Applause – For Whom Are You Clapping

Applause – For Whom Are You Clapping?

by Paul S. Jones, D. M.

As a professional musician, I am accustomed to applause. This is what a performer walking onto the concert stage expects and anticipates again following a successful performance. But musicians and pastors alike are quick to affirm that when it comes to worship services, the musicians are not “performing.” Music in church, we rightly understand, is “ministry”—an act of service as an offering, prayer, or praise. How then does applause fit into the worship service, or does it fit at all?

Psalm 47:1 urges all the nations of the world to clap their hands and exhorts them to shout to God with cries of joy. Later, in Psalm 98:8, it is the rivers that “clap their hands;” while in Isaiah 55:12, the trees of the field partake in such joyous activity in praise of their Creator. Lamentations 2:15, however, associates the clapping of hands with scoffing and shaking of the head in mockery of the Daughter of Jerusalem. And in Job 27:23 the east wind “claps” in derision at the wicked, ruthless man who is judged by God.

Clapping then, by evidence of Scripture, has more than one socio-cultural meaning depending on the circumstance in which it occurs. Thus it is possible to intend different things when we applaud in the concert hall or in church; and further, it is possible for us to be aware of this distinction in each context as it takes place. My suspicion, however, is that our understanding is not clear, and our consciousness of such intentions is not well developed.

On vacation one August, I visited three different churches on a Sunday morning. Since I rarely find a Sunday morning where I am not at an organ or piano, it is interesting to discover what is taking place in other churches. The largest of the three churches visited that day had a congregation that clapped frequently. They applauded at the end of each praise song led by the worship team. They applauded when a baby was dedicated to the Lord and also when his mother left the platform. I have also witnessed congregations applauding their preacher, particularly when a powerful demonstration of oratory/rhetorical skill was displayed. For me this response, whether it is cognitive or emotional or both, begs the question, “For whom are you clapping?”

To “applaud” means, literally, “to give praise to” [ap- + -laud]. In worship, our thoughts and actions are to be directed to the subject and the object of worship—God Himself. Jehovah more than merits our praise, so applauding Him for His acts or attributes in the context of worship could be reasonably defended. Otherwise clapping has no biblical place in worship, and quite obviously should not be directed at musicians, preachers or babies. There are not many genuine “clap offerings” to God, and this does not appear to be an activity He requested anyway.

More often, in the context of worship, we applaud people with the hope of making them feel appreciated, to demonstrate our approval of the rendition, or to show that we affirm the message of the music. Encouraging, approving, and affirming are not wrong actions in and of themselves. But could we find another method of accomplishing these goals? In our cultural context, applause is the stuff of the theater, the concert stage, the comic routine and the political speech. With such strong associations for approval of a performance, clapping in worship is at best, inappropriate. At worst it is idolatrous. Yet most folks sitting in the pews each Sunday are not bothered by its inclusion in worship.

In fact, it has become so customary to clap that we instinctively applaud for almost anything, particularly if it ends fast, loud, and high. This is simply an unexamined carry-over from the entertainment industry. We applaud in church because we have not thought much about it. Instead, we have allowed our culture’s response to entertainment to gain a place where it does not belong—worse yet, we have allowed entertainment itself a place in the church.

And, we demand it. We build large stages, elaborate sound and lighting systems, props and scenery for dramatic productions. We install theatre-sized screens, put spotlights on the performers, have concession stands in the lobby, and amplify both pre-recorded and live band music into a service that is supposed to be about approaching a holy God. We glamorize those with musical talent or dramatic gifts and allow the cult of celebrity to enter what should be a house of prayer. Pastors and musicians must address and change such things in their churches. If they do not, who can or who will?

Musicians who recognize that their offerings in the context of worship are solely for the glory of God—soli Deo Gloria—do not desire applause. In fact, it more likely troubles them and diminishes the joy of giving back some of what God has given them. If this form of admiration or affirmation is desired, there are more serious problems to address. A better response to the musician is simply to say, “I thank God for how He blessed me through you” or “I appreciate you and pray for you.” Comments like these are encouraging to the church musician. The best response to music or other ministry that blesses you is to thank God for it.

In worship, if we applaud for someone other than God, we effectively rob Him of the glory that is due Him alone. Will our jealous God bless such things stolen from Him? No, our songs and applause will be ‘noise’ to him—an offering of stench rather than something sweet-smelling. As Donald Gray Barnhouse put it in a brief statement in the Tenth Presbyterian Church bulletin on October 17, 1943:

Church music can be anything from reverent worship of God to carnal exhibitionism, and in musical quality may be anything from a joyful noise to an artistic musical presentation. It goes without saying that a good voice is better than a bad one for church music, provided the hearts are equally yielded to the Lord. If the hearts are not yielded, the curse on unspiritual music is stated very definitely in the Bible. It is hateful to the Lord. Of many a cantata and many an Easter day it might well be written, “I hate, I despise your feast days…take thou away from me the noise of thy songs…” (Amos 5:21, 23).

Surely no Christian will want this to be said of him, and it can be just as true of the classical musician playing Widor organ symphonies as of the contemporary guitarist playing the latest Maranatha praise chorus. We need to rethink, or consider for the first time, our position on applause in worship and other aspects of worship services, so that the glory due our God is solely directed to Him.