Am I praising wrong?
A few weeks ago, we tried something different in The Chronicle by including an opinion article about people’s views on whether Millennials are flocking to the church the same way they did in generations past.
We had such a good response from that article that I decided to write another article, because there are many religion topics that we would love to touch on. The next topic I wanted to write about is a personal one for me, but I felt that if I expressed my concerns about it, someone may have some insight for me or have had a similar experience that could relate to what I am feeling.
Ever since I was a small child, it has amazed me how people can “shout” or “catch the Holy Ghost” while they are worshipping in the house of the Lord. My issue is that I have never had such a feeling, even though I feel as though I have a very close relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I accepted Christianity as my faith as a young child. I grew up in a Baptist family who routinely went to church and was involved in several ministries. I vividly remember watching my mother or other members of the church who began to shout and express themselves with pure joy while the minister was preaching, or the choir touched them with one of their gospels.
I used to sit and say to myself that I can’t wait until my relationship with the Lord is that strong that I have the feeling to just get up out of my seat and dance. Once I was baptized as a young teen, I felt my connection with the Lord grow stronger, especially as I began to pray daily and get into reading the Bible.
I felt at that point it was only a matter of time before “the spirit hit me” and I would have my experience with the Lord through shouting during the service. I am now 37 years of age and that moment has never happened. I know my connection with the Lord is stronger than ever, because I know the Lord speaks to me in a myriad of ways. But as I matured through my 20s and 30s, I began to wonder if I was doing something wrong in the way I praise.
As an adult, I would go to church services and witness the same joy in others, as I did when I was a youth. I prayed and spoke with the Lord during the service and would feel something inside me when a certain hymn was sung or when the pastor’s message seemed like it was delivered just for me. Yet I still did not have the feeling to get out of my seat and shout. The spirit does hit me, but I don’t ever get that feeling to get up, and I want that feeling.
I even asked a minister once if I was doing something wrong. He reassured me that I in fact was not doing anything wrong, but said when the spirit hit me in that manner, I would have no choice but to get up out of my seat. That moment still has eluded me.
I am the religion reporter for The Chronicle, which means I have the luxury of attending scores of churches around this beautiful city. I take pleasure in covering religious events hosted by the various churches and while there I figure I might as well worship while I work. I just continue to wonder when I will get that feeling.
To me, it seems like a valid question to ask myself if I am worshipping right and if anyone else has had this feeling in their lives. I spoke with co-workers and friends about the topic and most said they have shouted or had the Holy Ghost at one point in time in their lives.
The main point of writing this article was to spark another conversation around this topic. My hope is that I am not alone in the way I feel about this issue. We at The Chronicle welcome any responses on this issue or any other religion-based topics to discuss further.
Please send all responses and inquiries to news@wschronicle.com. Let’s get the conversation started.
