Rejoicing in the Lord

On re-reading yesterday's post, I realize that I may have given the wrong impression.

I am far enough along in my walk with Christ to know that just because I don't feel anything, doesn't mean God is not present. So I do not put a lot of stock or importance in whether a certain emotion or emotional reaction occurs when I worship. When my wife and I go for our weekly date, we sit in a restaurant and talk. We may sit across the table from each other and gaze into each other's eyes while we talk. We may sit side-by-side and cuddle while we talk. As we do this, any variety of emotions may occur. Sometimes I feel a deep warmth of intimacy. Sometimes I feel great gratitude that God has brought such a wonderful partner into my life. Sometimes I feel frustrated that I am not able to communicate adequately in a way that she can track what I'm trying to say. Sometimes we get into heated discussions, with the attendant emotions.

In all these feelings, I never doubt either my love for her or her love for me. Also, I never question her presence with me and her desire to communicate and draw closer.

The same pattern holds true in my times with the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether I feel warm intimacy, great gratitude, frustration or even anger: God is still present. He loves me and I love him. And both he and I want a closer, deeper relationship. That much is no longer in question.

What I wonder about--what yesterday's passage brought to my attention is this: What about rejoicing? When we gather as a group, when we join with other believers, where is the rejoicing? Sometimes, I think we sing fast, peppy songs or choruses just so we can get excited. But are we getting excited about the Lord's presence? Are we rejoicing that "The Lord is Here"? Or are we just excited because it's a fast song and we can clap our hands and sway our hips and tap our feet? I think that sometimes (often?) we feel more the latter than the former.

Would I rejoice just as much if the opening songs (or all the songs) were slow hymns? What if we had no instrumentation at all--if the entire music portion of the service were done a capella [look it up in a dictionary if you don't know that term]? What if we had no music in the service at all? Could I still rejoice in the Lord? Simply because we have gathered and simply because the God of the universe has humbled himself to come into our presence?

All of that to ask myself: How/when/why do I rejoice in the Lord?

I am eager for your comments....