Emotions and Emoting

The verb “to emote” derives from “emotion”, but with a slight change in emphasis. Merriam-Webster says it means “to express emotion,” then adds “in a very dramatic or obvious way”.

That gets to the root of it. Emotions are spontaneous. Emoting is calculated. Emotions are genuine. Displaying them for others may easily become just a pose.

We’ve all seen actors or singers apparently in the grip of deep feelings of angst, joy or sorrow. A moment’s consideration reminds us they are only doing a job. The singer has probably performed this tune hundreds of times. It is impossible she’s feeling the lyrics the way she appears to be, as she might have the first time she sang them. She’s selling the song for the benefit of her audience, and may feel nothing at all.

Amping Up the Drama

Some husbands have the regular and unfortunate experience of watching their wives emote. In amping up the drama beyond what they actually feel, some women hope to motivate their husbands to take more seriously whatever it is they are requesting or to pay greater attention to them, though after a while this usually has the opposite effect. Don’t get me wrong, a certain type of man will do it too, but it’s fairly rare. Usually when we hit the volume button in a conversation, we mean what we’re saying. When we cry, it’s because we’re sad, not because we’re angling for something.

The difference between emotions and emoting has been on my mind as I’ve been winding my way through Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections. He stresses the importance of authentic emotions in worship. I’ve seen plenty of that in church meetings. I’ve also seen a fair bit of emoting, by which I mean that the worshiper was trying too hard to feel the way he thought he should feel rather than the way he actually felt, and tipped over into mere posturing.

Methods, Styles and Ways

Edwards writes:

“If it’s true that genuine faith is deeply connected to our emotions, then we should seek out methods that have a strong impact on our feelings. We should look for books, preaching styles, and ways of administering religious practices that can deeply touch the hearts of those participating. Additionally, we should value prayers and singing praises in a manner that can profoundly affect the emotions of those involved.”

(If you find this an unlikely quote from a man writing in 1746, I will confess I’m reading a modern English version. Purists may exit on the ramp to the right.)

Nevertheless, I’m not convinced the right methods, styles and ways will produce greater authenticity in worship. Edwards himself distinguishes between real and fake emotions. One sure way to turn a small-but-authentic religious emotion into a big, phony religious performance is to try to gin up feelings within yourself because you think you have a duty to do so or because it is valued. But feelings for their own sake are meaningless. They are not an end in themselves, but a byproduct of something more important: study, worship, fellowship with Christ, a new understanding of Bible truth. I’m all for singing enthusiastically and preaching from the heart, but adopting a style unnatural to me in the interest of what good things it might produce in others is an exercise that reliably falls flat. I’m not against the idea of infusing our religious activities with passion, but I’m always wary of tipping over the line between emotions and emoting.

The Glasses Trick

I’ll leave aside congregational singing, as my own enjoyment of it varies from song to song in accordance with the lyrics and melody of each tune. I find it quite impossible to sing enthusiastically a lyric that is mildly heretical, self-focused or inadequately expressed. In singing, the emotions generated are a product of good song choices made by someone else. You get what you get. Live with it or find a new song leader.

So let’s talk about styles and methods on the platform. I remember watching TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart years ago, tears in his eyes as his voice rose and fell driving home his spiritual point. Swaggart wore glasses, and whenever he wanted to emphasize something his audience was supposed to think important, he removed his glasses, backhanded his wettest eye, and replaced them. It was all very calculated. The glasses and eye wipe were punctuation, the exclamation mark at the end of his paragraph. It was — as I said at the time — as rock ’n’ roll as a stage performance by his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis, except he was working with tears and spectacles rather than pounding a piano.

I don’t think Jonathan Edwards would have found Swaggart’s content or delivery compelling, but I’m afraid if we start placing too much value on preaching styles that touch hearts and move the audience, this is the sort of thing we will get most of the time. Words like “methods”, “styles” and “ways” all speak to a level of calculation foreign to genuine religious affection.

Slipping into Performance Mode

Preaching and teaching can easily become mechanical exercises, especially for the man who makes his living from them. This is why I will generally decline the opportunity to take up a passage or topic unless it’s something I’m passionate about or suspect that further study of the subject may inspire in me more than a quantum of emotional investment. I like to think that the person most motivated to see that subject addressed from the platform should probably do it himself, assuming he’s capable. Those who teach God’s word must always be cautious about slipping into “performance mode”.

Reading the word of God excites me. Not all of it, of course. I know it’s all profitable for one end or another, but a genealogy or several chapters about the cities on the borders of the tribal divisions of Canaan is often laborious rather than joyous, let’s admit that. However, with sufficient attention and prayer, the vast majority of the word of God comes alive. What produces that vitality is not a determination to project an appropriate measure of religious emotion or inspire it in the audience, but the determination to seek out the truth of God and put it into practice in whatever way it may be applied to our lives.

Personal Investment

When a Bible teacher is enjoying his subject and has found something worthwhile he wants to share, you can always see it. It’s not the least bit calculated. The way it manifests from person to person will differ in accordance with each man or woman’s personality or soul. What you won’t feel as you sit and listen is that someone is selling you a used car. There will be no emotional tricks. That’s not method or style working, it’s personal investment paying off, as Paul taught.

When I see a speaker emoting or otherwise trying too hard, I don’t usually conclude he’s aware of the importance of stirring up religious emotions. I tend to think he hasn’t studied enough, or that he’s picked the wrong subject.