Technology is moving at a breakneck pace, reshaping how we communicate, work, live, and worship. The buzzword that has come into our conversations and everyday life is AI. I asked ChatGPT to give me a short definition of AI:

“AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the simulation of human intelligence in machines, allowing them to learn from data, recognize patterns, solve problems, and make decisions with minimal human intervention.”

We are surrounded by and use AI daily without realizing it. It can track every stroke of our computer use. As I have thought about AI, social media, and our digital world, a term has come to mind recently, arising from my experiences and observations in both public settings and my personal life. It does not originate from a critical or negative standpoint, but rather, from a heart that genuinely seeks the face of God. We might define worship in many ways, such as recognizing that God deserves praise, bowing before Him, and giving Him our attention. However, I like to define worship as intimacy with God. The core of our relationship with God is intimacy. My wrestling brings me to the possibility that we have unintentionally created our own AI in the American church. Could it be that we have sometimes embraced an Artificial Intimacy?

The core of our relationship with God is intimacy. My wrestling brings me to the possibility that we have unintentionally created our own AI in the American church. Could it be that we have sometimes embraced an Artificial Intimacy?

Over my 58 years of ministry, I wanted to lead my churches to be relevant and impactful. However, as we move at a dizzying pace trying to keep up with this ever-changing world, I wonder if we have exchanged genuine intimacy for Artificial Intimacy, which depends on an emotional high, stimulated by sound and lighting technology and gifted musicians. Do we depend on technology—or simply use technology? There is a thin line between being entertained and emotionally moved and true worship that changes us to be more like Christ. Could the American church thrive without all the props of technology?

I think of the biographies of many pastors and believers from before our time—even a few centuries back—who led lives marked by deep solitude, reflection, and devotion. Their practices centered on prayer, Scripture study, and pastoral care, often carried out in quiet isolation instead of fast-paced strategy meetings, consumer-driven planning, and the desire to be attractive. Their role was demanding, requiring both spiritual devotion and practical resilience, yet their work laid the foundation for the spiritual and moral fabric of many communities. They desired spiritual awakening rather than relevant attraction.

Amid all my questions about the corporate church, I have been convicted to examine my own intimacy. In His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said, “But the hour is coming, and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). This brings to mind a second AI term: Authentic Intimacy. I believe that Authentic Intimacy always begins with seeking God’s face. Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Seeking His face is not stimulated by emotion and does not require an emotional foundation. In fact, I have learned that my emotions can come as a byproduct.

Seeking God’s face is not stimulated by emotion and does not require an emotional foundation. In fact, I have learned that my emotions can come as a byproduct.

As I ponder Authentic Intimacy, I do not have all the answers. I feel like I’m grasping at straws trying to define a better AI, but here are some thoughts I try to dwell on in my desire for Authentic Intimacy:

1. As seen in Isaiah 6, intimacy begins with awe of the holiness of God and the response of neediness and confession of sinfulness, with Isaiah crying out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.”
2. It is based on the pure truth of the Word of God. “Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth” (John 17:17, AMP).
3. It is worship with a surrendered heart to His Kingdom. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). “And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouthand honor me with their lips,while their hearts are far from me’” (Isaiah 29:13).
4. It is worship that transforms us, not just moves our emotions. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
5. It is not limited to a Sunday service—it is a lifestyle. Authentic Intimacy is daily and throughout the day as we work and interact with others. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17).
6. The goal of Authentic Intimacy is to glorify the one who deserves the glory, and for His Kingdom to rule in our lives. As has been said many times in our world of Strategic Renewal, “He is worthy; we are needy!”

I have always desired for the church to grow, but as I strive to have Authentic Intimacy in the church and in my own life, I believe that we must examine our hearts for Authentic Intimacy and beware of Artificial Intimacy in a world of Artificial Intelligence.

I have always desired for the church to grow, but as I strive to have Authentic Intimacy in the church and in my own life, I believe that we must examine our hearts for Authentic Intimacy and beware of Artificial Intimacy in a world of Artificial Intelligence.

Copyright © 2025 Dennis Henderson. All rights reserved.