When to applaud and not to applaud!

[Jerome]

America's Fisk Jubilee Singers at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, c. 1873:

"I heard the Jubilee Singers sing a piece, "Oh, brothers, don't stay away, for my Lord says there's room enough in the heavens for you." I found tears coming in my eyes, and looking at my deacons, I found theirs very moist too. That song suggested my text and my sermon to-night. Now, as a part of the sermon, I am going to ask them to sing it, for they preach in the singing ; and may the Spirit of God send home this word to some to-night—some who may remember their singing if they forget my preaching." Then followed the singing, with such clearness and power, that all the vast audience of five or six thousand people could hear; some, forgetting themselves, broke out into spontaneous applause with clapping of hands at the close. I have heard it said several persons date their conversion from that evening.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Because I posted applause was problematic, I will respond.

"Problematic" is NOT pure legalism.

Problematic - notty, thorny, complicated...

"Problematic" is not what is legalistic. Thinking applause is problematic is legalistic. This discussion is ridiculous. And the fact you can write over 2,000 words on this "issue" is a complete waste of time.

Thanks for the info, but I'll continue to applaud our choir, orchestra, soloists -- and thanks to you, my pastor is going to get a good round of applause real soon. You now have me actively looking for an excuse to do so.

God bless.

 

[Gina B]

Since it's an action associated with joy more than being solemn, I certainly wouldn't expect it after a more solemn song!

If one has to think about whether it's appropriate or not, then it's rather silly to try. Praise and joy flow from a person naturally, not with a "I wonder if this is how I should react" type mentality, unless one is in a very restrictive environment where every move is questioned, which would be a scary place. I've been in those. It was nice to be unchained...

 

[OldRegular]

I have noticed over the last 30 years or more that applause has replaced Amen in my church. Even in acts of worship and the message of the preacher, especially if the statement is at all related to a social or political occurrence. There seems to be greater applause when the music is on the light side or with a syncopated nature then when it is more in the nature of hymns. There is very little when we sing When I Survey the Wondrous Cross or Amazing Grace. Have any of you experienced this in your church?

It is a sad fact that worship is being replaced by a program or show. The choir and band and piano and organ perform. If the audience perceives that they perform well, applause, sometimes a standing ovation. If the audience perceives that they perform poorly then silence.

I love music, some classical, some country and popular of bygone years. I particularly love the older hymns. I don't like 7-11 music in a Church service. Having said that as far as I am concerned the choir should sit in the congregation and the organ, piano, and band instruments sold.

 

[sag38]

"Having said that as far as I am concerned the choir should sit in the congregation and the organ, piano, and band instruments sold."

And, we thank you for your unbiblical opinion. The writer of many of the Psalms certainly would disagree with your position. You just don't like it because it doesn't sit well with your warped sense of what is worship and what is not.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

It is a sad fact that worship is being replaced by a program or show. The choir and band and piano and organ perform. If the audience perceives that they perform well, applause, sometimes a standing ovation. If the audience perceives that they perform poorly then silence.

I love music, some classical, some country and popular of bygone years. I particularly love the older hymns. I don't like 7-11 music in a Church service. Having said that as far as I am concerned the choir should sit in the congregation and the organ, piano, and band instruments sold.

Yea...me too. And never never never bring bongo & conga drums to church...PLEASE!

 

[OldRegular]

"Having said that as far as I am concerned the choir should sit in the congregation and the organ, piano, and band instruments sold."

And, we thank you for your unbiblical opinion.

Scripture please! Particularly from the New Testament.

The writer of many of the Psalms certainly would disagree with your position. You just don't like it because it doesn't sit well with your warped sense of what is worship and what is not.

I don't recall any Scripture where a choir was a part of temple worship but I certainly stand corrected if I am wrong. All believers should be in a learning mode.

My firm belief is that God does not change. I believe I can show that by Scripture.

Malachi 3:6. For I am the LORD, I change not;

That being the case why is it that congregations have to adopt every fad that comes along. A good example is Powerpoint. If my memory is correct Powerpoint is or was a Microsoft program used to prepare information for a presentation. Yet some people act as if Powerpoint is the savior of all that is. Without Powerpoint a preacher can't preach. I hear it mention from the pulpit and in Congressional hearings; that sort of runs the gamut. Did the world really exist before cell phones, Powerpoint, rock music. I sometimes wonder if

 

[agedman]

Thank you for your opinion. You don't like applause so that makes it wrong for the rest of them that do. Most of the time I love to read your responses but on this you are not speaking from a Biblical wisdom but from your particular tradition. I don't like twangy church music so according to your reasoning I can say that it is problematic too.

To assume that I hold "that makes it wrong for the rest of them to do" is misreading the posts I made on this thread.

I merely presented the thinking and showed how applause can present as problematic.

If and only if "twangy" music brings praise to the performers as deserving, and therefore robbing such from the true worship and praise of God alone as worthy and deserving of ALL expressions of praise and esteem, should such be considered as problematic.

That some do not recognize that performances and presentations, in which the performers and presenters are praised, are indications of the shallow expectations of worship may show a lack of righteous discernment being prevalent in the modern church.

"But it feels right" is never to be used as determining what is right.

 

[agedman]

Applause MIGHT be praise, but more likely it is appreciation, or thanks. By applauding a musical performance people are not worshiping humans.

Never said they were "worshiping humans."

What I posted was that when one is "deserving" applause, it is robbing God of the praise. For it is He that is deserving of ALL praise, and All appreciaton, and ALL honor, and ALL glory, and...

Sometimes at my church the congregation will applaud when the pastor makes a point. For example, if the preacher says, "We ought to be focused on Jesus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, because when we are in Heaven that will be the focus!", and the congregation applauds are you really saying that the people are giving praise to the preacher?

I don't know? Are they?

That is the distinction between an applause and an amen.

Amen (so be it) is supposed to be used to acknowledge truth and in alignment with what is of God.

Applause has no such statement, rather is a reflection upon what the worldly approve and worldly approval.

That "amen" can be used inappropriately, or misused, does not detract from the meaning of the word.

A preacher hearing a solemn amen can understand that there is agreement and alignment with righteous truth - totally lacking by the use of applause. Applause just by the nature of the use has all kinds of interpretations and no solid meaning associated other than appreciation.

Generally speaking, amen is thought related and shows thought examination in the search of truth. Applause is emotion driven and has no true intellectual examination association.

Hope this helps.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Scripture please! Particularly from the New Testament.



I don't recall any Scripture where a choir was a part of temple worship but I certainly stand corrected if I am wrong. All believers should be in a learning mode.

My firm belief is that God does not change. I believe I can show that by Scripture.

Malachi 3:6. For I am the LORD, I change not;

That being the case why is it that congregations have to adopt every fad that comes along. A good example is Powerpoint. If my memory is correct Powerpoint is or was a Microsoft program used to prepare information for a presentation. Yet some people act as if Powerpoint is the savior of all that is. Without Powerpoint a preacher can't preach. I hear it mention from the pulpit and in Congressional hearings; that sort of runs the gamut. Did the world really exist before cell phones, Powerpoint, rock music. I sometimes wonder if

Do a thorough examination of the Scriptures from Matthew 1 through Revelation 22, there is not one reference to the use of instrumental music in the New Testament Church. Besides that, my preference is the human voice w/o instrumental embellishment. :love2:

 

[OldRegular]

Never said they were "worshiping humans."

What I posted was that when one is "deserving" applause, it is robbing God of the praise. For it is He that is deserving of ALL praise, and All appreciaton, and ALL honor, and ALL glory, and...



I don't know? Are they?

That is the distinction between an applause and an amen.

Amen (so be it) is supposed to be used to acknowledge truth and in alignment with what is of God.

Applause has no such statement, rather is a reflection upon what the worldly approve and worldly approval.

That "amen" can be used inappropriately, or misused, does not detract from the meaning of the word.

A preacher hearing a solemn amen can understand that there is agreement and alignment with righteous truth - totally lacking by the use of applause. Applause just by the nature of the use has all kinds of interpretations and no solid meaning associated other than appreciation.

Generally speaking, amen is thought related and shows thought examination in the search of truth. Applause is emotion driven and has no true intellectual examination association.

Hope this helps.

You make several good points "agedman" and I heartedly concur. People applaud a performance. It is my humble opinion that worship is not a performance.

I will give an example. As I said earlier I love music but I could sing my heart out praising and glorifying God and I would get no applause; I singe in a monotone. Some person could come off the street, sing one of the 7-11 songs superbly, and get thunderous applause, perhaps a standing ovation for their performance!

 

[evenifigoalone]

That being the case why is it that congregations have to adopt every fad that comes along. A good example is Powerpoint. If my memory is correct Powerpoint is or was a Microsoft program used to prepare information for a presentation. Yet some people act as if Powerpoint is the savior of all that is. Without Powerpoint a preacher can't preach. I hear it mention from the pulpit and in Congressional hearings; that sort of runs the gamut. Did the world really exist before cell phones, Powerpoint, rock music. I sometimes wonder if

PowerPoint is a useful tool and nice to have, but there have been times the computer was down or the projector didn't work, or the powerpoint operator was sick, and church still went on all the same. Maybe there are some churches who cancel services if the PowerPoint doesn't work, but I've never heard of that anywhere and I rather doubt it.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Amen (so be it) is supposed to be used to acknowledge truth and in alignment with what is of God.

Applause has no such statement, rather is a reflection upon what the worldly approve and worldly approval.

I use applause the same way I would use amen, and so does everyone I know at church and other Christian events. Insert applause at the same points in a sermon where you might hear an amen in other churches.
Applause can be used to express agreement--although that's not it's only use. But it's pretty easy to tell the difference based on the circumstances in which it's used. Just as words can, usually do, have more than one meaning depending on their use.

 

[sag38]

Tradition, opinion, and personal preference does not equal the Bible. Just because it doesn't sit well with you doesn't make it wrong. You go to your stuffy old museum where everything is prim and proper and comfortable (not according to scripture but according to tradition) and I will go to church where we honor God's word.

 

[salzer mtn]

I have observed this in by gone services. Preachers sermon is on something that is a touchy subject to some people while others in the church totally agree. Each time the preacher makes a point on this subject the pro members scream a hearty AMEN BROTHER, AMEN partly just to annoy the neg. members on the subject. Also Applause and Amen can be distractive, but to some preachers they have to have this as a form of cheer leading or they couldn't preach. I have watched a lot of Bill Gaither programs on television and it seems when a singer hits a certain high note most everyone goes to clapping and jumping up shouting not for the songs sake but it's all for the singer.

 

[sag38]

Yes, how sinful of them......good grief!!

 

[Tom Butler]

I have swayed back and forth on this question. I was reared in a Southern Baptist culture in the South, where Amens were o-k, but applause was not. I've seen the resistance to applause erode over the years, though.

This is true in the church I have served for the last half-century. We have come to a place where applause of special music is routine.

Because, of my Baptist upbringing, I still feel some discomfort when I hear the applause. But, this is tempered by the knowledge that our folks believe they are affirming the message of the music--showing agreement and support.

So, bottom line, it's personal and cultural.

Would I prefer no applause? Yes

Is it a battle I want to fight? No, because I don't see any principle at stake, nor do I see any scriptural prohibition.

 

[OldRegular]

Tradition, opinion, and personal preference does not equal the Bible. Just because it doesn't sit well with you doesn't make it wrong. You go to your stuffy old museum where everything is prim and proper and comfortable (not according to scripture but according to tradition) and I will go to church where we honor God's word.

Perhaps you are and perhaps you are not!

 

[OldRegular]

I have observed this in by gone services. Preachers sermon is on something that is a touchy subject to some people while others in the church totally agree. Each time the preacher makes a point on this subject the pro members scream a hearty AMEN BROTHER, AMEN partly just to annoy the neg. members on the subject. Also Applause and Amen can be distractive, but to some preachers they have to have this as a form of cheer leading or they couldn't preach. I have watched a lot of Bill Gaither programs on television and it seems when a singer hits a certain high note most everyone goes to clapping and jumping up shouting not for the songs sake but it's all for the singer.

That is the question. Is the applause for the performance or what?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

That is the question. Is the applause for the performance or what?

Sure it is.