FEELING GOOD IS NOT NECESSARILY SPIRITUAL
There are many studies about the emotional effects of music. Some Christians will even allow that worship music can be addictive. Some have gone so far as to propose that the effects of worship in mega churches create emotional responses that equate God to a drug. Consider the following excerpts from a paper titled: God is like a Drug…’: Explaining Interaction Ritual Chains in American Megachurches’ by James K. Wellman Jr, Katie E. Corcoran and Kate Stockly-Meyerdirk:

… This paper applies “interaction ritual theory” (Collins 2004) to American mega churches. We propose that megachurches are successful interaction ritual venues and powerful purveyors of emotional religious experience. We predict that these interaction rituals will result in positive emotional energy for participants, membership feelings, membership symbols charged with emotional significance, and heightened spirituality….page 1

… First, drawing on Collins’ (2004) Interaction Ritual Theory, we argue that mega churches are leaders in the religious market for emotional energy (EE) and ritual solidarity. Collins’ (2004) theory assumes that individuals want EE and are thus more likely to take part in rituals to the extent that they provide high levels of it. We propose that mega churches are successful interaction ritual venues and powerful purveyors of emotional religious experience. Mega church worship services are intentionally orchestrated, complete with elements from pop-cultural sources, which are both entertaining and sensually stimulating. Participants come “hungry” for EE and leave energized. Thus, contrary to past research theorizing the negative effects of large church size on organizational vitality and member commitment, we propose that the size of mega churches facilitates the generation of strong positive collective emotions through large- (i.e., worship services) and small-scale interaction rituals (i.e., small group participation). We predict that these interaction rituals will result in high-levels of EE, feelings of belonging, membership symbols, morality, and heightened spirituality… page 4

See this link for the entire paper.

These studies are based on sociological theories of ritual interaction as they are applied to particular religious contexts. Not surprisingly, the contexts which tend to facilitate the emotional energy most effectively are those which emphasize the ritual of music, singing and dance-like movements in large, compact, church environments. It must be said, however, that the same effects are also powerfully at work in small congregations that employ only a piano or organ or no instruments at all — other than the human voice.

The way we see it, these studies have exposed truths that churches have either ignored or denied about what constitutes true spirituality. Church rituals in all sizes and theological configurations depend on these rituals to keep their adherents physically and financially engaged. Whether it is singing hymns, reciting creeds or ecstatic worship, they all have an audience that will be enriched by participating in them and will keep coming back for more because it feels so good.

The prevailing attitude in religious communities is the belief that, if participation in the rituals and traditions feels good, it is spiritual. If their emotions get excited, they assume that they are connecting with God. And if they are in the company of others who are similarly excited and keep coming back for more, they assume that they have all achieved spiritual maturity. The emotions they feel are marketed as tangible evidence that the Holy Spirit is present in that church building and he physically touches (even to the point of causing people to cry or collapse under the power of the Spirit) everyone who comes there with the power of God’s love. And he will do it regularly, Sunday after Sunday.

Under these assumptions, church leaders will do whatever they need to do to satisfy the tastes and expectations of their adherents. And why shouldn’t they? The ones who keep coming back are the ones who pay the tithes which pay the pastor’s salary and keep the doors of the church open. It is a win-win proposition. But it is not a win-win proposition for God. All this religious activity has the appearance of Godliness, but lacks spiritual power.

The Bible does talk about love, of course, but God’s kind of love is not the mushy, feel good kind of emotions that music and ritual worship inspire. Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandment.” Participation in ecstatic, ritual worship is not the kind of love that God is talking about. God is talking about being a New Covenant disciple who has the law written on his/her heart.

What religion represents as God’s love is nothing more than a soulish response to the effects of ritual interaction in which people are joined by their addiction to the emotional effects of joint participation in an activity they enjoy week after week. They could get the same effect by going to orchestra concerts, a sporting even or sing-a-long events in a bar, but then they could not associate the emotional effects with the Holy Spirit and call it a spiritual experience.

True spiritual experiences happen only in the heart. And they can happen anywhere at any time. They are not limited to religious gatherings in religious places.

The kind of feel good experience to which we should aspire is when we hear God’s spoken voice.