Is it wrong to clap in worship?

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The 1970’s rapper, Big Bank Hank from the Sugar Hill Gang, encouraged everyone to join with him in the song 8th Wonder:

“Clap your hands everybody. And everybody just clap your hands.”

Sometimes, in church.  Christians do not want to join in with clapping.

Here at First Baptist Church, we are blessed with many talented musicians, singers, liturgists, and worship leaders.  Often, when one of these types of people, most often singers or musicians, gives worshipful God given talent (a solo for instance) many people want to applaud.  Sometimes, when I speak to congregants about a particular musical performance, a few are weary of the practice of clapping for people.  Those who are fearful of clapping in worship say, “I don’t like to praise a singer with clapping.  We praise God in worship.”

While I can understand the objection, I would encourage those to think more deeply about what is happening in worship.  When someone gives a solo, it is a worshipful act that is lifted up to God in praise.  When people are moved by a soloist’s song, there is something that is stirring inside of them that has moved them.  Their spirit is spoken to because they know that God was worshiped in a beautiful way.  They want to say, “Amen!” or they may want to clap, to express their appreciation to God for such a worshipful moment of praise (to God).

Some might say, “Clapping during worship is not biblical!”  Hold on there, yes it is.  Check out these scriptures where clapping and worship went “hand and hand” (pun intended):

1. “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with songs of joy! God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.” (Psalm 47:1, 5-6)
2. “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn– shout for joy before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” Psalm 98:4-9

Clearly, the psalmist has instructed us that clapping can be worshipful because it is clapping in praise to God for something done in worship. Even the rivers “clap”, but we know rivers cannot clap because they do not have hands, which is an indication that this act of “clapping” has worshipful origins.

This sound that we produce called “clapping” is God given.  Sure we clap for someone after a musical performance in the secular world, but that the clapping is for them.  In the Christian worship, we clap because someone has praised God and we want to join in on the praising of God.  As Christians, we can faithfully make this distinction.

A lot of this hand clapping issue revolves around culture.  In the Western world, hand clapping is out of appreciation, a recent motive for clapping.  However, in non-western parts of the world, clapping is a part of cultural rhythm.  When people sing and rejoice (in celebration for something) they clap, stomp their feet, and shout.

Clapping in worship can also be done in appreciation.  A way of saying, “Thank you.”  When we clap in worship we say, “Thank you for doing _____.” Not as a way to praise someone, but to show thanks.  Many times in scripture something is done, “…to the Lord.” We read that Christians engaged in “singing…to the Lord” (Col. 3:16), and by “making melody…to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19)  The case can be made that we can clap to the Lord as well.  We can clap after a baptism in appreciation of the salvation given to someone by God.

People often fear the “danger” of clapping in worship because it is comparing worship to a performance.  (I didn’t know Christian worship is dangerous.)  One blogger has already commented on the issue and helps us understand the performance aspect of worship:

While it is true that Christian worship is meant to be a performance of praise and devotion for an audience of one, God, it isn’t meant to be a Vegas lounge show we put on for each other. When we applaud in this latter vein, we’ve taken a wrong turn.

Perhaps the most helpful insight for us is from a question and answer section from the magazine Reformed Worship:

Clapping can also be used to accompany congregational singing. I know of no reason to avoid such clapping (other than liturgical stuffiness). If you need biblical support, a text such as Psalm 47:1 advocates the notion of clapping as a form of praise. In general, our worship tends to be too cerebral, and more use of the body is certainly biblical and fitting.

It is helpful to understand that we are not meant to treat this issue in legalistic ways, but out of faith.  Our whole bodies are meant to worship: our minds, hearts, souls, head, hands, feet, voices, and our lips!

When we clap for someone in worship, we are joining in on their worshipful work of  adoration, praise, and worship of God.  We clap because the Spirit has spoken to us and we want to respond to God in appreciation of the Spirit’s moving.

Let it be know that when we clap in worship it is for God’s praise and not human praise.

Do you have associate or assistant ministers in your church? Are you an associate pastor? Get a copy of my book, The Work of the Associate Pastor. This valuable resource will set associates and churches up for success.