Here A Good One" Can I Clap My Hands In Your Church?

[The Glory Land]

Just Checking....              

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Psalms 47:1 (KJV) 1 [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.]] O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

[John81]

Well that might depend upon why and when you are clapping. Is there a purpose to your clapping or do you break out into spontaneous, random clapping?

 

Clapping isn't forbidden in our church but we don't do a lot of clapping. That seems to be more due to the personalities involved as we tend to be a more reserved gathering in that area.

 

Clapping is one of those things that differs from church to church. I've been in churches where there is never any clapping for any reason, and others where it seems someone (if not virtually everyone) is clapping most all the time.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

While the Bible says to clap, it does not say one can, or cannot, whatever the case may be, clap in the sanctuary.

It does, however, tell us to raise our hands in the sanctuary.

Psalms 134:2 (KJV)
Lift up your hands [in] the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

[JerryNumbers]

Hand Clapping in Worship Services

 

Here is a very good article on this subject & the last two paragraphs actually answers this question when your a visit a church your not a member of. 

 

My thought is why not be respectful of those your visiting with?

[The Glory Land]

If Christ is receiving the glory and not man, its o.k.

[John81]

 

My thought is why not be respectful of those your visiting with?

That is my approach.

[JerryNumbers]

That is my approach.

 

That's true, yet some people want to be the center of attention.

 

The 1st time I ever saw anyone in a church building hold their hands up in the air was back in the 80's. The wife & I attended a revival services at a church so far back in the country in order to go deer hurting they had to drive back towards town.

 

A fellow was doing the revival who was a year behind me in school & we both played football & I wanted to hear him preach. A woman on the front row when singing songs would hold her hands up, I never had heard of that, never seen it.  I knew some of the people there so after the services I asked one of them what was all the hands about.

 

She grew up there but lived way up north & attended a Pentecostal church & was home visiting her parents.

 

Oh, I asked a Baptist pastor once about the holding up of hands, what was it for, he said, "They're making sure that God sees them & hears them, trying to be sure they get God's attention."

 

I replied, "Don't they realize that they do not have to wave their hands at God in order to get His attention, that He can see them were ever they are, wherever they go, & knows everything they do & say?"

 

He replied, "I guess not are they would not do it."

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I am Baptist, and i often raise my hands when praising the Lord.

While there may, or may not be, some who raise their hands to be seen... i do not. I raise my hans in praise. No other motive than praise to a mighty God and loving Saviour.

There is nothing wrong with one raising one's hands if done for the right reason.

[HappyChristian]

We don't clap in our church.  There have been times when visitors have started and then stopped.  But the reason for it is basically that the singing and preaching is done to glorify God, not to entertain viewers.  (and attendees to be edified, but that would happen if God is glorified).  Because of the popularity of clapping in church (and it happens mostly in churches where they lift up men more than they do God... - note, I said mostly not all), we never will do so.  We have been to some churches where they clap, but we still don't.  We don't look our noses down on those who do, we just don't participate.  Now, if it is a school award function, we will clap at the end  -  because we are applauding the work of the awardees.

[heartstrings]

We do not clap our hands in worship services where I pastor for the simple reason that I believe hand clapping is in praise of a performance and is intended to compliment and magnify the performer. We have no place in our worship services for this.

 

Our design is not to magnify the instrumentalists, singers, or preachers. Those who are at the instruments, on the platform or in the pulpit should be joining with the congregation to magnify and worship the Lord. It seems to me that a worshipful, muffled "Thank the Lord," "Praise the Lord," or "Amen" would be a much more appropriate response to some part of a worship service such as a song or a testimony or a particularly striking statement in a sermon.

 

Who is intended to hear the "muffled response" ? Only God? Why "muffle" them then? Amens, show approval. They actually serve as encouragement to the hearer. Even "muffled amens" are heard by the person "singing a special". Is it encouragement to the singers? So why amen at all? And if it's OK to encourage with an "amen", what is wrong with people clapping to do the same?  "Praise" is to speak well of someone. Is it OK to brag on other people? let's see.......

 

Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

My Wife and I were invited to dinner with our new pastor, at the time, and as we began the meal he began complaining to his wife that something was wrong with the meatloaf.  My Wife and I were appalled. Yet this man, whenever he would announce a visiting preacher who was about to get up an preach, would brag on what a fine man of God the guest speaker was and they in turn would do the same for him. "Praise" my friends, isn't yelling "praise God"; it's speaking well of Him; bragging about him and to him. If you don't like your Wife's meatloaf, just keep your mouth shut in front of company and gently tell her in private that it didn't suit your taste. On the other hand, if the meatloaf is good...then BRAG on your sweet Wife in front of the company. When you lift someone up, you encourage them instead of tearing them down. That's what the husband and children of the "vituous woman" of Proverbs 31 did.

 

My Wife and Kids have sung and played music in so many churches we lost count long ago. But when people "clap" at the end of a song,.we do not feel that we are being worshiped.. Those people are encouraging us:  they are showing love to others and when we show love to others, that is glorifying God... absolutely If we sing at a church that wants to "muffle amens", that is fine too. I'm used to both. But when you get no reaction, it makes you wonder if your "special" was not well received. Know what I mean? And even a preacher needs to hear some "amens" once in awhile because many times I have heard men actually ask for them. Is an "amen" lifting up man? No, it's showing approval and being an encouragement, Clapping is no different. And for those singers and musicians who clearly are "hams", they just shouldn't be asked to sing anymore.

[JerryNumbers]

Who is intended to hear the "muffled response" ? Only God? Why "muffle" them then? Amens, show approval. They actually serve as encouragement to the hearer. Even "muffled amens" are heard by the person "singing a special". Is it encouragement to the singers? So why amen at all? And if it's OK to encourage with an "amen", what is wrong with people clapping to do the same?  "Praise" is to speak well of someone. Is it OK to brag on other people? let's see.......

 

Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

My Wife and I were invited to dinner with our new pastor, at the time, and as we began the meal he began complaining to his wife that something was wrong with the meatloaf.  My Wife and I were appalled. Yet this man, whenever he would announce a visiting preacher who was about to get up an preach, would brag on what a fine man of God the guest speaker was and they in turn would do the same for him. "Praise" my friends, isn't yelling "praise God"; it's speaking well of Him; bragging about him and to him. If you don't like your Wife's meatloaf, just keep your mouth shut in front of company and gently tell her in private that it didn't suit your taste. On the other hand, if the meatloaf is good...then BRAG on your sweet Wife in front of the company. When you lift someone up, you encourage them instead of tearing them down. That's what the husband and children of the "vituous woman" of Proverbs 31 did.

 

My Wife and Kids have sung and played music in so many churches we lost count long ago. But when people "clap" at the end of a song,.we do not feel that we are being worshiped.. Those people are encouraging us:  they are showing love to others and when we show love to others, that is glorifying God... absolutely If we sing at a church that wants to "muffle amens", that is fine too. I'm used to both. But when you get no reaction, it makes you wonder if your "special" was not well received. Know what I mean? And even a preacher needs to hear some "amens" once in awhile because many times I have heard men actually ask for them. Is an "amen" lifting up man? No, it's showing approval and being an encouragement, Clapping is no different. And for those singers and musicians who clearly are "hams", they just shouldn't be asked to sing anymore.

 

If you had attended such churches as I have you would not wonder about that, for you would know. In making that statement all I'm doing is letting you know how its always been in this part of the country, we only give amen's, we never clap our hands. Like Happy Christian stated, "We feel 100% to clap is glorifying man, to say amen is giving God all credit, & we do not want to take any of His glory for our self nor give it to any man."

[Miss Daisy]

Hand Clapping in Worship Services

 

Here is a very good article on this subject & the last two paragraphs actually answers this question when your a visit a church your not a member of. 

 

My thought is why not be respectful of those your visiting with?

 

Good article too!

 

We don't clap for singers or special songs sung. We do clap after someone is baptized though

[Eric Stahl]

I some times will hold up my hand or hands to God and bow my head when praying in private. It is an expression of humbling myself before God to me. I am reaching out to him while knowing he is reaching down to me.We never do it in church.

 

We do clap for a good singer or when the kids sing or do a skit.

[The Glory Land]

I some times will hold up my hand or hands to God and bow my head qwhen praying in private. It is an expression of humbling myself before God to me. I am reaching out to him while knowing he is reaching down to me.We never do it in church.

We do clap for a good singer or when the kids sing or do a skit.

Clap, when they sing and for the kids. If they were good or bad. The pastor job is to remind everyone that they are clapping for the Lord, and that He receive all the glory. Thanking the members for sharing their talents for Him.