The Sacrament of Affectivity

Part 3, When You're Not Feeling It

The sacrament of affectivity dawned on me one Sunday when I felt irked by a worship leader who was particularly intent on getting all of us in the service to match his level of emotional passion. Stand up church. Get excited church. Make some noise church. The worship leader was over-emoting and was pushing the church to over-emote. 

Having lived my whole life in low-church Protestant spaces, I have been regularly exposed to these sorts of emotional demands. From the sermon to the Lord's Supper to the worship, appeals were made to infuse a Sunday morning with more emotion. The goal was always the same, to get us to "feel it."

Finally, irritated at being prodded once too often, I asked myself, "Why this constant demand for emotion?" The answer dawned on me, "Because that's how we think we encounter God. Emotion has become our sacrament." Once you come to see this, you see the sacrament of affectivity everywhere in evangelical and low-church Protestant spaces.

But this raises the question. Who cares? What's the problem with the sacrament of affectivity?

There are a few problems, but the root problem is simply this: Sometimes you don't feel it. Sometimes, even a lot of times, you go to church and, no matter how hard the worship and preaching pastors try, you don't feel it. But here's the thing: That's perfectly okay.

I agree that the gospel is the most transformative and awe-inspiring news we could ever encounter. And yet, it is impossible to maintain a fever-pitch of quivering passion 24/7 365 days a year for an entire lifespan. As amazing as the gospel is, some days you don't feel it. But that doesn't make the gospel any less true, real, or close.

The reality of God and our encounter with grace doesn't depend upon our emotions. This is why I grabbed the word "objective" in Parts 1 and 2. In the sacraments grace comes to me whether I feel it or not. True, you have to believe it, but you don't have to feel it. You don't have to churn up a lot of emotions to receive the sacrament. You don't do anything to make the experience "matter more." You don't need to feel it, because God is here regardless. Even during seasons of spiritual dryness. 

This knowledge concerning the objectivity of grace allows us to rest. Beyond simple trust, you don't need to work yourself into an emotional frenzy. Reaching an emotional high doesn't make God more or less present. You don't need to stand, raise your hands, jump up or down, clap, or shout. Of course, feel free to do any of this should you feel so moved, but don't mistake your emotions for the presence of God. And traditions with a rich sacramental theology will have some advantages here. For God is present even on those days when you don't feel it. On the Sundays when you'd rather sit and feel pressured into feelings you find yourself unable to express on demand...that's okay. God is just as present on the days when you are weary as on the days you jump for joy. Teaching ourselves to acknowledge this truth will make us more restful in our relationship with God and more gentle with ourselves and each other on the days when we are just not feeling it.