EDIT: I recant my view on clapping because of this remark:
“This is how we lift the music and the musicians up in gratitude.”
I like that. I don’t know how I didn’t see it that way before. But I’ll keep this post up so you can understand where I was coming from with this issue.
I was brought up in the Presbyterian church. It’s a wonderful place. I feel very much at home in it even though I’ve been a United Methodist for 20 years. But being a Presbyterian doesn’t come without consequences.
- Stand up
- Sing hymns
- Sit down
- Pass the offering plate
- Pass the communion plates
- Shake hands and say “Peace be with you.” “Also with you.”
- And once in a blue moon, something called “The Laying on of Hands”. That’s a whole other post.
- Put them or clasp them together for prayer, and bow.
- On Palm Sunday, we may wave palms if we feel comfortable doing so to a processional hymn.
Here are a list of sternly frowned upon things you would not do with your body in worship:
- Waving or lifting of hands…even a little bit…except with a palm in our hands on Palm Sunday during the processional hymn.
- Kneeling
- Crying
- Shouting “Amen”, “Hallelujah”, or “Praise the Lord” except in a moment of humor or profound poignancy.
- Speaking in tongues, which falls in the same category of snake handling.
- Aaaaand Clapping, except for anniversaries and graduations.
And so, I struggle with clapping in church. I have too many hang ups; theological issues, rhythmic issues, and just plain discomfort.
In clapping churches, people have all sorts of reasons for why they clap, and although I don’t always agree with them, I will never be the worship leader who tells people when or when not to clap. Everybody hates that leader. Here are the reasons I imagine people clap in church. I’m sure I’d be surprised to hear why people actually do it, but this is what my non-clapping tradition brain sees:
- “Wooooo hoooo! Holy Spirit! Praise God!”This isn’t my cup of tea, but this is pure worship. The psalmist said that we should clap our hands!
- “Hey, this song has a beat. Are we supposed to clap? Not sure which beats to clap on, but here goes. Oh man, this song is long. Do I keep clapping to the end? Hmmm the lady next to me stopped clapping. Ok. I’m gonna go ahead and stop. Wait. That guy is still clapping, dammit! I don’t want the musicians to feel bad. I’m going to clap most of the rest of this verse.”I get stuck in this all the time. My rule is, no clapping on the verse. Clap on the chorus, and only on the last one. And guess what? The musicians don’t feel bad if you quit, especially if you’re not any good at clapping.
- “The choir really performed a humdinger! That deserves a round of applause.”
Never mind the fact that the opening prayer, the sermon, and the hymns were also humdingers. I’m always suspicious of clapping after musical worship offerings. What are we clapping for? Are we praising God? Or are we praising musicians because that’s what you do at a concert? I can tell when #1 (Wooo hooo! Holy Spirit! Praise God!) is happening. Ecstatic worship. Wow. It feels good and we just gotta clap and shout about it, but then there’s #4. - “The choir was totally awesome last week so we clapped. They were pretty mediocre this week, but I don’t want to be rude, so I’m clapping 3 times but with no enthusiasm”
Oh, the polite clap. Look, I can tell when the anthem is so-so, but whadya gonna do? Not clap? It’s a confusing moment. You either let people clap every time or ban it altogether. And I have no interest in doing that. - “The choir’s anthem was very prayerful and contemplative. I really loved it, but it didn’t really have a big finish so I don’t feel like clapping. BUT, it will be awkward if we don’t clap our hands together 5 or 6 times very quietly.”Sometimes, the music is just so sacred and poignant, that we know in our hearts that we should say a quiet amen instead of clapping, but there’s always that one guy who doesn’t sense it. He claps, then 10 or 15 people follow just because they don’t want to leave him hanging out to dry.
- “Wow. That announcement was really entertaining; visuals, comedy…do we clap for that? If someone else claps, I’m going to clap, too. Yes! We’re clapping now!”Announcements aren’t worship. That’s why they come before the Call to Worship. So let’s clap away! I love creative announcements.
- “Married 50 years to THAT guy? That deserves some clapping!”We should be celebrating the keeping of a sacred vow. It’s good for the church, and good for the world. How can I not clap for that? Besides, it’s in the Joy and Concerns. Anything goes. And as you know, Presbyterians clap for anniversaries and graduations.
I know, I know, I’m very judgmental. I’m rigid. I’m too picky. I need to loosen up and not read too much into it. Seriously, you’d be right to say it. And if you worship with me, please don’t hold your applause on my account. It’s my problem, not yours. But here’s why I can’t feel comfortable doing it.
I grew up in a church whose worship philosophy is founded on intentionality. No word, no musical note, no movement should be performed without a purpose; an intent. And that intent is worship. And next to that, it should be liturgical. Liturgy means “the work of the people”. There are no stars in this church. It is the work of the people. Even the sermon is put into a place that doesn’t make it the climax of the service. Liturgy is the script by which we can join together as a congregation to profess, confess, praise, pray. If it’s not in the script, we don’t do it.
If Presbyterians were to wave their hands, it would be in the script. There would be a liturgy in the Book of Worship called “Service of the Waving of the Hands”, and when that part of the service came, we would hear this, “Please rise and wave your hands if you feel comfortable doing so” and there would be a litany. But the worship committee would have realized that you can’t wave your hands and read a litany from the bulletin at the same time. So the congregational response would be simply “Praise the Lord, Our God. He is worthy to be praised.” every time.
Perhaps I’m scarred for life. I did a little worship therapy once. I attended a few contemporary services at a mega church. It was very freeing. It was dark, so no one could see me. And loud so no one could hear me. And the expectations were clear. We should sing out. We should clap when we feel joy and gratitude.. We should raise our hands when we feel the Holy Spirit. We should shout when we need to praise. We should pray when we need God to hear us or need to hear God. It’s a worship free-for-all. It’s marvelous, but it’s not who I am. I like liturgical worship. I like the old hymns that we can actually read out of hymnals. I like the order. I like to be intentional. I like the togetherness of it all.
My name is David Wilson-Burns, and I’m not a clapper.
Import complicated 
I am also, unsurprisingly, not a clapper. But the Presbyterian Church I go to in the Seattle area is a clapping church. They clap at everything, including the drop of a hat. It boggles my mind.
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no surprise that neither of us are. but I’m coming around!
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I spent the first 26 years of my life as a Catholic, and then the next 34 years as a Mormon. 9 years ago I gave myself to the Lord and now call myself a biblical Christian. I attend a non-denominational church which is a clapping church. They also sometimes get very loud with their worship music. I am very uncomfortable with clapping or loud music, but the spirit there is unbelievable and the pastor teaches from the Bible, so I will continue to go there are just be uncomfortable with clapping. Maybe, one day I will change, but for now that is alright. I am not there to sing for the clapping, but sing for the praise it brings to God.
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And that’s what I want people to know. When I sing, it is to glorify God, not to entertain or gain accolades for myself. If I feel that people get that, then I’m fine with it. That just means they are glorifying God with me.
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