I have an intimacy with Jesus that is much like that with my wife.
My wife and I sit in the same room, do things, and occassionally talk to each other as we are reading or watching TV. I don't kneel down and flail myself on the floor calling out her name.
With Jesus, I go about my daily life and on occasion, find myself tempted to do something I know I should not. Cuss at a driver that cut me off, take a nice beer mug from the hotel and put it in my suitcase, or some other such thing that is not murder, but wrong. When this happens, I look over at Jesus in my mind and see Him looking back at me with "that look". I smile at the driver, or put the beer mug back on the dresser and thank Him for helping me to avoid falling into sin.
Sometimes, if something really heavy is on my heart, I will get very close and very intimate. I have a friend who is dying of cancer. I come close to Jesus at moments and pray for my friend. I pray that he is also close to Jesus.
Like the author says though, these times are not typically public and offered as a demonstration.
This is a remarkable article. My own struggles make much more sense. Being manipulated into anything is always a bad idea. We can't expect anyone to buy the true Gospel if we are trying to "sell" it. I "bought" what Rev. Peterson was talking about. And I've struggled with resentment and "hey, this wasn't part of the deal"! thinking ever since.
I think relevance is a crock. I don't think people care a whole lot about what kind of music you have or how you shape the service. They want a place where God is taken seriously, where they're taken seriously, where there is no manipulation of their emotions or their consumer needs.