Does your church applaude?

Our church does not applaud. The choir also does not sing between the Scripture reading and the message. Once the Pastor is up there, that's it.

 

We applauding regularly . . .

 

We don't have a choir, so it really isn't much of an issue for us, but I have noticed that a lot of music in churches nowadays is a performance.

Kind of like the National Anthem.

I can remember when the job of the person singing the national anthem was to lead everybody in singing it and now, nobody does because it's just a performance.

It's like the other day when they played the big hockey game outside and that one legged Irish guy (sorry, forget his name) asked everyone to stand and honor the troops and the country by singing with him (and then proceeded to confuse the heck out of them by singing the rarely heard first verse, which nobody knows). But at least he tried.

 

we applaud sometimes... it depends on the mood of the music. If it's one of quiet worship, we don't. Sometimes if it is one of uplifting rousing worship, we do.

It's easy to say that people are applauding a performance. It's also a bit judgmental. It judges that the person singing is merely doing it for applause and that the listeners are merely an audience rather than a participant in the worship service.

 

I agree Tom. It is also easy to look backwards and see how much "better" things were in previous years as if the church and people were some how more "spiritual" then.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 "Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions."

 

We normally applaud. I think it is for two reasons.

1. To worship of the Father.

2. To encourage the servant(s).

 

What happens when someone with a lousy voice sings and the congregation cringes?

Do you boo them?

 

OH, go ahead

 

My church applauds, but I'm still not comfortable with it. But I recognize that I'm a product of my early Southern Baptist upbringing, where applause was not done.

On the other hand, we have a 5th Sunday night singing, and for some reason, applause bothers me less in those circumstances.

 

Oh, so this is why my wife told me not to post after taking all of that cold medicine.

 

Yes some applaud in our church after a "special music" of some type. Its a way of showing that we were blessed by it. Many say "amen" (men and women). I see nothing wrong with it. Seems legalistic to me to say ya cant clap in church when you've just been blessed by something.

 

Heh... :laugh:

 

The question does not arise in our church, because we don't have a choir, or any kinds of performances. We often have a hymn, and prayer, between the reading from the bible, and the sermon. I can see that this could be a distraction, but we do try to ensure that the words of the hymns are linked to the subject-matter of the sermon, which we find is helpful.

 

During liturgy our Church doesn't applaude...worship is not religious entertainment...

ICXC NIKA
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Didn't you get the memo? Worship is about US. It's about OUR getting fed. It's about meeting OUR needs. It's about OUR feeling good.

Oh, never mind. Didn't mean to derail the thread.

 

Our church does, too. But on the other hand, we never clap when we have been blessed by other things, only music. So why only music if we are clapping because we have been blessed?
We have never clapped after the sermon.