Why Does it Matter? Some Questions in Support of Monochotomy?

These are the possibilities:

1. Trichotomy: Human beings are composed of three distinct components: body, soul and spirit.
2. Dichotomy: Human beings are composed of two distinct components: body and soul (here 'spirit' and 'soul' are two aspects of the same non-material component).
3. Monochotomy: Human beings are composed of one component: a body (here 'soul' and 'spirit' may be thought of as God-given capacities of the body).

For the worship leader, does it matter which view you hold with? Yes, I think it does. Consider these questions (I should confess already that these are my questions and reflect my bias against trichotomy especially).

• When you are trying to 'listen' to the Holy Spirit, what are you listing with? Are you listening with your spirit (common language in Pentecostal / Charismatic circles)? Or are you listening with your soul (is what you're feeling really the action of God on your emotions or your imagination?) Or are you listening with your body (not necessarily your sense organs, but through your whole body, by emotional response, physical sensations, or even memory recall?) Before you answer, think about what you actually experience in worship.

• If you're reluctant to say that your experience of the Holy Spirit in worship is in your body, why are you reluctant? Do you believe that there is something inherently untrustworthy about your body? Do you believe your body is less 'spiritual' or more 'fleshly' than your soul? Is this a biblical and logical reluctance?

• Does it matter what your body does in worship, or does God only 'look at the heart'? Is this a biblical and logical perspective?

• When David says, "Awake my soul!" Is he talking to a part of himself that he has direct control over, or is he doing something more like John yelling at Garfield? Sort of a hopeful, dutiful (but ultimately pointless) nagging at our less than willing inner-selves. 

• When we encourage the congregation to respond to the Spirit in worship and praise, what are we actually hoping that they will do, in real, practical terms? Is it something in their bodies, or their souls, or their spirits?

• When we write music that is beautiful and exciting for worship, or words that are 'moving', what are we hoping to 'move'? Is it the same thing that moves when your team scores a goal, or when the hero of the story gives his life to save his family? Or is it something else?

I believe that we often discount the value of the body (brain-chemistry, et al.) in worship. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It's sacramental (if you like) in that it is through and in our bodies that we bless God in worship and it is through and in our bodies that God blesses us in worship. Our bodies are the only point of contact with God that we have. I think there is nothing more helpful to you, whether you're the worshipper or the worship leader, than to think of yourself in worship as being your body (brain-chemistry, hormones, psychoses, biases, emotional state, et al). It is your body that God graces with the spiritual capacity (whereby we are aware of Him) and it is your body that God graces with the soulful capacity (whereby we attribute meaning to the experience of worship).

I realise that saying we should treat ourselves as monochotomies in worship because its helpful may just be cheap pragmatism rather than biblical theology. It's a start though.

So be your body in worship, and I think that, for now, that's that.