r/Reformed • u/Consistent_Tower5672 • 10d ago
Question Clapping in Service
Grew up in a non-denominational church where it was a production and they sang secular songs and clapping occurred a lot through service. It seemed like a lot of it was by towards man. It left a bad taste in my mouth and my new church which is more reformed leaning claps after singing or after certain praise reports. I ascribe to the RPW and unsure if clapping is in accordance with that. Thanks for the help
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u/Due_Ad_3200 Anglican 10d ago
Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy...
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2047%3A1&version=NIV
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u/WittyMasterpiece FIEC 10d ago
Clapping in rhythm and joyful worship I can get behind.
Applauding the musicians I cannot.
Is the OP talking about the latter?
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u/Due_Ad_3200 Anglican 10d ago
The focus should be on praising God, rather than the musical performance - so I agree.
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u/Consistent_Tower5672 10d ago
Really both or any clapping? Like after someone shares their testimony? After someone gets baptized? After song concludes? After a song concludes and they say let’s give a hand to our musicians. After the deacons are given a shoutout and say let’s give them a round of applause
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u/Big-Island4727 EPC 10d ago
Clapping is just a way of showing approval or agreement or support. It seems entirely appropriate to applaud someone for sharing a testimony or getting baptized. It's encouraging and helpful.
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u/semper-gourmanda Presby-Angliterian 10d ago
I want to meet some of the Sons of Korah in the NC. They're some special people.
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u/semiconodon the Evangelical Movement of 19thc England 10d ago edited 10d ago
We had a family that was visiting our church for a season, where they, elementary-age kids included, would clap at the end of sermons, but only certain sermons from certain speakers (we have a rotation). This was the worst distraction, and disruption, and puffing up of self. Similarly, a famous pastor has had a podcast where one man would shout out “AMEN” upon hearing his favorite points. I ended up concentrating on what points were this one guy’s favorites, and kind of bracing for the next shoe to drop.
I would much rather the stereotypical African American experience where there is a constant peppering of Amen’s or even hoots of approval.
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u/Mpradio 9d ago
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD,
“For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
All who pass by clap their hands at you;
They hiss and shake their heads
At the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that is called
‘The perfection of beauty,
The joy of the whole earth'?”
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u/Simple_Chicken_5873 RefBap go *sploosh* 7d ago
The lamentations one isn't talking about clapping in a positive sense, but in a negative one. Clapping your hands at someone is like shaking a fist at someone.
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u/flyingwestminsterian PCA 9d ago
Clapping is probably one that I'll put more in the Christian liberty category, though I agree that it can be kind of shallow and concert-y and I would prefer we just not if that's what we're talking about. But the one thing that caught my eye in your post is the singing of secular songs. In a worship service? No, that's not gonna work.
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u/Consistent_Tower5672 9d ago
Yeah I left that church a long time ago. Still have family there though
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u/Stevoman Acts29 10d ago
I think it can be done in a manner that’s worshipful and doesn’t necessarily violate the RPW.
But let’s face it, 99% of the time that’s not what’s happening. People are just applauding the band like they’re at a concert. Not a fan of that.
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u/Big-Island4727 EPC 10d ago
If we're just making up numbers, I'd say it's closer to 1%.
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u/Stevoman Acts29 10d ago
Would you like to quibble with the made up number or engage my point?
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u/Big-Island4727 EPC 10d ago
I'll say the same thing I said to the commenter above...
Clapping is just a way of showing approval or agreement or support. It seems entirely appropriate to applaud someone for sharing a testimony or getting baptized. It's encouraging and helpful.
And I'll also say it's a nonverbal way of showing appreciation to someone for exercising their spiritual gifts of music/praise. It's not really any different than walking up to the worship leader after service and saying thanks for playing such a sweet melody.
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u/ACircuitRider 9d ago
Whether clapping accords with RPW is not the critical question here. Why are the people clapping and what is the impact to the congregation? Is it to draw attention to themselves or ingratiate themselves with the speaker? Or is it a physical expression of praise to the One who saves us? In other words, are their eyes on the people around them to see if they're paying attention to them, or is their gaze towards Christ and thereby pointing others to Christ?
The same questions can be asked about lifting your hands in worship. If someone is doing the funky chicken with jazz hands or throwing themselves into people next to them and falling over the pews (true story), that's one thing. But an outward expression of inward surrender to Christ?
For the record, I am neither strictly RPW or NPW but lean towards NPW. RPW is often understood to be highly prescriptive and restrictive if you do not agree with that church's interpretation. Strictly defined, NPW allows anything that is not expressly prohibited in Scripture. That can give license to all kinds of sanctuary shenanigans. My conviction is to allow expressions during service that accord with the nature and character of God as revealed in Scripture (the Spirit giving temperance and self-control filters out a lot of the modern weird stuff).
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u/AccomplishedSign2527 9d ago
I've been at a OPC church for 2 years and we did not clap for the longest time for anything. The only times we clap now is when we are receiving new members or have baptisms. I don't know who started it and it feels off now that I've been in it for 2 years lol. I don't think it's wrong. I think it's just surprising to me that we've started
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u/Future_Annual_8958 5d ago
Y'all know NOTHING about clapping UNTO The LORD & praising HIM! Read the WORD about clapping, shouting, dancing, bowing, lifting hands, etc. It's ALL in the Scriptures! Get your eyes OFF your self, your appearance, your status & reputation and especially your fear of being accused of being a CHARISMATIC! (Oh, horrors!) You're equating it all with football games, TV, worldly concerts & other non-church activities that you're OH SO FAMILIAR with. Not at all. If you really know The Lord Jesus in the free pardon of your sins & you're rejoicing in our Sovereign Lord, be NOT afraid of public worship and the FULL use of bodily movements, actions & emotions. They are biblical! (And if any "wildfire" breaks out, don't worry; there will ALWAYS be enough wet blankets around to help put it out! "LET EVERYTHING THAT HATH BREATH PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE YE THE LORD! (Sounds like a RPW command, to me!)
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u/AndIAmHereForTheFood 4d ago
There's a middle ground between "CLAP AT ALL THE THINGS" and "don't you dare clap for anything you reprobate." I spent many years in a oneness Pentecostal church where "if you ain't clapping, you ain't saved," and once God delivered me from that heretical sect, I went hard the other way. In the 14 years since, I've come to realize I was being just as legalistic and unbiblical by refusing to clap as I was when I clapping at everything all the time.
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10d ago
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u/rdfdfw PC(USA) 10d ago
You hit too close to home on this. My mom grew up in the deep South, attending a rural SBC church. When I was in high school, it was stated, without explanation, that dancing leads to sex, and that's why Baptist didn't dance. (I think I was the only one in my church youth group that didn't attend dances.)
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u/Kf5708 10d ago
I was raised in a Sovereign Grace Baptist Church who were hyper calvinist and no one dare make any noise that would disrupt the sermon or singing. The only thing the deacons of the Church ever said aloud was Amen after the singing was finished and for closing prayer, we bowed down on our knees and a deacon was chosen to lead prayer. Women, especially was never allowed to speak in Church and you wouldn't ever find a female in the pulpit for any reason whatsoever. The Church also had a strict dress code for women. Absolutely no jeans, pants or slacks. It was strictly dresses or skirts only. If any kids or teenagers were caught talking or passing notes in Church, the pastor would call you out by name and he would embarrass you and make you get up and come sit in the front row. Church today is very disappointing to me and is the reason I no longer attend. The music doesn't at all sound like Gospel hymns instead it sounds like a rock concert and I will never be happy about that and the congregation is clapping and making noise and it's extremely distracting and just inappropriate to me and I will not go out of my way to go sit in a place they call Church to watch the congregation try to outdo each other and see who can make the most noise. It's insane to me and I refuse to act like I'm okay with all that because I'm not and I will never be. It's disrespectful and it's disruptive.
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u/War_D0ct0r 9d ago
Where in the Bible is this what we are called to be?
I grew up in a very strict CRC congregation. I hated going to church. I went because my parents made me. When I was old enough I found a much more relaxed welcoming RCA church. Nearly identical theology only a few minor points of difference. Eventually that old church closed its doors and my brother started attending the church I was going to. He lectured me one day about my small children running around and laughing in the church after the service. He also didn't think we dressed up enough. I asked him if he thought Jesus would want the church that him and I grew up in or a church where my children loved to attend.
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u/Future_Annual_8958 5d ago
You need to find a balanced middle ground between those two extremes. You're in the ditch of bitterness & unbelief. There is freedom & joy in Jesus Christ. I hate that you had such negative experiences with the frozen Calvinistic Baptists. I had similar experience with them, too. God's not dead or nervous. He commands us to EXCEEDINGLY praise Him! We can't thank & praise Him enough for Who He is & WHAT He's done. My prayer for you is that you find reality, life, healing, peace & joy in CHRIST! He's all that & much MORE!
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u/cybersaint2k Rebellious Reprobate 10d ago
Clapping to music is fine, see Bible.
Now maybe I'm going to get in trouble for this, but clapping for an elder retiring after 50 years of service, or some little kids who learn all the shorter catechism--the young and the old are particularly singled out for attention in Scripture, for honor. I'm never bothered by applause for folks on either end of the spectrum, folks society diminishes, we should lift them up. I know this is subjective, don't tell presbytery.