SENSITIVE TO THE SENSES

The longer I sat in the worship service at my brother-in-law’s church, the more I recognized how different it was from mine back home. This sanctuary was bathed in banners. The communion area was modern and beautifully sculpted. The pastor wore a colorful robe. The entire worship service, with the exception of the sermon, was printed in an attractive, type-set order of worship.

The church I serve as minister of education, on the other hand, has none of these features. The focus of the worship service rests, instead, on the prayers, the reading of Scripture, special music, and most of all, the sermon.

There may be several explanations why these two services differ so greatly. But a relatively new science known as “Neurolinguistic Programming” (NLP) can give us a major clue.

This science theorizes that individuals receive and interpret messages three ways: visually (through sight), audibly (through hearing), and kinesthetically (through feelings). Each person operates in all three modes at one time or another but usually has one dominant mode.

Researchers suggest that the dominant mode can be identified through an individual’s speech pattern. Audio-oriented people will generally use phrases such as Now listen or I hear what you’re saying or What’s the gripe?-all featuring key words that relate to hearing.

Visual-oriented people will most often use phrases such as Now observe or I see what you mean or How do you view it? These are all words that relate to sight.

Kinesthetic-oriented people use language sprinkled with sentences like Try to sense this or I know how you feel or How did that move you? Such feeling-associated words like excite, thrill, and experience dominate.

If NLP is right, I am a visual person. I catch myself often using the phrase It looks like that to me and other visually related words. I love to read, watch sports, and go to movies-all visual activities.

Years ago, I began to realize I had difficulty worshiping at my church’s Sunday or midweek services. My best worship came during my daily Bible study. I used to chalk this up to the fact that I was so busy at church that it was hard for me to switch to a worshipful mood, which I can more easily do during a quiet time at home each morning.

But after becoming acquainted with NLP, I arrived at a second conclusion. Could it be that churches, like individuals, operate out of one of the three NLP modes?

My brother-in-law’s church is much more visually oriented. The banners, colorful robes, attractive communion area, and type-set order of worship all seem geared toward persons who are attracted to visual stimulation.

Our worship service, however, has much more to offer a person inclined to listen.

I know other churches that are more heavily feeling oriented. Hugs abound in this high-touch atmosphere. Their emphasis is clearly upon the emotional experience members receive in a given service.

I don’t know how churches choose the mode they eventually fit into. Much of it is unconscious, I imagine (another visual word!). Church tradition and polity also play a part. But I would guess that a church will continually call pastors who operate out of its mode. When our pastor retires in a few months, I’m sure our members will call another strong preacher.

Now if these theories are correct, there are at least two important implications.

First, we might consider that people are attracted to worship services that match their sensory mode. Visual persons would tend to favor visual services, such as my brother-in-law’s. Audio persons might feel more at home in our service than his. Kinesthetic persons would probably feel more comfortable in a service geared more to the emotions.

This difference in perception might further explain why two persons attending the same service will evaluate it differently. Often two persons have come up to me after a service, one rejoicing in how much the service spoke to her, the other complaining about not being fed. Might the first person have been hearing-oriented, and the second kinesthetic?

Second, although we should recognize that not all churches will attract all sorts of persons, we should try to include, to some degree, all three elements in each service. A visual church, for example, can make sure its music program appeals to the listeners. It might designate as greeters those warm (kinesthetic) persons among them.

The possibilities, of course, are many. And so are the benefits.

-Mark Brasler

First Baptist Church of Clarendon

Arlington, Virginia