Can We Clap During Worship?

Another question was asked this week by a brother with concerns about worship. “Are we allowed to clap when we are in a church worship service?” Does your church clap during the service? Worship styles vary from culture to culture. Let’s look at a biblical perspective about applause because You Asked For It.

Worship styles have changed dramatically in my lifetime (1950s – 2020s) after staying relatively consistent for centuries. Worship consisted of the reading and exposition of Scripture, prayer, communion, the collection of tithes and offerings, and singing.

Times Change

In  the 1990s, Judith Martin ran a weekly column in newspapers across the country for the United Features Syndicate. The title of the column was “Ask Miss Manners” and she addressed proper behavior and etiquette in different circumstances. Her column on November 4, 1994 was titled, “When in church, please hold your applause.” She wrote, “Hard as it may be to imagine, musicians in church are supposed to play or sing for the glory of God, not the pleasure of the congregation (whom people increasingly slip and call ‘the audience’).”

Times have changed in thirty years, haven’t they?

In the 1980s, Cincinnati Christian Seminary Dean, Dr. Joe Ellis, used to teach his students about an upcoming paradigm shift that was about to hit culture and the church. Many of us perceived the shift would be in the styles of music, but the changes were much bigger than that. The shift involves what we have come to understand and expect in culture, and particularly for what the church expects in worship, in leadership and in behavior.

Does the Bible talk about hands that clap?

Sometimes as I am talking to people about the different styles in worship services, some will address applause during a worship service. They may even argue that we are to praise God, not praising the singer, speaker or musician.

There is validity to the concern, but the dynamic of applause or clapping is a little deeper and a little more complex than a simple argument. Others protest that clapping in worship is not biblical, but the Bible does speak about clapping on several occasions. Let’s look at a few:

Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy! God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
⁷ For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise (Psalm 47:1, 6-7 NIV)

Another Psalm

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,
⁶ 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.
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
⁹ let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity (Psalm 98:4-9 NIV).

The picture that is described by the psalmist shows us that clapping can be used as a worshipful expression of praise to God. Although all of worship does not – indeed, should not – be non-stop noise and exclamations, there is a place for unbridled joy. There are many instances in the Psalms when people are encouraged to shout praises before God with enthusiasm and energy (Psalm 5:11, Psalm 32:11, Psalm 35:27, Psalm 132:9).

An Old Testament Example

There are several examples in the Old Testament when a shout was a spontaneous expression of praise because something good had transpired. But there are other examples were similar shots came from people expressing their sorrow and mournful spirit before the Lord. When the foundation was laid for the temple as Ezra and the Jewish people returned from their captivity in Babylon, their shouts were filled with joy and sorrow.

¹⁰ When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. ¹¹ With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

“He is good;
    his love toward Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. ¹² But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. ¹³ No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away (Ezra 3:10-13 NIV).

Some of the issue around clapping has to do with culture. In western culture, hand clapping is often out of appreciation for an event that is viewed or observed. I clap at a ball game. I applaud the band at a concert. But in many parts of the world, clapping is an active part of adding to the rhythm and percussion of the music. Clapping, stomping feet, and even shouts are the audience’s way of saying, “I am engaged in this experience.”

Clap to the Beat of Worship

Clapping in worship can be a sign of appreciation, a way to express “Thanks.”  When a preacher proclaims the Word in a manner that touches the audience, shouts of “Amen!” or “Preach on, brother!” can be heard. Our culture accepts those shouts of praise, acknowledging a meaningful presentation of the Word of God. A musician proclaims the Word of God, through lyrics and the use of instruments. We are instructed to encourage one another (Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Offering applause is certainly a way to do that.

There is a danger in receiving applause and praise. It is tempting to begin to believe that our efforts are worthy of praise. Such an attitude marks the germination of idolatry. As one in front of groups of people, the singer, musician, pastor and teacher must daily seek to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6).

One additional consideration is worth our moments of discussion. We know that we are clapping in worship to praise God. We involve ourselves in the worship experience, a task that is not always easy in today’s worship settings. Our clapping does not offer human praise, but encouragement and appreciation. But we often worship together. Our expressions of worship – singing, partaking in communion, shouts of joy at baptisms, giving, reading of Scripture, proclaiming the Word – create an atmosphere of worship for those around us. We lead by example. We lift our praise to God in the presence of our brothers and sisters.