Many of us who are modern descendants of the American Restoration Movement were taught to treasure a rational understanding of Scripture and to question any personal spiritual experience that involves our emotions. Alexander Campbell said, "Many of us in running away from the extreme of enthusiasm, have on the other hand, passed the temperate zone and gone into the frozen regions. There is, in too many churches, a cold-hearted, lifeless formality, that freezes the energies."

Recently, I had a "life impacting" worship experience in a Jesus-focused church of Christ. It was a worship that touched the heart of every person there. Everything revolved around a real life event; a tragedy of life.

Assembling with a group of believers was fast becoming a new way of life for this young single mother and her family. She expressed a desire for "a better life for her and her children." Prayers were being prayed and spiritual counsel was being offered with the hope of seeing this family's names added to the Lamb's Book of life. But February 10th forever changed the future direction of this family when this loving mother's "life journey" was brought to an abrupt end. It happened on the day before she was to sit with her daughters and worship the God of the universe. It was the local newspapers headline that Sunday morning; the news spread quickly throughout every bible classes. In less that twenty-fours hours, two daughters were left without a mother, when a man, unleashing hellish terror, took a knife and murdered this young woman on a search for the Savior.

That Sunday morning a brave daughter came to worship alone. She stated that "she had no where else to go." Taking a seat three rows from the front she placed her head on the shoulder of a Christian lady and sobbed uncontrollably as songs were sung and prayers were prayed. Every song and every prayer petitioned God on this young girl's behalf and every emotion in the building was adeptly regulated by the young minister who threw his outline away and allowed God to move in him and throughout the congregation. Unlike any assembly I have been associated with, this congregation leaned into this young girl's grief as every believer left their seat to surround this young girl. I watched every hand stretch out in an attempt to touch this heart broken soul as prayers reached up and her grieving cries screamed out to God.

It's in this story that we see the contrast between institutional worship and worship that engages the heart. Institutional worship is a system in which people merely go through the motions; where rituals are carried out in a prescribed form. As Alexander Campbell said, "...a cold-hearted, lifeless formality, that freezes the energies."

In many of these institutional assemblies you would have seen this young girl's grief handled in a very different way. Closed to the Spirit's spontaneity, a couple of Christian women would have quietly ushered this young grieving girl out of the assembly and into the ladies rest room where they would quietly sit with her as the minister coldly preach his canned outline.

I thank God for the emerging churches of Christ...where the Spirit is being allowed to move. Praise God!