Applause!

We find it very appropriate to applaud in some instances..... ie..... when the children perform, recite scripture etc..... And at times for recognization of their accomplishments. Mostly when it occurs it is spontanious and never frowned on.......

 

LOL! You shoulda been at our church this evening. You'dve gotten a good idea of when it was appropriate to applaud. We had us a humdinger of a "singing" and had a wonderful time praising the Lord and that included quite a bit of clapping! We even had us some Nazarines singing with us and let me tell you, those folks ain't stiff and formal when praising God like us Baptists can be. They know how to praise!

We here also applaud to show approval for the things the preacher is saying. Not necessarily applauding the man mind you, but instead we are applauding the Truth that he is sharing.

 

I really dislike it under almost all circumstances, but that's a matter of personal taste.

About the only place I will applaud in worship services is when someone is baptized... and we don't happen all the time.

 

Ditto for us. We always applaud when visitor's names are called out too.

We don't applaud during the preaching. We say "Amen" if we agree, and "Oh my" if we don't. :laugh:

 

It is possibly a new thing Amity. I really don't remember much clapping when I was a kid, but we did during the music portion of the service or when recognizing some sort of acheivement, just not during the sermon. Us Baptists tended to be a formal sort of people and who knows clapping might lead to dancing.

 

Hesitations 22:3- Thou shalt not clap in thine assembly, nor make any manner of noise. (NMV- New Mexdeaf Version) :laugh:

Having said that I am not a big fan but have not seen any Bible verses that prohibit such. Every church is different. I am an 'AMEN-er' and have gone to churches where they actually turned around to see who said that during the sermon. I think there should be a 'happy medium' somewhere.

But that is my preference. I am sure that David Cloud would have a different opinion. :smilewinkgrin:

 

I feel it is appropriate when the Spirit moves you to applaud.

 

I have no problem applauding in church, but maybe not during the worship services, and I don't think that will happen in PB churches anyway, but given the liberalism creeping in among some of our people, who knows ?

My wife and I walked out of a non-PB church once when we noticed after attending twice (I was new in the States then, my wife had been here a couple of years ahead of me, and we were looking for a home church) that the deacons required the congregation to stand up and applaud as the preacher walked in.

Bye !!

 

Now THAT'S uncalled for!!!

I'd a been right behind ya!

 

I have no idea if applauding is right or wrong, but my preference is that it shouldn't be done during a worship service. I rarely applaud, although I've noticed that southern Baptists do it a lot. I'm from Michigan and not used to the way they do things down here. They applaud nearly everything and everybody. I think it's carried to excess. When I sang a solo a couple of weeks ago, people applauded. It was Sunday morning, and the song was "How Great Thou Art". I did not feel comfortable being applauded for praising the Lord in song since it is my ministry, and I'm not an entertainer.

 

Our worship leader makes it palin that if we want to applaud for the worship team, forget it. Applause is for Christ alone. Our applause has picked up in recent weeks, even during the middle of songs, as the congregation realizes that all honor, applause and glory belong to God.

Case in point. Yesterday during our resurrection service (the best one I've been to in my life), we shut the lights off and played "Arise" from Newsong, with only images and the words on the screen. The applause was deafening at points during the song.

 

I feel it is fine when you are applauding God for the message you just heard in singing, whether it was congregational singing, or someone singing to the Lord. I do not always applaude when others do, I do it when I feel moved to.

 

we applaud whenever someone gives their heart to Christ, or when they are baptized.

I can't think of a more appropriate time for it.

 

For me it's been a shifting cultural thing. My childhood church discouraged applause, but had no problem with people shouting. My present church (a wonderful church,by the way) is comfortable with applause, but nobody shouts.

Spontaneity is one thing. What turns me off is when a high-energy, hand-clapping, hand-waving atmosphere seems contrived, worked up.

I fear our worship services may lose their sense of solemnity and awe when that happens.

On the other hand, I distinguish between special music in a worship service, and a concert of Christian music (such as the Gaither Homecomings). Applause is fine in that setting, since it's entertainment, not worship.

My sentiments exactly, Jon-Marc. It makes me uncomfortable, too.

Definitely over the line.

 

Ps. 150:1-6, "Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!"

Ps. 47:1, "O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy."

 

ever think people aren't applauding you the singer, but the God you are singing about?
I also think people can give a thanks for you using your gift to serve God, and glorify Him, by applausing.

 

Clappin'

I don't believe in clappin' for nothing, the sanctuary is much too Holy for that worldliness.raying: I believe that when clappin' would normally be called for, instead we should:

Shout, Whoop, and Holler 'till we can't utter a single sound any more. :applause: Did this a few weeks ago when one of my Sunday School teachers walked into AM Worship and announce that Michael (one of our 6th grade bus kids) had just acceppted Christ as His Savior. I almost could not preach after that.:laugh:

'Ain't God Good.:thumbs:

 

In scripture there were a few who danced before God too.