Energy in Worship

One of the things enjoyed during my time of ministry was planning and leading worship.  There are things which might be regarded as the basic elements of worship which need to be included in any service.  Things like praise and prayers and confession and affirming faith and giving and preaching and responding to what God is doing are some of the things we should experience in any worship experience of the gathered community.  Of course, all these things can be included and the worship service still never seems to get off the ground.    

One of the things often missing is energy.  Too many worship services die almost as soon as the first hymn.  The old timers might have called this missing energy "unction."  Others might speak of it as the Holy Spirit at work within the worship.  Whatever we might call it, worship without some spiritual energy is a dead thing.  Some may leave when they encounter this kind of worship, but others get so accustomed to it, they become content and think everything is exactly as it should be.   

It has always seemed that if we are worshipping the God of the universe who chooses to be among us, there would be some excitement in the room.  This is not to say that everyone needs to be hollering "Amen" or "Praise the Lord," or raising their hands, but instead, it points to some intangible spiritual energy which draws people deeper into an attitude of worship regardless of their posture and expression.  It is either present, or it is not.  When it is experienced, everyone recognizes it and finds their hearts warmed by it and when it is absent, folks tend to leave as asleep as they were when they arrived.