What would happen next Sunday morning if God did not show up? Would the sermon still touch hearts and resonate with truth, if the Spirit of God didn’t illuminate the Scriptures as they are read and preached? Imagine a worship service where hands are raised but the music, absent of the Spirit dwelling richly, lacks its usual resonance. As people leave, would there be a noticeable void?

Perhaps the service would not look that different at all. That possibility is even more terrifying than the threat of God’s absence.

My journey into ministry began in 1999, in a small apartment gathering. As a group of displaced believers, we were spiritually homeless, seeking something we called “authentic spirituality.” Those simple meetings were some of the most spiritually enriching experiences of my life.

We would talk in an unstructured way with vulnerability about faith, doubt, loneliness, grief, and mental health. We would pray for one another and sing a hymn, chorus, or psalm. ...