Feelings

A song that was the epitome of the “bad song” the “drippy” song. “Feelings, whoa whoa whoa feelings…” You’ve heard it. But without comment on the lyrics, (amazing aren’t they?) how about just the thought, feelings, and how it relates to worship. How many times (hundreds of times), have you thought in your head on a Sunday, “I really don’t feel like it today.” To misquote Tina Turner, “whats feelings got to do with it.” My answer…a lot. We have been taught that feelings are irrelevant in worship. It doesn’t matter, just worship anyway. I have a problem with that. Of course, God is worthy of our worship at all times, in spite of how we are feeling. But feelings irrelevant? Hogwash. (is that a swear word somewhere? I hope not) We are humans. And as such we have emotions. We feel good. We feel bad. We are happy. We are sad. We are in the mood to sing. We would rather be silent. It is who we are at that moment, and it is not irelevant. We do not ignore how we feel. In fact, it is in that miserable state of mind that we bring a sincere heart before God in worship. When we say, in the midst of a worship service, “God, I’m really in a rotten mood right now, and I don’t seem to be able to muster a song of praise.” You know what I think? I think that statement is more sincere, more genuine, more worshipful…than to sing a song you don’t really mean. Now there are times we need to focus and breakthrough. Just because you didn’t get your coffee that morning is no reason to sit around and mope. But when you are overwhelmed. When you are heavy burdened. When you grieve. The best thing you can do is to be honest. We worship God from our heart first, no matter what state it is in.  And I’m just crazy enough to believe that when we come “just as I am”, God will meet us. For every act of true worship, there is a divine response. So let’s worship in Spirit AND in truth.