I suppose that it always comes down to the attitude of the heart more than anything. I have seen instances where someone is singing along in a genuine act of praise while the one performing the song is doing just that...performing.

But, I seek to "mind my own business" and "work out my own salvation..."

Good post, Khandu.

One may or may not have sufficient spiritual gifts of discernment to know what is or is not genuine in someone else's heart. But to judge without openness to the truth of what others are experiencing is to come mighty close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit. I think Khandu has the best attitude about this I have ever seen-- think what you think and prefer what you prefer, but judge only yourself.

Hardi and I minister in a church where, years before our time, people forgot the importance of that and almost destroyed their parish and their own spiritualities in the process. At its saddest, people got to a place from BOTH sides of the division (a division they had allowed and deepened), where they could say to each other, "Something is wrong with you because of the way you worship. My way is right and you're just too weird/fake/saccharine//dead/archaic/formal for any true faith to be present at all."

I think both sides have equal bragging rights to being stuck in wrongness. Over and over we learn not to judge... yet we never seem to tire of needing to learn it.

"Oh, it's only the music we're talking about, Susan, lighten up." No. I don't think it IS, not if you think about it a bit.

~Susan