Emotionalism = Hype = Bad News Bears

In recent months & days, I have conversed numerous times about the problem of emotionalism as a central theme in churches' musical worship, & in the realm of Christian "worship" music in general! To call a particular thing, such as music, "worship" is a problem in & of itself, but thats a bit different then what I want to address here.

This phenomenon is not new. JI Packer in Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God states (in reference to mass evangelism events), "...the tendency to indulge in long-drawn out wheedling for decisions & deliberate use of luscious music to stir sentiment, tends to produce 'conversions' which are simply psychological & emotional upheavals, & not the fruit of spiritual conviction & renewal at all." He wrote this book in 1961, so emotionalism as a means of "encountering" God has been used for at least 50 years, & I presume longer. Granted, in the context that Packer is referring to it was the big tent revival meetings, but the point remains.

What gets me, is the same problematic appeal to emotionalism is made in many highly respected  churches today as well. My church during college was - in my opinion - notorious for long-winded "altar calls." A classic Baptist song would be played, at a begrudgingly slow tempo, at times lasting at least five minutes, maybe up to 10 (although I never timed it). Some of the songs were Have Thine on Way Lord, I Surrender All, & the like. Please do not get me wrong, I love these songs, in the right context!

My church now follows in an emotional channel of worship. The music is big, loud, up beat with melodies & rhythms that move the emotions of the congregation. I am not claiming the worship team sits around planning how to best pull emotional heart strings during the musical worship time, but the songs they choose are inherently that way. To clarify, I am beyond grateful for the talent & hearts of those who lead my current church in our musical worship. They do a fantastic job!

However, there remains a but attached to all this. It is simply not right, the emotional appeals that is. In my own experience, I find often I leave ready to conquer the world for Christ ... only then to experience the inevitable let down of an emotional high. Now, if after the preaching I am stoked & ready to conquer for Christ, I am far last weary of encountering an emotional high, because in the midst of challenging & convicting sermons, its quite a bit more difficult to illicit such emotional responses, although not impossible.

One reason I am opposed to emotionalism in worship is, as Packer mentioned, it can illicit a false repentance, a false turning from a life of sin to Jesus, a false conviction & conversion. False responses to the Gospel of Christ are the last thing any follower of Christ desires, so I believe. Also, let me clarify, NOT ALL emotional responses are "psychological & emotional upheavals." I presume often times many emotional responses are true responses, if those emotions are brought about by the pin-point convicting work of the Holy Spirit, who in light of Christ reveals to men and women their true estate before perfect righteousness! But if it is the music that spurs on the emotional response, then I am weary.

Lastly, if emotional appeals cause people to worship in such a way that is not entirely truthful, or honest ... then is it not against Scripture? John wrote "God is spirit, & those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24), so is there a conflict here? Maybe that is a bit of a stretch, but at the very least it is thought provoking.

What do you think? What is your experience with emotionalism in church and in worship?