sing. And just in case we’ve forgotten something, Paul concludes with “and whatever you do…” do it as if Christ himself were doing it and give thanks. Paul and Silas had already set the example when they were chained in the Philippian prison: they sang and praised God, and so powerful was their singing that after the earthquake, the other prisoners did not leave, and the prison guard gave his life to Christ. This is the power of singing God’s Word in praise and thanksgiving.

So what? This is good information, but what do I do now? 

1. The focus of our growth in Christ is choosing to reorient the way we think to conform to the nature and character of Christ.

2. Choosing God’s way is an act of the will that not only rejects a previous lifestyle that was contrary to the nature of Christ, but replaces it with responses that reflect His compassion, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.

3. As we change our responses from selfish to loving responses, the body of Christ finds unity and peace.

4. Our worship should focus on our gratitude for who Christ is and what He has done, not on our desires.

5. The songs we sing should deepen our knowledge of God’s Word, singing with a thankful heart.

6. Examine how you relate to others; does it exemplify what Paul lists in verse 12: “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and humility of mind?”

 

Divine Appointments

        While reading in Isaiah during my devotional time this morning, I was reminded of Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian official in Acts 8:26-40.  In the midst of God’s movement in Samaria, the Holy Spirit directs Philip to the desert road to Gaza, where he is invited to come up and join the official who had been in Jerusalem to worship, and was reading from Isaiah. Reading out loud [in Hebrew] “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter...,” the passage from Isaiah 53. When the official asked about the passage, Scripture states, “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” [Acts 8:35] Isaiah 53 clearly states how the Messiah would suffer and die for the sins of the world. 

I think Philip did not stop in chapter 53 [No chapter divisions were made at that time.]. In 55:5-6, the prophet predicts that God would draw people from other nations: “Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Again, in 55:11, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  

But perhaps the most notable for the official who was a eunuch was in 56:3-7 “Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, 'The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever. And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—  these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Once the official realized that God was extending salvation to him as well, it is no wonder that he asked to be baptized, for he obviously believed and was confessing Jesus as Messiah. By his obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Philip was following Christ’s command to make disciples in Jerusalem [where he had started], Samaria [where God had led him and just had left], and to the uttermost parts of the earth. What an example of following God’s divine appointments!

Takeaways:

1. We must follow God’s leadership, even when on the surface it may not make sense at the time.

2. Where God leads us may not be a place of “even greater opportunity,” or at least by outward appearances.

3. We must be ready and available to take people where they are and know Scripture well enough to be available to be used.

4. God does not measure success like we do, but by obedience to His will and call.

New Resetting of the hymn text "At Calvary".

 

"At Calvary" reinterprets the text of the hymn of the same name and offers a fresh perspective on its profound message. It was specifically written and arranged for choirs with limited resources. The verses are sung in unison, while the chorus features a straightforward 4-part harmony. The instrumental demo can serve as an accompaniment track for groups with limited keyboard skills.

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/at-calvary-23016942.html

Right, Rigid, Relative?

We want to be “right,” after all, who wants to be “wrong?” For those whose faith is placed in Christ as Lord and Savior, we would say that God’s Word is our standard, our authority; God is “right;” Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. An issue arises when what one person believes is “right” seems to be in opposition to another’s understanding.  Here are some thoughts that I hope can help us through the quandary:           

1. Truth is not relative: 2 + 2 = 4, regardless of how I feel, regardless of my “personal truth”, period.  There is an absolute truth, and that truth is Jesus and His Word.  

  2. Because we are limited and not “all-knowing,” we can often see truth from different perspectives, not unlike a group of people on two sides of the street observing a traffic accident. They can accurately relate what they saw, and there might be a difference in the accounts. The Word of God is like a multi-faceted diamond and we are not able to see all sides at once. We tend to see that which holds our focus. What one sees may not be the same as what another sees. Regardless of the differences, since Scripture does not contradict itself, Scripture is still truth. When we find statements that seem in conflict, we need to pull back and understand the context for the original readers.

When a passage seems to convey a message that is not consistent with the whole of Scripture, then the issue is not with Scripture, rather it is not a teaching that is consistent with the whole. After Judas betrayed Jesus, in his remorse, he committed suicide. This is not teaching that when we sin, we do the same. That is not consistent with the rest of the Bible. When we find passages that believers disagree with, we must step back and, in humility, recognize that we do not know everything. [Even in heaven we won’t know everything —Only God knows “everything,” and even in heaven we will know “even as we are known,” but we will not be “God.”] It may be that we are only focusing on our “facet” and in heaven we will finally be able to see more.

3. This third option, to be “rigid,” seems to be ok, but does have some issues. We can be “rigid,” or hold on to the unchanging truth that God is in control, God loves us, God desires that all come to know and have a personal relationship with Him, that He has a plan for our lives, and that His Word is truth.  However, sometimes we are holding on to a limited understanding of the truth based on misunderstandings or a lack of knowledge. This kind of rigidity is often based on pride.  To admit change or another option means we might be “wrong,” and lose face.  This kind of rigidity is like the parent trying to show the child a better way to do something, and the child stubbornly refusing only wanting to do it “his way.” Only with time and maturity does this change. 

The disciple of the Lord must have a teachable spirit, or they will never mature.  Our faith and trust is in Christ. As someone has said, our faith is only as strong as the object of our faith, not how hard we may believe something.  As we grow in our faith, we become more teachable and less rigid about our understanding of Scripture. When we hear a teaching that seems to contradict what we understand, we need to be like the Bereans, who searched the Scriptures to see if what Paul taught was right. We must evaluate what is presented with the whole of God’s Word and see if it is a consistently taught truth.     

My prayer is that we continue to grow in the “knowledge and fullness of Christ” and be obedient disciples of the Lord’s commands.      [A great resource is Dr. Rhyne Putman’s When Doctrines Divide the People of God.] 

Prayer for our nation.

Oh God, forgive us.

We confess that we have sinned. You have shown us what to do and we have rejected and neglected Your commandments. As Your Word said, “he who knows to do good and does not do it, sins.” [James 4:17]

Oh God, forgive us.

We have embraced a desire for greatness contrary to Your nature and character.

Oh God, forgive us.

We have lauded and bowed down to riches and power that mocks Your character and ways.

Oh God, forgive us.

We have bowed to fear and forgotten that You alone are King of kings and Lord of lords.

Oh God, forgive us.

We have forgotten that the reason You have blessed us was to be the channel of those blessings to others in need.

Oh God, forgive us.

We have placed our trust in hoarding and placing our value in our accumulations and positions.

Oh God, forgive us.

We have embraced a “religion” of convenience and entertainment and neglected Your mandate to make disciples that reflect Your nature and character, not by our power, but by the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Oh God, forgive us.

We have embraced hate and forsaken love and compassion.

Oh God, forgive us.

We have praised lies and rejected truth.

Oh God, forgive us.

And now, Holy Father, we are seeing the fruit of our sinful choices. Father, we cry out to You and plead for forgiveness.

We pray with Habakkuk: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.

Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” [3:2]

Some thoughts on “Christian Nationalism”

One of the tenets of “Christian Nationalism” is to put Christians in all positions of government, etc., creating a Christian Utopia. This idea appeals to many sincere believers, especially when all around us seems like chaos. The following are some thoughts that I wanted to share about the subject.

1. The idea of God coming down and creating a new society is biblical; however, according to Scripture, this will only occur when Christ returns.

2. For years before Jesus’ birth, the Jewish idea of a Messiah would be one who would sweep in and conquer the brutal Roman rule and set this son of David to rule. This was one of the reasons they did not recognize Jesus as Messiah: they had misunderstood God’s Kingdom and timing in establishing it, as well as the purpose of Messiah in God’s plan of redemption. 

3. Over and over again, Jesus underscored His purpose: Coming as a servant, to seek and save those that were lost. The Jews wanted the “quick fix” that would re-establish self rule and Jesus’ words did not seem to fit into their pre-conceived plan.   Jesus clarified before Pilate that “my kingdom is not of this world.” This is not taking the comment out of its context, because the Romans feared an uprising and brutally crushed any threat. The Kingdom of God is spiritual. Pilate did not perceive any threat from Jesus.

4. God’s plan was to “go and make disciples of every nation” from the beginning. Change would come from the inside out, not from the top down. As yeast permeates the dough little by little, individuals transformed by the Gospel would lead others to Christ through believing in Him as Savior and Lord, confession, repentance, and disciplining others in Christ’s teaching and permeate the society.  Scripture never teaches to take over leadership and make laws that force Christian beliefs on the culture. Discipleship cannot be legislated.  

5. God brings His kingdom in, we do not. We share the good news of the kingdom. His kingdom is not defined by Christians in control of everything, but when Christ returns and brings it in.

6. God can and has worked through leadership that does not know Him. Cyrus was moved by God: “the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia” [2 Chronicles 36:22], Nebuchadnezzar [Jeremiah 25:9], Pharaoh was moved to see how God worked through Joseph, and even Paul commanded to pray for those in power; remember those in power were Roman pagans and emperors who considered themselves gods.  Early Christians obeyed the laws unless they violated God’s commands and willingly submitted to the punishment. To deny that God doesn’t use or cannot use leadership that does not know Him is to deny the absolute sovereignty of God. 

7. Some groups today claim that they have a “further word from God.” Truly, God does continue to speak, however, any “further word” must be consistent with the full message from Scripture. God does not contradict Himself. The temptation of Satan to Adam and Eve was to [1] question what God said and [2] have the power to determine what is right and good. When groups say that they have a “further word from God” but contradict the teaching of Scripture, they are claiming the right to say what is right over the Word of God. God does still speak, but it is primarily from His Word and illumination from it. Any dream, prophecy, or vision from God must be consistent with the overall teaching of God’s Word. Any further word that is not consistent is not from God and is a deception from Satan.

9. Remember Satan’s temptation of Jesus was seeking shortcuts in accomplishing God’s plan, the twisting of Scripture, not a denial of it, and seeking control outside of God’s design and plan. All that is taught must be subject to the test of consistency of the truth of God’s Word, not on miracles, dreams, or any other authority outside scripture. 

10. Discipleship has been God’s plan from the beginning, not a political takeover. Yes, Christians should be involved, but not for the purpose of control, but to share the Good News, and to be the example of the difference godly character makes.  Culture changes when the nature of the people in that culture changes from within, not from external law. Constantine attempted mandating the worship of only Christ, but like other instances, it ended in thousands coming into the church with no discipleship, or knowledge, and was destined to fail. God’s plan was discipleship, not declarations.

11. Christian Nationalism implies that God is only in control when Christians are in “power.” But leadership is not “Christian” unless it reflects Christ’s nature and character. Satan would have us believe that “the end justifies the means,” that half-truths, and accepting a leader that does not reflect Christ does not matter as long as he/she will go along with the goal. 

12. Just because someone is a Christian does not make them qualified to adequately accomplish a task, except the sharing of what God has done in their life through Christ. [I am Christian, but don’t ask me to work on your car; I am not qualified. In the same way, those that we elect must be qualified in the areas for which they will work or we will set them up for failure and tarnish the name and reputation of Christ.]

13. God has never relinquished His power and authority. Regardless of who carries the earthly title, God always has the last word. Sometimes God leaves someone in power who does not follow Him: Remember David was anointed king to replace Saul, however, he did not try to “make it happen,” but rather waited for God’s timing. David waited years, hiding in the wilderness and other places, and would not touch “the Lord’s anointed.” David waited saying that Saul would either die in battle or God would take him. David knew that Saul was out of the will of God, but it was more important to trust God to act than take the situation into his own hands to make the change, even though God had promised him the kingdom.  Another example is found in the life of Abraham. When the promise of God seemed delayed in giving him and Sarah a child [over 14 years], Abraham agreed with Sarah that they needed to take things into their own hands and she gave Hagar to him so that he could have a child. Not waiting on God produced hate and strife in every generation afterward. We must not fall into the temptation to “make it happen” but wait on God, trusting in Him to act in His timing.

14. Satan is the author of all lies..” Satan is the author of deceit. We only deceive ourselves to think otherwise.

15. Sometimes decisions are made based on fear, especially fear of suffering. Yet Jesus said, “In this world, you will have tribulation.” [John 16:33] Paul, in Philippians 3:10 states: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” 

The less we know of Scripture the more that we are susceptible to believing the deceptions. The ends do not justify the means. Christian leadership is only Christian if it reflects the very nature and character of Christ as He taught in Scripture. We must be wary of any leadership that claims to be Christian, but whose evidence of personal character is lacking.

Worship Leadership: as Work of an Artistic Master Craftsman

 Our pastor, Dr. Steven Weems, has been going through Exodus these past weeks and gave special emphasis in 31:1-4 that God had equipped Bezalel as an “artistic master craftsman.”  The following thoughts find their genesis in that Bible study.   

Exodus 31: 1Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.

Context: In Exodus 25 and following, God gives Moses details of how the Israelites worshipped. God has already equipped those He desires to lead out in this project. God is never haphazard in how He works. {Notice that though Moses does communicate the instructions, he does not do the work himself but relies on those to whom God has equipped.}                                        

See, I have chosen God had selected who He wanted: Bezalel, who was not even of the tribe of Levi, but of Judah.

I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge, and with all kinds of skills Whom God calls, He also equips, first he was filled with God’s Spirit. Notice that God’s infilling was for a specific purpose: to make artistic designs. To accomplish this task, God’s Spirit gave him wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skills.  Knowledge alone was not enough; skill alone was not enough; he needed discernment that could only come from the wisdom and understanding that only the Spirit of God could give.

to make artistic designs {The NASB uses “devise devices” as in the work of a master craftsman.}

The images on top of the ark of the covenant and the others woven into the curtains were not images for worship, but reflections of God’s holiness and majesty. The command to have “no graven image” was related to worshiping something other than the one true God, not the elimination of art not used as objects of worship.

Why did God insist on using a Master Craftsman, that would be filled with His Spirit in the making of the objects used in the tabernacle for worship? Just as the heavens and earth reflect the majesty and glory of God which He created, so anything that was to be used in worship was to reflect God’s nature and character. God chose a human master craftsman to reflect the beauty inherent in all that He does, even though in its actual use, very few would see the Ark since it would be behind the curtain in the Holy of Holies. It was not just to “show off.”  All related to the worship needed to reflect God’s holiness, His purity; so that even the sacrifices themselves had to be “without spot or blemish.”

Applications for Present Worship Practice.

The passages are “descriptive” and not directly “prescriptive;” that is, they describe how God was establishing worship practice from a new model distinct from what they had seen in Egypt. They are not providing building plans for current worship centers; we are no longer limited to a single place but are commanded to worship in Spirit and Truth as found in John 4. Though not “prescriptive,” there are some principles and truths that can be helpful today.

1. God’s nature has not changed. He is holy, perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing, full of mercy, grace, and love. We need to approach God with the awe of Who He is and in gratitude for what He has done; never casually, or flippantly.

2. All we offer to God in worship needs to be the best we can offer.  The “best” for some will be different than others but is acceptable in a similar way that a pint jar “full” of water and a gallon jug “full” of water are both “full.”

3. Worship leadership must be committed to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

4. Those involved in the leadership should aim toward developing their skills as a master craftsman. I am fully aware of the dangers and pitfalls of developing and performing as “art for art’s sake.” I am not promoting ridding our ministry teams of volunteers whose desire to serve is much greater than skilled artistry. Nor am I encouraging hiring only “professionals” who may be impeccable musicians, but lack spiritual depth. Worship is not performance. The success of the performance is based on audience response; in worship, there is only an audience of One– all participants yield all their efforts in the recognition of Who God is, What He has done, and responding in complete obedience to His commands.  Worship leadership is the facilitation of congregational response.

5. The temptation to “stop improving” is great, especially when we get to a point where we can function reasonably well, we allow the rigors of responsibility to take priority over skill development.  Great pianists remain that way because they never get to the point where they believe they don’t have to practice. The worship leaders that continue to develop the various aspects of their craft, while deepening their relationship and knowledge of God, maintain effectiveness throughout advancing years. Those who do not can become easily bored, discouraged, and seek other opportunities.

6. Whom God calls; He also equips. However, the equipping is a process that requires discipline on our part.

7. We must always remember that all that is done must be done for God’s glory and not that of those involved.

Haunting Thoughts: Psalm 106

Psalm 106 begins like so many of the others, a call for thanks and praise for who God is and what He as done [1-3]. In verses 4-5 the psalmist recites a personal plea for God to remember him with favor, which led him into a prayer of corporate confession of sin: not just for the sins of the past generation, but of those living now.

“6 We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, We have done wickedly. 7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.”

He then remembers how God in His mercy and grace saved them from the attacking army and delivered them:

“8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, That He might make His mighty power known. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; So He led them through the depths, As through the wilderness. 10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.”

When the threat was gone, they praised the Lord. But their focus was more on getting relief from their suffering than on praising God’s power and grace.

“11 The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left. 12 Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.”

Because their focus was on relief from suffering and hardship more than God and His goodness and grace, when the suffering stopped, they soon forgot all that God had done, and their focus returned to their pleasure and comfort. When they desired the meat and could only remember the “good times” of the past, they complained to God. However, God’s response this time was different:

“13 They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, 14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. 15 And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.”

God gave them what they desired, but because their focus was not really on Him, He allowed them to attempt to fill their desires with that which could not be satisfied, resulting in a “leanness in their soul.” The word “leanness” here can also mean “wasting disease,” but the basic result is the same: God was allowing them to experience the result of their desire and focus. Their hope and trust were in something that could not bring the results they so desired.  

This passage sends cold chills down my spine, for how many times in times of difficulty do I focus on my desire not to have to suffer and cry out to God? How many times are we, as God’s people, more concerned with personal comfort than allowing God to reshape our nature and character after His? Regardless of the difficulty, nothing would be worth God giving us over to our “desire” but allowing the “leanness of our souls.”

Knowing that God’s desire for us to develop holiness is greater than just personal comfort is a daunting thought. Notice in the psalm that it was preceded by a time of thanks and praise– but they soon forgot. Regardless of how great our songs of praise and worship are, if we do not keep focusing on God and what He desires, then we too will “soon forget.” We will fall back into complaining and longing for “the better times.” I believe that it is even possible that God may send temporary relief that would only reveal that our true focus was not on Him, but on ourselves and we would be left with the leanness of our desires and not Him.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

What is the remedy? What can we do? [1] Recognize as the psalmist did that some of their problems were of their own making, – they had sinned. [2] Confess sin, that is, see these thoughts, motives, and actions as God does: that which is contrary to His divine plan and will for our lives. [3] Repent: With the power of the Holy Spirit, turn our complaining into focusing on who God is and what He has done. [4] Remember: God desires that we reflect His nature and character so that the witness of His Spirit in us is not diminished or hindered and we bring Him glory.

What do we do with our desires and dreams that are good? In talking with my wife, Kathy, a godly woman with great insight, she stated it this way: Rather than try to force our way to realize our desires or do whatever it takes, we need to surrender these into God's hands and if He chooses to give it to us it will be at the right time and for His glory. If He chooses not to, we can know it was for our good and His glory. 

God's blessings.

Quick thoughts on growing older…

 Quick thoughts…

I was lamenting how age is affecting my body, and so many other aspects of the “me” I have understood for so many years, and in His kindness and mercy, God reminded me of the Zinias in our backyard. They were so beautiful for so long, and now they are barren, almost dead. Yet their purpose is not over, for out of their wilted blooms are  seeds we will use to plant again. We, too, are here only for limited time, to bloom and reflect God’s glory and purpose, but it does not end there, for we must be making seeds to pass on after we are gone.

When things are bad and God seems far away... Psalm 77

Some thoughts that helped me this morning during my time with the Lord and I pray might be for you as well:

1. I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. 2 I sought the Lord in my day of trouble. My hands were continually lifted up all night long; I refused to be comforted. 3 I think of God; I groan; I meditate; my spirit becomes weak. Selah

At times we find ourselves in deep anguish, circumstances change, those we love may be suffering beyond our capacity to understand, or even in our attempts to be obedient things just seem to get worse. The psalmist was going through one of those times, though we don’t know exactly why.  Sometimes we pray and... nothing. We pray and we just seem weaker. “Selah” could mean several things, from a musical interlude to pausing to reflect; regardless, let’s do just that: Pause and reflect on a situation in your life right now that might fit the psalmist’s words.  

4 You have kept me from closing my eyes; I am troubled and cannot speak. 5 I consider days of old, years long past. 6 At night I remember my music; I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders. 7 “Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor? 8 Has his faithful love ceased forever? Is his promise at an end for all generations? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah

It’s time to stop and pause again. Memories of days when God was so real; memories of his songs of praise seem to get lost a feeling that God has changed. Discouragement can twist our understanding of God’s nature and make us even question God’s motives. The Psalmist then gives us hope:

10 So I say, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.” 11 I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember your ancient wonders. 12 I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions. 13 God, your way is holy. What god is great like God? 14 You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples. 15 With power you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

First, he is honest about how he feels and what he is thinking, but he doesn’t just stop there. Then, though he is confused that God seems to be responding differently, by an act of will he chooses to focus on the work of God: “I will remember,” “I will reflect..” These are more than just future actions; they are conscious decisions that change the focus of his thinking.  He begins to focus on God’s nature from God's works: “God, your way is holy.”  We are encouraged to “Pause and reflect again.” When things seem to be completely chaotic, stop; go ahead and state what you are feeling, but then ask yourself, “What is the truth of God in this situation?” “What do I know is true about God, regardless?” He is in control. He is love and loves you and those you love; even those we do not love. God has a plan and we can trust Him to do what is right, even when we cannot see it right now.

16 The water saw you, God. The water saw you; it trembled. Even the depths shook. 17 The clouds poured down water. The storm clouds thundered; your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind; lightning lit up the world. The earth shook and quaked. 19 Your way went through the sea and your path through the vast water, but your footprints were unseen. 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

The Psalmist finishes the psalm focusing on God’s great acts in the past, showing His complete control over all. Notice that God led the Israelites “through the sea” not around it. Even when God’s “footprints were unseen,” it doesn’t mean that God was not there: We can be assured that God is with us, always. Let’s “pause and reflect" on Who God is and What He has done and is doing; then thank and praise Him!

Seven Interesting Parallels in the book of Judges and the Present

 1. Failure to work together and giving up when things get tough. Once the individual tribes received their allotment, there still were areas to conquer. Though a few of the tribes joined together to help each other, most attempted to go it alone and only had limited success and gave up. [Judges 1:19, 21, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34.] 

 2. Failure to teach their children the ways of the Lord. “That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors, After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works he had done for Israel.” [Judges 2:10; see also 3:1-4] 

 3. They cried out to God only when they thought they needed Him. When suffering the consequences of their idolatry at the hands of their enemies, they would cry out to God, who in mercy and grace would send a leader. Their desire to be released from their suffering was greater than their desire to seek and follow God. [A major theme throughout the book.] 

 4. Weaknesses of the leaders led them to worship the trappings of victory, rather than the God of victory. After Gideon’s triumph, the people began to worship the ephod he had made, rather than the God who had given them the victory. [Judges 8:27] 

 5. Leadership started well but failed to finish well. [Gideon, Judges 8:25-32] 

 6. The people chose leaders who openly violated God's laws, choosing those with the appearance of “strength” rather than Godly character and leadership. [Abimelech-Judges 9, Samson-Judges 13-16] 

 7. The people followed ‘their own truth,” and not God. “In those days there was no king in Israel, everyone did whatever seemed right to him.” [Judges 17:6, 21:25] 

 So What? 

Rather than culture shaping our beliefs, culture has had a greater influence than the church. We need to embrace the principles given in Scripture. Unfortunately, the Christian community is more recognized for the divisions within and the moral failures of leaders than for living examples of Christ’s teachings. We have failed to show to those outside of the church the difference Christ can make in living with integrity and emotional health. We need to seek and worship God because of Who He is, not just because of what He can do for us, and seek leadership who will do the same. 

Let’s join in prayer and repentance to become all that God calls us to be and share the Gospel that is “good news” for our day and culture. 

Focus: Just a few words of encouragement...

“Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.”   [Exodus 6:9]

Initially, the Israelites recognized Moses was sent from God, that God had heard their cries of suffering and was now going to lead them out of Egypt. But when Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and ask to leave, Pharaoh calls them “slackers” and increases their load of labor, requiring the same quota of bricks, but not giving them the straw to make them. Then, he has their overseers beat them because they are not “keeping up.” 

The people go to Moses complaining, stating that he was the cause of their suffering. Moses goes to God, telling Him that he had obeyed,  Pharaoh’s response and that the people are worse off than before. God assures Moses who “He Is” and tells the Israelites that now they will see the hand of God at work– but they cannot hear or believe because of their pain.

The pain and suffering are real. The blood from the lashes on the backs of the laborers was not an illusion. The hope of deliverance vanished in the hopelessness they saw in the situation.  When we shift our focus from the truth of who God is and His promise to the difficult circumstances we may be experiencing, we will lose hope and discouragement will come.  When we choose to focus on the truth of who God is, we are not denying the gravity of the pain, and the severity of our circumstances, but placing them into the hands of the only one who can really do anything about them. 

Through trusting God amid hurt, we get to know Him in deeper and richer ways: in distress and grief, our Comforter; in confusion, our Rock and Teacher; in sickness, our Healer; in danger, our Shelter.  Leaning on what s the truth of God in our circumstances builds our faith and helps us grow in Him.  

How can we do this?  Here are some ways to begin: 

1. Lay out your hurts and situation before the Lord in prayer. Share your honest feelings and fears, confusion, anger, and hurts to Him. 

2. Recall Who God is, His great works, His love for us that sent Jesus to suffer and die for us; recall His greatness, His mercy, and grace.  

3. Thank Him for Who He Is and that He has not changed. 

4. Give Him, lay before His feet all these feelings, people, situations, —give them all to Him in faith.  

5. Remember Jehoshaphat’s prayer when surrounded by the enemy: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” [2 Chronicles 20:12]. 

6. Thank Him for what He is going to do. Wait and hope in Him. 

7. Remember: You are not alone, He has promised never to leave or forsake us.

The Experience of Worship: God, Emotions, and Music

Kathryn Steele, Ph.D., Psychology and Counseling, MAMFC, LPC-S, LMFT-S

Written by Kathryn Steele, Ph.D., Psychology and Counseling,  & Edward Steele D.M.A. Church Music, Composition & Voice Concentration

Scripture teaches that man was created in the image of God.1 The God of the Bible is described as having and expressing emotions, so an assumption of this paper is that being created in the image of God would imply that humankind, made in his image would also possess emotions.2 However, because of sin and resulting fall, that nature was corrupted and no longer reflects the nature of God as he intended, but rather is self-directed. The relationship with God who is holy was broken and his creation suffered the results of the separation. God, in his grace and mercy, provided a way to restore the relationship with himself through trusting in the work of his Son, Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection provide the ransom needed for the restoration. The apostle John referred to this as being “born again,” and becoming “children of God.”  

As a result of the broken relationship in the fall, emotional response patterns, which are created within the body, became corrupted and the expressions of those response patterns often became destructive, rather than serving as messengers to tell the individual that there is something important they need to notice. From the beginning, emotions in humankind served as messengers. For example, fear (a physiological chemical response when the limbic system senses a threat) warns the individual to prepare to fight, run, or freeze. Implied in the analogy of becoming a child of God is the idea of transformation. The corrupted emotional response patterns that were a part of the fallen nature have the promise of being transformed through conversion, with the emotions being available once again as “messengers,” fulfilling God’s original design and purpose for emotions. Just as believers possess two natures, the new redeemed nature and the old fallen nature (Romans 6:6), so the emotions of believers have similar qualities of the two. Followers of Christ can allow their emotions to serve as messengers about beliefs and behaviors, rather than “directors of belief and behavior.”  Because the transformational process is a cooperative effort of the self and the Holy Spirit (Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13) the propensity to continue in the old emotional patterns also exists. As the believer grows in the knowledge of who God is and what he desires and grows in an obedient relationship with God, there is an increase in the ability to recognize when emotionally driven behaviors fail to reflect the truth or character of God. 

Research in recent years has demonstrated that music can evoke various emotional responses. 

Although researchers still debate the degree of overlap between music-evoked emotions and emotions evoked in everyday life, there is now evidence that music can evoke changes in the major reaction components of emotion, including subjective feeling, physiological arousal (autonomic and endocrine changes), motoric expression of emotion (such as smiling) and action tendencies (for example, dancing, singing, playing an instrument, foot tapping and clapping, even if only covertly).3

More recent researchers have narrowed the common emotions from eight to four: fear, anger, joy, and sadness.4 These four emotions (and the variations which express the intensity of the emotion) are all expressed in the Scriptures, by God, Jesus, and humans. Research reveals that emotions are tied to physical chemicals and patterns of response built into the brain. Emotions, like fear and anger, prepare individuals for environmental challenges. These are connected to safety, “preparing us to meet challenges encountered in the environment by adjusting the activation of the cardiovascular, skeletomuscular, neuroendocrine, and autonomic nervous system.”5 Emotions can also be driven by physiological conditions, such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, the impact of a heart attack, surgeries, lack of sleep, and the rise and fall of hormones, as well as some medications. A discussion of the emotions of God, and the emotions of humankind follow. 

How does this connect with the role music plays in the individual, and specifically, in the individual at church, engaged in a worship service? Are there any necessary precautions worship leaders need to take into consideration? The purpose of this paper is to begin to draw together ideas to address these questions. 

Emotions of God

God is Spirit and not physical, so a discussion of the emotions of God is not tied to chemicals within a physical brain, but pure and perfect reflections of his nature and character. When God created humankind in his image, he created a physical body able to produce the chemicals related to emotional responses. So that God could communicate himself to his creation, he chose to describe his actions in a way that would be comprehensible: Scripture mentions that he has thoughts, and God is mentioned as having hands, but all these are only anthropomorphisms enabling his creation to at least partially comprehend the incomprehensible. 

Sadness 

Of the four basic emotions: sadness, joy, anger, and fear, Scripture indicates that God does not express fear since he is greater than all, and all-knowing. Scripture does give examples of God expressing sadness expressed as grief over the wickedness of his creation: “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:6). Isaiah states God was grieved: “Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.” (Isaiah 63:10) and Ezekiel 6:9, “how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts.” The Apostle Paul mentions that the Holy Spirit of God can also be grieved by sinful actions: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:30).  Sorrow is akin to grief and perhaps the greatest biblical example is Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane: “Then he said to his disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” ( Matthew 26:38). 

Joy

In Nehemiah 8:10, the “joy of the Lord” is mentioned: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength,” as does Jeremiah: “Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it’” (Jeremiah 33:9). The prophet Zephaniah expresses the joy of God toward his people with singing: “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love, he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). When the seventy disciples return from the mission for which Jesus had commissioned them, he is joyful: “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do” (Luke17:13). After the discourse about the Holy Spirit, Jesus exclaims: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). In Jesus’ high priestly prayer, he again mentions his joy: ““I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them” (John 17:13). The fruit of the Holy Spirit includes joy: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Anger

The anger of God is a result of human actions that do not follow his perfect plans and will. In Scripture, God’s anger is linked to the holiness of his nature in reaction to that which is contrary or demeaning to it. Idolatry and evil behavior demean the character of God by actions that are in direct disobedience to what has been commanded. The anger of God is his response to the affront to his perfect holy nature and is expressed in the Old Testament by vengeance, rage, and wrath. God’s responses are usually related to his love for mankind, and knowledge as the Creator toward the destructiveness of the behaviors discussed above. The following passages are representative of the many in Scripture.

In Exodus 32:9-10, God tells Moses: “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone, so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation,” after they begin to worship the golden calf.  God is angry with Balaam when he agrees to go with the messengers of Balak to curse the  Israelites: “But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him  (Numbers 22:22). When David was moving the ark of God to Jerusalem, God struck down Uzzah for touching the ark:  “The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God” (2 Samuel 6:7). Time and time again the Lord expressed his anger for the idolatry and false worship of his people.  However, God’s anger is tempered with his mercy: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” (Micah 7:18), and Psalm 30:5: “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.” 

The Incarnate Son of God also showed anger during his earthly existence. When religious leadership was more concerned with adherence to the legal systems they had devised than the needs of those around them, Jesus showed anger: “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored” (Mark 3:5).  

Humans Emotions 6

Anger

Anger is an emotion that comes when a person is threatened in some form. It can also be a result of unfulfilled expectations. This is a natural response from the limbic system in the brain which God created. The limbic system is the only part of the brain that is fully developed and working from birth. It serves as a warning system of danger and threat. 

If a threat is likely, the amygdala sounds the alarm to the rest of the brain that energy may need to be diverted to prepare to respond to the danger. When it appears to the amygdala there is a threat, it redirects the hypothalamus to begin producing extra cortisol and adrenaline. The sole purpose of these hormones is to motivate and produce movement in the body, shown in the response of fight or flight.7

When a person is physically or emotionally hurt, stress hormones are released as the limbic system perceives the threat which results in one of three responses:  fight (anger), flight (fear), or freeze (being overwhelmed).  A common response to criticism from another person is allowing the emotion to direct behavior rather than receive the comment and evaluate the “why” of the emotional response. How one responds establishes emotional response patterns that can ignite highly defensive reactions of fight, flight, or freeze, or weighted verbal responses that are rooted in analyzing why. 

For example, suppose that the worship leader receives an extremely critical email about the choice of music or a verbal attack from a member of the worship team. Physically, there is an immediate surge of the stress hormone into the system. A common response would be to immediately jump to the defense with a reply that is equally sharp [fight], delete the email, or ignore the remark [flight], or to freeze in confusion. If the individual has poor emotional health, and self worth is based on personal performance rather than rooted in what Christ has done in his or her life, one of the above responses is likely. The emotional response of fight (anger) in the person’s life may become a pattern of response when similar situations are experienced.  An emotionally healthy person is prepared to step back, remember that personal worth is not determined by other people, and evaluate the comments to see if there is some kernel truth they need to own, remembering everyone has personal limits and areas for growth. The emotionally healthy individual also recognizes how family and past experiences have influenced their perspective.

Fear

Using the same example: the worship leader receives an extremely critical email about the choice of music or a verbal attack from a member of the worship team. Physically, there is an immediate surge of the stress hormone in the system. A common response might be to have a fear (flee) response. The worship leader decides it is time to move on to another church and actively searches for positions in other churches. Each time he receives criticism, his response is to flee.

Fear often expresses itself as insecurity, crippling the desire to act and hampering positive relationships with others. The source of fear may be an early childhood trauma such as being constantly criticized or experiencing repeated failure and embarrassment. Directly or indirectly the message received is “warning: failure ahead!” Self-worth, based on personal performance rather than being rooted in one’s identity in Christ, leaves the individual with no defense to counter the message. Attempts are made to “prove others wrong” by overworking, or striving for perfection to substantiate their sense of self-worth. While achievements gained in this way might address the inward feelings, the results are temporary and the person lives in the tension of a failure that may destroy his or her sense of self-worth. Only by the realization that one’s value and worth are based on what Christ has done can the insecurity be mastered as expressed in good emotional health. 

Another type of fear is discussed in Scripture: fear of God. When admonished to fear God, the intent is one of awe, wonder, reverence, and respect. When speaking of the fear of God in this sense, the emotions created are awe and wonder, and these lead to a response of reverence and respect. Fearing God in this sense is always appropriate and is commanded in Scripture: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding ” (Proverbs 9:10).

Sadness

The writers of Scripture also approached God in humility, contrition, a broken spirit, seeking his mercy and grace: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18) and Isaiah 66:2: “Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?' declares the Lord. 'These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit and who tremble at my word.'”  

Unfulfilled expectations can not only result in anger but also disappointment and sadness, a sense of loss. The loss of a family member or friend, broken relationships, and other tragedies can result in emotional pain and loss. Attempts to hide grief and loss only delay the ultimate result and can begin to manifest themselves in other ways. A person’s family history provides the most basic model for how grief and loss are handled. If stoic responses were the norm in a person’s family while growing up, the individual would most likely close those emotions of loss in the closet of the mind and pretend that all is ok. Unfortunately, after time the weight of failing to process the loss will manifest itself in other ways.  

Awe 

Scripture is replete with multiple expressions of emotions related to the worship of God.  Perhaps the most common expression of emotion as the people of God approached God to worship was that of awe. Awe is related to joy and surprise but in a much greater way. Throughout the Bible, men and women were overwhelmed with the greatness and power of the Creator and Lord of the universe.  Not only did people respond in awe, but Scripture also commanded them to fear and reverence God, which was the beginning of wisdom.  In the culmination of all things, myriads of believers from every tribe, tongue, and nation will bow in awe and holy reverence to the Son of God and give him glory. 

The believer not only expresses reverential awe to God but also a desire and longing to know him more. The image of desiring God as one longs for water in the desert reflects deep emotion for wanting to know God: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2).  As the psalmist meditated on God and his works, the emotion of joy expressed itself through gratitude for all that God had done would overflow into praise for his nature and character. Psalm 100 encapsulates this idea:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his[a];

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

    and his courts with praise;

    give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Love

Because of the common cultural misconception of love as an emotion, a discussion of love as it is understood in Scripture is necessary. The term in Hebrew for God’s faithful love, loyal, or everlasting love, is chesed, however, no one English word or phrase can fully encapsulate the depth and richness of its meaning. “When ‘loyal love’ (chesed) is used about people, it represents a type of fidelity or loyalty that leads to action.”8 In the New Testament, the term agapē can refer to: God’s love (Luke 11:42; John 5:42; Rom 5:8; Jude 1:21), a person’s love for God (Rev 2:4), or love for one another (Rom 13:10; Gal 5:13).9 The Greek agape translated as love, describes a giving and sacrificial love that is not dependent on a positive response of its receiver, nor is it dependent on an emotion.  Agape love is a choice. “Love” that fails to respond in action cannot be truly called biblical love. The love of God is not dependent on the ability of the recipient to return love in kind, it is part of the essence of his very nature and character. When the relationship with God is restored by accepting the work of reconciliation through the death of Christ, biblical love becomes a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the individual, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

However, in the present Western culture, “love” has been reduced to an emotional response, measured by how one person makes another “feel” connected. The sense of connection is somewhat complex because it is actually a sense of “connection” with the other person that is felt. That is a chemical response generated by the body. Research has shown that about 40,000 neuron cells are in the heart. 

These cells release noradrenaline and dopamine neurotransmitters, once thought to            be produced only by neurons in the CNS. More recently, it was discovered that the heart also secretes oxytocin, commonly referred to as the ‘love’ or bonding hormone. In addition to its functions in childbirth and lactation, recent evidence indicates that this hormone is also involved in cognition, tolerance, adaptation, complex sexual and maternal behaviours, learning social cues and the establishment of enduring pair bonds.10

This sense of connection is generated by those chemicals and is key to creating the lasting bonds of marriage. However, various factors influence maintaining the sense of connection. These factors are not “emotions” but rather spring from behaviors that cultivate the ongoing creation of oxytocin. “Feeling connection” by the creation of oxytocin does not always protect an individual from making a mistake in their choice to marry someone. It is critical that the cultural use of the word “love” not be confused with the biblical understanding and use of the term.  

Worship and  Emotional Experience

After a general understanding of God’s emotions, and human emotions, the question of how emotions relate to worship? In worship, the believer approaches the throne of grace with awe and wonder in the realization of the greatness of who God is, and the wonder of the mercy and love that provides the way for the Holy One to be approached. In response, the believer moves, in humility, from sorrow and repentance to meditating on the enormous cost of sin involved in redemption. In contemplating the magnitude of the love of God, sorrow is transformed into gratitude, and from gratitude to an overflowing joy and peace from the Holy Spirit. Out of these responses comes a commitment to obedience and growth in the wisdom and knowledge of God and the relationship with him. 

In studying the progression above a central truth emerges: the believer’s response is always in relationship to God, not from focusing on self. The goal of approaching God in humility is not peace or joy, but a response to understanding Who God is to deepen the relationship. Love, joy, peace, and obedience are natural byproducts of the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer from worshiping in spirit and in truth. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...;” the issue comes in human attempts to produce that which only the Spirit can rightly give. Such attempts only lead to moving the focus away from God to self and trying to manufacture fruit. Self-orchestrated or self-directed emotional responses are like the Turkish Delight from the White Witch in Lewis’ Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, a fleeting taste of what might have been that evaporates into unfulfilled longing. 

To better understand what is occurring in self-directed emotional response, it is necessary to look at what happens physiologically in the human body:

Scientists have shown how certain practices of music—such as a congregation singing the           doxology at full volume—evoke “neural activation that is shared among listeners in key emotion            areas such as the amygdala, insula, and caudate nucleus.” These experiences create a surge of endorphins and a release of oxytocin, resulting in a  heightened sense of “fellow feeling,” a                    deepening of “social bonds,” a loss of self-protective “boundaries,” and an increased sense of                  “feeling felt by another”—which is to say, an increased sense of empathy. In terms of the scientific theory of “Hebb’s axiom,” neurons that fire together wire together, and a people who sing together experience a wiring together of their neural networks. They become tethered to one another in neurological and physiological ways, not just in affective or relational ways.11

The act of singing together as a congregation, fully engaged in this act of worship produces chemicals in the body that produce “heightened” feelings. Not only this but music can be linked to past experiences and attach themselves to that music: “The relationship between music and memory is compelling. Songs from the past can stir powerful emotions and memories. It’s an experience almost everybody can relate to: hear a piece of music from decades ago, and you are transported back to a particular moment in time, like stepping into a time machine. You can feel everything very strongly as if you were actually there.”12   Songs linked to meaningful experiences from the past can release chemicals in the brain that produce feelings of pleasure, which might help explain why one generation fails to relate to each other’s musical preferences: they do not have shared meaningful experiences related to each others’ music and the feelings tied to the memories do not exist. This is not to minimize the significance of that experience, reducing it to only chemical reactions in the body, but to realize how the body responds and how strong memories are established by them. Neither does this understanding of how the body works minimize the role of the Holy Spirit’s working, but only explains what is happening physically. God, who created the human body is well able to use every cell for his will and purpose. 

Understanding how the body responds in the varied worship experiences leads to the realization of at least two dangers: First, the danger of manipulation on the part of the worship leader to use the music to produce a desired experience.13 Such mapping out the music to obtain the experience desired could be confused with the work of the Holy Spirit. “Rather than a worship leader seeing the crowd’s emotional response–raised hand, closed eyes, or tears–as a sign of successful set, ...the thoughtful shepherd will use what he calls the ‘emotional contours of the gospel’ (‘the glory of God,’ ‘the gravity of sin,’ and ‘the greatness of grace’) to shape musical worship and avoid manipulation.”14  The effectiveness of worship is not in the experience, but in the obedience to God as a result of the worship.

A second danger is that the experience in worship is so strong that the focus for the individual becomes the desire to repeat the experience and confusing the feelings that were experienced with biblical worship which centers itself in God. This is like the father who had a habit of bringing a gift to his children every time he was away on a business trip. Eventually, the children become more excited about the gift than the return of the father. The experience for some in worship becomes more about repeating the felt experience than focusing on the greatness of who God is and what he has done, resulting in measuring the depth of worship by whether or not the experience had been repeated. 

Not all individuals will experience worship in the same manner, so measuring the worship experience of others to one’s own experience is unreliable.  Jesus did not heal all the people the same way; to some he touched, to one he made mud out of his spittle and rubbed it into the person's eyes, and to some, he only spoke the word. The key lesson here is that the focus must be on Jesus, not the method. Not all experiences will and should be the same and the measure of the validity of the experience is not left to personal feelings, but that the center and focus of the experience is God. Dependence on an expected experience as the measure of worship is another form of idolatry.

Some other driving forces in self-orchestrated emotional response are (1) the desire or motivation to focus attention on those leading or facilitating worship, (2) the lack of understanding of what biblical worship is, (3) the lack of preparation of those leading and of the individuals worshiping, and (4) misuse of the elements used in worship, such as the music used.  The remainder of this paper will address these issues. 

Misguided Attention 

The worship leader or facilitator who does not have good emotional health is more at risk of failing to see the signs that his or her motivations are rooted in a deep desire for approval or an attempt to earn worth as a leader, rather than understanding that personal worth is a result of what Christ has done in the life of the individual. A failure to understand this basic truth can lead to ongoing attempts to prove oneself as good, acceptable, or even better than others. Only by recognizing this motivation, confessing it before God, and accepting the fact that acceptance is not earned, but only given as an act of grace can the process of reorientation of self-worth begin. 

Lack of Understanding Biblical Worship

One of the results of the worship wars of previous decades and the controversy that has continued was the tendency to define worship by personal tastes rather than by biblical understanding. Here is a brief summary of what a biblical understanding of worship involves: (1) God is the center and focus of all worship. (2) Worship activities focus on the nature, character, and acts of God, including God plan of redemption and consummation of his work. (3) Corporate worship is realized by the Body of Christ, and not for entertainment of the Body. (4) All activities related to worship must be consistent with the teaching of Scripture.  Discipleship is incomplete if a biblical understanding of worship is not a part of the process.15 

Those responsible for facilitating worship should have a strong biblical understanding and personal practice of worship, otherwise, they will be ill-equipped to facilitate worship for the congregation. While the skill of playing or accompanying an instrument is crucial and the ability to lead a group or have strong skills in working with people is necessary, without the personal spiritual depth and emotional health the leader limits himself or herself in attempts to copy what others have done. The leader cannot take someone where they have not been. Formal training in worship leadership is vital and this education is a lifelong process. Just as doctors are required to continue their education to remain proficient in their practice, those in worship leadership should be no less committed to continued learning. The worship leader whose only time of worship happens in front of the congregation is robbed of the personal preparation necessary to lead worship. Many times the rush of Sunday morning preparation supplants time for the worship group to spend time in the presence of the Father. It is easy for there to be more concern about smooth transitions than the transparency of motivation and placing all before God in prayer. 

Lack of Preparation

Great care is needed in planning the various elements of corporate worship: readings, prayers, music, and preaching. The public reading of Scripture must be done well, appropriate for the service, and read expressively. Those who lead in public prayer need to know ahead of time, rather than be surprised when asked to pray. Those leading should be those whose public prayer life is an outgrowth of a vital private prayer life. Much has been written on sermon preparation, and that topic goes beyond the goal of this writing. While planning is not wrong in and of itself, a weakness lies in making emotional experiences the goal and using music to manipulate them to achieve it.

Role of Music

Music is a powerful tool to teach and meditate on God, to adore him, and to allow individuals to participate in unified expressions of praise by congregations. Ranging from joy to lament, emotions can and should be expressed through the songs used in worship. Research indicates when an individual verbalizes emotions (even in song), the frontal cortex is stimulated to send a calming chemical to the limbic system to lower strong negative emotions.16 The more informed leaders of worship and worshippers begin to understand and evaluate their emotional responses and deepen their understanding of biblical worship, the more they will experience character transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. The growth in this understanding can aid in responding to a culture that seems to be addicted to the Turkish Delights of worship that focuses on positive personal feelings rather than biblical truth. This trend in the church has taken years to develop and will not be changed overnight. Biblical worship is expressed in biblical emotional response and obedience. Biblical emotional response in worship leads to obedience because it is focused on God and not on the self. The key is avoiding contrived attempts to produce the fruit through the music that only the Spirit can produce.  Addressing the issue is extremely complex and there are no quick fixes or magic bullets to solve the problems. The following are some considerations for a solution:

1. Commitment to discipleship that includes a biblical understanding and practice of worship.17

2. Teaching how to recognize when the focus of worship is on experience rather than the person of God.18

3. Commitment to spiritual growth and working on personal emotional health, such as being before doing, embracing limits, accepting grief and loss, breaking the power of the past, leading out of vulnerability, and making love the measure of maturity.19

4. Training in worship leadership and worship planning that facilitates worship born out of emotional health rather than attempts to produce an emotional response.20 

5. Training in planning worship from a biblical understanding of worship which is reflected in the elements of the worship service.21

6. Regular review and evaluation, realizing that lasting change is a marathon and not a sprint. 

Endnotes

1. Anthony Hoekema provides a scholarly, yet accessible explanation of this subject in his  Created in God’s Image. https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/articles/created-in-gods-image-2/ .

2.  David Eckman and Kimberly Grassi’s Theology of Emotions: How to Minister to Our Emotions, (Pleasanton, CA: Becoming What God Intended Ministries, 2005), 10-11.

3. Stefan Koelsch, “Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions” in Reviews: Neuroscience. 170 | March 2014 | Volume 15  Macmillan Publishers Limited.  Access June 29, 2023, https://www.nature.com/reviews/neuro.

4. R. Jack, O. Garrod, and P. Schyns, (2014). “Dynamic facial expressions of emotion transmit an evolving hierarchy of signals over time.” Curr. Biol. 24 187–192. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.11.064, Accessed 23 November 2023, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24388852/.

5. Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Web Page Resources “The Neurobiology of Reactions to Stress: Fight or Flight, Then Freeze,” Oct 2016. Accessed  November 22, 2023, https://www.wcsap.org/resources/publications/tips-guides/youth-advocacy-therapy-tips/neurobiology-reactions-stress.

6. “The website “Good, Good, Good” gives a list of more than 544 emotion words that are descriptive of different intensities of the four primary emotions, but due to the limitations of this paper, the authors will continue to use the four primary emotions of anger, fear, joy, and sadness: Good, Good, Good.” Accessed November 23, 2023, https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/list-of-emotions.

7. Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Web Page Resources “The Neurobiology of Reactions to Stress: Fight or Flight, Then Freeze,” Oct 2016. Accessed  November 22, 2023, https://www.wcsap.org/resources/publications/tips-guides/youth-advocacy-therapy-tips/neurobiology-reactions-stress.

8. Benjamin I. Simpson, 2016. “Love.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

9. Ibid.

10. M. Cantin and J. Genest (1986), “The heart as an endocrine gland,” Clinical and Investigative Medicine; 9(4): 319-327. Accessed November 22,  2023, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3026709/.

11. W. David O. Taylor, Accessed August 29, 2023, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/august-webonly/worship-church-music-hymns-brains-bonds-together.html. 

12. Dennis Beentjes & Robin Reumers, Accessed 15 November, 2023, https://abbeyroadinstitute.nl/blog/emotion-in-music-giving-you-the-chills/.

13.  Such could be by the use of rhythmic drive, tempo, volume, staged movements, repetition, pace, etc. While these are common elements in music, the difference would be that the purpose of such use is to initiate a given response.

14. Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, “Worship Music Is Emotionally Manipulative. Do You Trust the Leader Plucking the Strings?” Christianity Today, Accessed November 20, 2023, http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/may-web-only/worship-music-emotionally-manipulative-leader-hillsong.html. 

15. A more detailed discussion on these issues is found in Ed Steele, Worship HeartCries: Personal Preparation for Corporate Worship, North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace, 2016, IBSN 9781530373574.

16. University of California - Los Angeles. "Putting Feelings Into Words Produces Therapeutic Effects In The Brain." ScienceDaily. accessed November 28, 2023,  www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070622090727.htm.

17. For more help: Ed Steele. Worship HeartCries: Personal Preparation for Corporate Worship, North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace, IBSN 9781530373574.

18. One method would be to ask oneself: “By what measure am I determining what is worship and how am I measuring if I have worshiped? By feelings? By fresh recognition of who God is and what he has done?

19. For more help: Pete Scazzero. Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021. IBSN: 978-0-310-10948-8.

20. For more help: Pete Scazzero. The Emotionally Healthy Leader. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015. IBSN: 978-0-310-49457-7.

21. Michael Sharp and Argile Smith. Holy Gatherings: A Leader’s Guide for Engaging the Congregation in Corporate Worship. Denver, CO: Outskirts Press, 2009.

Selected Bibliography

Beentjes, Dennis and Robin Reumers. ‘Accessed  November 15, 2023.  https://abbeyroadinstitute.nl/blog/emotion-in-music-giving-you-the-chills/.

Cantin, M. and Genest J. (1986), The heart as an endocrine gland, Clinical and Investigative Medicine; 9(4): 319-327.  November 23, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3026709/.

Good, Good, Good. Accessed November 23, 2023. https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/list- of-emotions.

Hoekema, Anthony. Created in God’s Image. https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/articles/created-in-gods-image-2/. 

Jack, R., O Garrod, and P. Schyns. (2014). “Dynamic facial expressions of emotion transmit an evolving hierarchy of signals over time.” Curr. Biol. 24 187–192. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.11.064 Accessed November 23, 2023.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24388852/.

Koelsch, Stefan. “Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions” in Reviews: Neuroscience. 170 | March 2014 | Volume 15  Macmillan Publishers Limited.  Accessed June 29, 2023. https://www.nature.com/reviews/neuro. 

McGinnis, Kelsey Kramer. “Worship Music Is Emotionally Manipulative. Do You Trust the Leader Plucking the Strings?” Christianity Today, Accessed November 20, 2023. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/may-web-only/worship-music-emotionally-manipulative-leader-hillsong.html. 

Scazzero, Pete. Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021.

________. The Emotionally Healthy Leader. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015.

Sharp, Michael and Argile Smith. Holy Gatherings: A Leader’s Guide for Engaging the Congregation in Corporate Worship. Denver, CO: Outskirts Press, 2009.

Simpson, Benjamin I. 2016. “Love.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstei, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Steele, Ed. Worship HeartCries: Personal Preparation for Corporate Worship, North Charleston,  SC: CreateSpace, 2016.

Taylor, W. David O. Accessed August 29, 2023. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/august-webonly/worship-church-music-hymns-brains-bonds-together.html. 

Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Web Page Resources “The Neurobiology of Reactions to Stress: Fight or Flight, Then Freeze,” Oct 2016. Accessed November 22, 2023. https://www.wcsap.org/resources/publications/tips-guides/youth-advocacy-therapy-tips/neurobiology-reactions-stress.