There
it was again. I knew it would happen, but I really couldn’t do anything about
it. Besides, who was I to judge what was in someone’s heart?
They
probably meant well, but more likely, they weren’t thinking about what they were
doing, just functioning on automatic. I felt guilty for wondering if the
ringleaders would be there today.
Then
I reminded myself that worship was ultimately not about me, nor my carefully
laid plans. God’s Spirit could work in people’s hearts no matter what I did or
did not do. …Still, I wished our worship services could be different.
One
of the delights of my job as Music/Worship Pastor is getting to plan and lead
worship services, trying to “create space in which God might act.” I like creating
worship segments that flow together meaningfully.
The
plan that day was to lead a congregational hymn of praise followed by a
Scripture litany from the Psalms, segueing into a meditative choral anthem followed
by a pastoral prayer.
The
worship segment was flowing smoothly, and the anthem ended on a beautiful
pianissimo. The mood was set for the upcoming pastoral prayer.
But—as
anticipated--as soon as the last note of the anthem ended, two or three pockets
of “church clappers” in the congregation started up, effectively disrupting the
flow. Aargh!
Clapping
during worship is an issue for many churches. Clapping takes one of two forms:
1. rhythmic clapping, incorporated into music and dance, or 2. random clapping
(applause), a universal response to or in anticipation of a pleasant experience.
Applause
is found everywhere in secular society: sports events, musical/dramatic arts
performances, political/patriotic gatherings, school/civic club meetings,
graduations.
Most
often, applause conveys one of the following meanings:
• “That makes me happy!”
• “I’m excited!”
• "I enjoyed that!" or
• ”I want to encourage you!”
Sometimes, applause is enthusiastic, perhaps
accompanied by standing and cheering. Or it can be merely “polite”--something
the hands do while the rest of the body does something else, like chatting with
someone nearby.
Nowadays,
applause is heard more frequently in American churches. Whether or not applause
is welcome depends on where a congregation’s style of worship falls on a
spectrum between informal and formal.
Congregations that prefer formal or contemplative
worship experiences—liturgical or Taize--will not appreciate applause during
worship services.
Congregations that prefer informal, boisterous, “noisy”
worship experiences--contemporary or Pentecostal or African-American—expect to
participate with verbal and bodily responses (rhythmic clapping, applause,
shouting, swaying, dancing) throughout their worship services.
“Traditional” churches (broadly defined, with
worship styles somewhere between formal and informal) are more likely to have
issues with applause during worship.
The problem with applause is mostly rooted in a lack
of understanding about what constitutes a worship service vs. a secular gathering.
Well-planned worship services are designed to help
participants encounter God. They are not
civic club or PTA meetings where people gather to be with their friends and
enjoy nice, entertaining programs. Just mentioning God’s name a few times does
not constitute a worship service.
Congregations are not the same as audiences.
Audiences mostly observe (and critique) the “performers” on the platform. Congregations—authentic congregations--actually
worship; they are participants in praising God and seeking God’s will for their
lives.
Author Terry York says in Rehearsing the Soul: “The
words congregation and audience are not interchangeable in a worship setting.
We have learned that God is the audience, those in the congregation are the players,
and the worship leaders are the prompters. …We play, then, to an audience of
one. To perform for one another in the worship setting is to ignore God or
reduce God’s place of prominence. …It’s a matter of the heart.”
God is not only the audience; God is also the “star”
of the worship service, the reason we’re all gathered in the first place. Any
applause should be directed toward God,
not talented worship leaders. We are to celebrate the Giver, not the gift.
It’s often easy to tell if a congregation thinks of
themselves more as an audience than a gathering of worshipers. From my
observation, “church clappers” usually applaud after loud, rousing selections
by a musical soloist or group (though some will applaud after all “special” musical selections, loud
or soft, as if attending a concert).
“Church clappers” also applaud anytime children or
youth do anything “unique” during the service—singing, playing instruments,
presenting dramatic readings—mostly to encourage them. But worship services are
not school programs, and constant applause for children’s presentations teaches
them that they are primarily there to please adults, rather than to offer their
creative gifts to God in worship.
The dead give-away in identifying an audience-minded
congregation is that, except for the two examples above, “church clappers”
don’t usually applaud for anything else.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard applause after a
meaningful litany, a scripture reading, a beautifully-worded prayer, a congregational
hymn or a well-crafted sermon—except for a few “stem-winder” sermons at denominational
rallies.
Lest I be misunderstood, there is nothing inherently
wrong with applause during worship services—there are a few biblical references
to people “clapping their hands” as they praised God.
But that’s just the point: they were worshiping God, not applauding each other!
I
suspect that God is not delighted with polite applause (where one person starts
applauding, then others nearby join in half-heartedly). More likely, God is disappointed
at being taken so casually, at having people just go-through-the-motions of
so-called “worship” while their thoughts and intentions are focused elsewhere.
Authentic
worship puts the spotlight on God, not
the worship leaders or congregation.
I
am still affected emotionally when I recall two worship experiences where I was
pretty certain that applause was for God alone:
One
occurred in Georgia years ago during a preschool choir session at church. To
introduce a new song to twenty kindergarten children, I asked them--at their
level of understanding--to think of some attributes of God.
Soon
they were on-a-roll. Momentum built as they eagerly raised their hands, quickly
naming good things about God.
Suddenly,
the whole group burst into applause. They were cheering God!
Another
happened in Kentucky. The Southeast was experiencing a severe drought, and it
seemed that the little bit of rain that fell in the area somehow kept skipping
over our small town.
For
several months, we prayed in desperation as rain clouds passed us by.
Then,
during worship one Sunday, just as our pastor was stepping into the pulpit, a
huge cloudburst suddenly began pounding on the sanctuary roof. There was an
audible gasp from our grateful congregation, followed by spontaneous, heartfelt
applause. We were truly praising God!
That’s the kind of worship
God wants from us—focused, enthusiastic, grateful and sincere, with or without
applause.
Personally,
I think a robust “Amen!” is preferable to applause during worship, anyway. The
word “amen” is used around fifty times in Scripture, and means “So be it!” or
“I agree.” It does not mean “I
enjoyed that.”
“Amen!”
also is uniquely suited for use in worship services rather than in secular
gatherings where an audience applauds performers. Using “Amen!” instead of
applause leaves no doubt that the person knows, “I’m in church, where I worship God!”
Whether
we applaud, say “Amen!” or just quietly think about God during worship
services, only God knows the intentions of our hearts. Our worship will be
authentic only to the extent that we focus on God rather than on each other.
See
you in worship this Sunday - Naomi
