Spiritual Deficit Disorder

Our eldest granddaughter loves to “text message” on her cell phone—especially while
riding in a car. Personally, I hate it. I can finish an entire conversation on my cell
phone in less time than it takes to send a few words via text messaging! Obviously, a
generation gap exists here. But my concern extends beyond generation gaps. In a society
obsessed with cell phones, instant messaging, iPods, and dozens of other technological
gadgets, we get bored in five minutes if we are not entertained. Unfortunately, we can
(and do) bring that attitude to worship services. If so, we might be suffering from spiritual
deficit disorder.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the newer songs in worship. I also enjoy many of the older
familiar hymns. At times, I enjoy doing things differently. At other times I prefer something
more familiar. I gain something from either one of our Sunday morning services. Other
people prefer one service over the other, and that isn’t wrong. But let’s be clear about this—it
is a matter of preference and not Biblical mandate. We can allow worship to become either
mere entertainment, or routine and mere ritual. Either way, we might drift into suffering from
a spiritual deficit disorder. What we get out of a worship service depends on our own heart and
devotion to worshipping God. “Dear Lord, regardless of our ages and personal preferences,
please soften our hearts and open them to an attitude bent on honoring you as the eternal, true
and living God.”

In Christian love, Lloyd Cain