The other night a group of us gathered together to begin planning/dreaming about creating an alternative worship experience at our church. There was no real goal or vision for the service, but our heads were filled with ideas that are often called emergent/participatory/experiential. Part of this gathering we thought ought to include “stations” where people could go individually or in groups to worship in ways other than song. For example, we are planning on having a map of the world at one station where people can pray for countries/missionaries/etc. and a communal prayer journal at another station.

One of the underlying thoughts behind these stations is trying to engage the whole person, including the senses, in worhsip and prayer. This idea inspired one of the stations to be a well-disguised oscillating fan that had various scripture describing God’s Spirit as wind. As I sit here, I think about how powerful it could be to be kneeling before God, meditating on God’s Spirit, as a gentle wind blows against my skin. And there is a huge part of me that is incredibly excited for this upcoming time of worship. But I am also torn. In our planning and excitement, are we substituting fans for the Holy Spirit? Not to upset some of my brothers and sisters, but are we exchanging candles for the Real Thing?

Help me with this. Part of me reads scripture and understands how wind (or translated to a candle) can be symbolism for the presence of God’s Spirit. It can be metaphor, or point to something beyond itself. Obviously, the Holy Spirit is not a fan or a candle. But as I read ‘Our Story’ it seems to me that when people came together to worship they did not need fans or candles. They prayed, repented, proclaimed the gospel, broke bread, and waited on God. And He showed up. Do we need these things because too often times we lack the Real Thing? There is this nagging feeling in me that if we regularly had communion with God’s Spirit as we gathered, we would not have to bring fans into the sanctuary.

As with most things in life, I am sure this is not an either/or conversation. But as powerful as kneeling before God with a fan blowing against your skin could be, how much more powerful could kneeling before God and waiting for the reality of His Spirit be?