All too common today are polarizing tendencies in worship that fail to reach the whole person. For instance, in some churches, how a Christian thinks is far more important than how a Christian feels. Worship in these churches is primarily geared to informing the mind. But when it comes to feeling God, they remain stoic. These churches turn worship into a classroom for learning.
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Other churches do well at "feeling" in worship but do "thinking" poorly. In these churches, worship is primarily geared to engaging the emotions--thinking is far less important than feeling. These churches turn worship into a therapist's couch for emotional highs and healing.
Still other churches conclude that neither our thoughts nor our feelings toward God are as important as what we do for God. In these churches, worship is primarily geared to the will--the goal of worship is to get the worshippers to give more, serve more, or take some other action.
But notice Isaiah's varied response to his encounter with the glory of God. He responds intellectually to God's presence--there's no question in Isaiah's mind that God is who he is: "My eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (v.5). In the same verse, there's also an emotional response--he feels the presence of God in his heart: "I'm undone." Finally, there's a volitional response--having encountered the living God, Isaiah is ready and willing to do God's will with his entire being: "Here am I, send me" (v.8).
We, too, ought to experience God with the totality of our being in worship. Worship services ought to inform the mind intellectually, engage the heart emotionally, and bend the will volitionally. God wants thoughtful worshippers who believe, emotional worshippers who behold, and obedient worshippers who behave. God-centered worship produces people who think deeply about God, feel passionately for God, and live urgently in response to God. Therefore, when we meet God in worship, we should expect a combination of gravity and gladness, depth and delight, doctrine and devotion, precept and passion, truth and love.
Source: Crosswalk.com
