"I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it." -Thomas a' Kempis (The Imitation of Christ)

[Thomas à Kempis on Mount Saint Agnes (1569)]

Seems to me, in the Church at large today, people are looking for emotional shots in the arms. And that's not completely wrong. However, all religions, and even atheists do the same, don't they.

Seems to me the Church should be seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness first and foremost, and then our emotions will be satisfied in the right way; that is in truth and Spirit.

The Holy Scriptures, all 66 books that God has given to us His children, needs to be where we go to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first. There's nowhere else we can find it really. If we do look in other places, then we will find a false kingdom, a tainted kingdom, and not Christ's kingdom of truth, grace, love, righteousness, and sanctification by our loving heavenly Father.

There's a religious mysticism going about in the Body of Christ in our day, and it can lead to a path of error and even destruction.

Jesus prayed to His Father, and our Father, for us to be set apart, or sanctified, by the truth. Jesus said, "Your Word is truth" (John 17:17). God sets us in His kingdom; in the light as Christ is in the light. The world is in darkness. We are to shine for Christ in this dark world, and so glorify the Father, and He will draw all those to His Son that are being saved. Those who hate the light, will retreat to the darkness, because they don't want their deeds exposed (John 3:20). And yet I was one of these in the dark, and Christ sought me out, and shone His light into my soul, and His mercy did expose my sin, and I repented and trusted Christ. And so there's hope for sinners as well. We need to exclaim the great news of Christ to all, and God will have mercy on whom He wills (Romans 9:18).

So, after simply rambling here, becuase it's a rainy day, and I'm home at my computer after driving about 100 miles as I did some service work for my builders, I think the bottom line for me is this.
We need truth and the Spirit, both in our hearts, minds, and lives. Both truth, which is the Holy Word, and the Holy Spirit, who feeds our souls with the truth, and also flows out of our bellies as a river as He fills us with joy, passion, sorrow, peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit, but most of all love (Romans 5:5).