Each of us is a partial mirror of our childhood. The things we saw grownups do when we were children give us our clues as to how to handle life. In fact, most of our expressions and attitudes toward church date back to our childhood. This past week I attempted to uncover my own childhood experiences and lay bare the initial and most reaching elements of that period in church. Without a doubt, my memory returned to one awareness: the tremendous sadness of the adults or "big people." I would look around and see people with frowns on their faces, frozen postures, and rigid muscles. "Surely," I thought, "God is a very wicked, frightening fellow, or he is extremely boring."

Since then, I have been conscious of the frame of mind in which worship is conducted. Taking worship too seriously is the a…