"WE'VE GOT THE SPIRIT"

Cheerleaders point to the opposing stands and shout, "We’ve got spirit, how about you?" The opposing leaders reciprocate with an enthusiastic, positive reply. This scene continues with each side, in turn, raising the noise level by several decibels until the whole stadium reaches a deafening crescendo and interest finally turns back to the contest. "Spirit," as used in this context has to do with enthusiasm which raises the emotional intensity level of the athletes.

As Americans we have been so saturated with hype and fast-moving action that we have a tendency to find things that are designed to be intellectually stimulating and thought challenging boring – we have come to prefer hoopla to meditation. This has had an effect upon not only our intellectual structure but also our spiritual thought processes. Some view worship as boring and "lacking spirit," because there is no up-beat, outward display of emotionalism.

The solution some offer is an infusion of emotions through artificial stimuli – mood-setting music, hand clapping, dimming lights, holding hands, sound effects, etc. One group reportedly used the sounds of grinding bones and screams   to   create   a   hair-raising  atmosphere for participation in the Lord’s Supper.

However, emotionalism is not equivalent to "spiritual," and it is not evidence of true spirituality. We may feel many things which are not based on truth. How we feel is a natural outgrowth of what we believe and what we believe must be based on what God says (Rom. 10:17). For instance, based upon what God has revealed about our sinful condition (Rom. 3:23) and offered salvation by His grace (Eph. 2:8-9), when we meet the gospel’s conditions for salvation (Mk. 16:15-16), we know that we are saved. That knowledge produces a natural flood of elation (Acts 8:39). How expressive a person is depends on his emotional structure, but one is not more spiritual than another, because he is more expressive of how he feels.

Artificially stimulated emotion is temporary. To maintain an emotionally charged atmosphere different stimuli must be sought, lest the routine lose its effectiveness and become boring. One cannot serve God without feeling but emotions are the product of the relationship and not the evidence of it.  - - Jim Everett