The Idolatry of Emotion - Rev Isaac Wirtz
The following was submitted by Rev. Isaac Wirtz:
“Even before I went to seminary, one of the most important things I learned about Lutherans is that they all hate emotions. To be truly Lutheran is to be devoid of all feeling. At least I think it was Lutherans, it might have been Vulcans.
Sarcasm aside, there does seem to be a stereotype that Confessional Lutherans oppose anything that might stir up emotions, particularly in our Divine Service. Those who are actually familiar with Lutheran worship know that this is absolutely untrue.
There are a spectrum of hymns that are rousing, or heartbreaking, more than a few passages in Scripture that draw out tears, liturgy that calls up imagery of heaven itself, and sermons that convict, inspire, and give hope of the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection. Even when a pastor reads the Gospel lesson, these ancient texts can certainly bring emotion alongside the truth that is proclaimed. And this is a good thing.
We shouldn’t try to fight against the emotion that God’s Word carries. If Psalm 22 chokes you up, or if Psalm 23 gives you a sense of comfort, thanks be to God! He absolutely can and does work through Scripture on your heart and through your emotions as well.
So if one side of the liturgical horse off-of-which-we-must-not-fall is a stoic rejection of emotion, the other dangerous equine plunge is into the idolatry of emotion.
Have you ever heard the phrase “I felt God was present?” I know more than a few people who go to churches with enthusiastic bands, stages, and light shows, because they “Feel the presence of God” in their worship. They feel the excitement, the joy, sometimes the sadness, the conviction, and by experiencing these feelings they are convinced that this is where God is.
While, once again, God can and does work through emotions, we are never once in Scripture told that our emotions are a barometer for the presence of God. The closest verse I can find is when the disciples encountered Jesus on the road after the resurrection, and in Luke 24:32 said this: “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
They recalled the emotion upon hearing Scripture, but their eyes were opened (passive) in the breaking of the bread. Why didn’t their emotions tell them that God was present with them as they walked? If emotions are what we are told to rely on to detect the presence of God, then their emotions failed them in that moment.
But who cares if people get excited to go to church? Who cares if the church has sermon-talks designed to elicit emotions, background music to help convey the intended feeling, worship songs that have you dance around the auditorium? After all, at least people are going to church, right? What could the possible harm be in designing a service to specifically excite emotions?
The biggest danger is in what happens when the service does not elicit emotions or when the service ends and life continues.
Consider someone who has spent years going to a church that energizes them on Sunday. They know God is with them because they feel happy… So what does it mean when they feel sad? What does it mean when they are suffering, and even the light show and praise band can’t raise their spirit? What should they conclude except that God has abandoned them?
If their joy and excitement is proof of God’s presence, their misery and sadness must therefore be proof of God’s absence.
Imagine the shocking absurdity of basing the presence of God on physical experiences instead of emotional ones. I have never once felt “The hand of God on my shoulder” as a physical sensation others have described, but imagine if a person’s faith hinged on that. “I know God is with me because I feel His presence, physically.”
There was a fairly famous Christian who said something similar. In John 20:25, Thomas boldly, sinfully, and irreverently declares “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Like those who rely on emotions to “feel God’s presence", he demanded to feel God’s presence physically. By doing so he rejected the promises of Christ of His resurrection, he rejected the testimony of his brothers and sisters, and put his trust in something else. In short, he committed idolatry, the same kind of idolatry we engage in when we elevate emotion as the metric for the presence of God.
Jesus Christ, merciful and wise, appeared to Thomas in spite of his doubt. Even though He invited Thomas to see and touch the wounds, Jesus did not praise Thomas for relying on these senses. Instead He said: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
God can and does work through emotion, God can and does work through physical interaction, but we are not called to put either of these things up as the evidence for His presence, or lack thereof. Instead we are called as Christians to trust in the promises of God, even when we cannot physically or emotionally perceive Him.
We can know that God is present because He has promised to be. To rely on anything to the denial of God’s promises is idolatry; putting what we feel or perceive above what God says; putting ourselves above God. Ultimately, this is a wonderful blessing! Our feelings can be deceptive, our emotions can be fleeting, but the Word of God remains true, reliable, and unchanging.
Where two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, He is there (Mt 18:20), so get to a church gathered in Christ’s name (where the word of God is rightly taught and the sacraments rightly administered). Where the Lord’s Supper is given, the body and blood of Christ are there (Lk 22:19-20). Where there is baptism, those baptized are buried with Him, He is there (Rm 6:4). Where absolution is given, Christ’s forgiveness is given, God is there to forgive sins (Jn 20:23). These are just some of the promises where God will be present.
During your most joyous times, God is there. You are free to thank Him, to rejoice with Him in the blessings you have received. Likewise during your darkest times, you have no reason to despair because God is there. He hears and listens to your prayers, your laments, and your petitions. He cares for you, is able to help you, and desires to do so.
Don’t let your emotions be an idol, but be subject as all things to God, His commands, and His promises.”
Rev. Isaac Wirtz is the pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Tucson, Arizona.