# Clapping Hands as Element of Worship



## Afterthought (Jul 6, 2015)

There have been a couple of similar threads before, but I would like a chance to interact/ask my own questions. The psalms command the clapping of hands, shouting for joy, the lifting of hands, and bowing, etc. Are these commanded elements of worship? It would be helpful to sort these out because one trying to understand the Reformed view on worship can naturally think of these and wonder why they are not done?

For clapping of hands, it could be argued that the references are figurative, as is shouting for joy. However, how can it be known the reference is figurative? It is simply stated in the Psalms without (seemingly) any context that would definitely warrant a figurative interpretation. The same goes for shouting for joy and bowing.

For lifting of hands, I have heard some argue that it is done when swearing oaths in God's name. This is true. But there are other texts that speak of lifting one's hands with reference to prayer, both in the Psalms and in 1 Timothy. I don't recall any reference concerning lifting one's hands in connection with singing, but it is there for prayer. That it is in 1 Timothy shows this is likely not figurative (?). So in some way, it does seem to be commanded for prayer. How though? Is it for only the one vocalizing the prayers? Is it commanded for all to do in a congregation? Is it commanded for private prayer too?


Supposing these cannot be proved to be elements of worship, it might be argued these are cultural, bodily expressions of praise and so should be done while singing (or at least may be done, whether individually during public or private worship or corporately together as one action). Thoughts?


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## AThornquist (Jul 6, 2015)

I will let more knowledgable brothers and sisters answer fully, but I will simply say this: I don't believe the commands in the Psalms are _to_ us as Christians but are _to_ the nation of Israel, though they are _for_ us as Christians for instruction, correction, reproof, etc. With that being said, I don't believe we as the Church are commanded by the Psalms to clap or lift hands in worship. What we learn though is that there is a proper context for clapping and lifting hands. I believe it is misguided to consider either of those actions wrong in themselves but would be an area of Christian liberty. I am a member of a church that has many people who clap and/or lift hands and it is a blessing to us in worship, but I'm not going to get all arm-wavey in a church wherein this is not normal practice due to it being a distraction and whatnot.


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## MW (Jul 6, 2015)

Clapping hands is connected with the motif of battle and victory. It should be classified with binding kings and slaying nations.


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## Cymro (Jul 7, 2015)

The clapping of hands has different connotations in scripture. Sometimes
it is used as a figure of disdain,opprobrium and rejection, particularly
of the daughter of Zion. But it is proved to be figurative in the universal
acclamation of Christ the Lord and King. Psalm98:8, "let the floods clap their
hands,let the hlls be joyful together." And also the soulless creation is 
called upon to volunteer its praise,Isaiah55:12,"the hills shall break forth into 
singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."


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## earl40 (Jul 7, 2015)

Just a personal experience I had a while back. I used to attend a "mega" church that had a pastor come from The Middle East to preach to us, and he went through a massive amount of the book of Jerimiah, probably around 2 chapters, explaining the context and how it applied to all of us. After the 45 minute sermon which seemed like the 20 minute ones we were used to, the congreation gave a standing ovation to this pastor for finally bringing The Word to us. It was so unlike the current pastor who uses maybe one or two verses to show us how Jesus loves us no matter what sins we commit. I knew then I had to get out of that dry and vapid enviroment and I totally undserstand why we clapped our hands then. In saying this I can think that we may, on occasion, yell amen when The Spirit moves us in worship along with a clapping of hands when we see Our Lord at work as I saw in that service. RPW? I do not know, but I am human and got very excited along with everyone there.


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## Pilgrim72 (Jul 7, 2015)

Back in the 90s, when I was going to a Calvary Chapel, they used to have a worship band (guitars, drums, etc.). And after all the fast, rockin' praise songs, people would clap wildly. But after the slower type songs there would be no clapping at all.
The clapping bothered me so much, I approached a leader at the time and complained to him about all the applause during worship. He said it wasn't "applause" but rather a "clap-offering" to God - since we are told to clap our hands in the Bible.
This answer seemed disingenuous and somewhat insulting to me at the time.

Anyway, so the clapping in church was one of the many reasons I left that place and joined the OPC.


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## Romans922 (Jul 7, 2015)

MW said:


> Clapping hands is connected with the motif of battle and victory. It should be classified with binding kings and slaying nations.



I'd like to hear more about this. Where should I look?


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## jwithnell (Jul 7, 2015)

With God as our audience in worship, the question becomes when and how God is glorified by clapping, raising hands, etc. Clapping as part of, and in support of, worship singing would be appropriate if it's not being used to gin up a bunch of emotion -- done because it feels good. I suspect it might be useful in certain songs without accompaniment. I wonder if the sometimes odd cadances that came out of the Geneva psalter kept clapping from being a natural part of reformed worship? No one in our church would frown at raising hands -- what restrains me, anyway, is the concern that it would draw attention to myself rather than God.


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## RamistThomist (Jul 7, 2015)

Maybe, we should clap our hands "spiritually," like "clapping hands in our heart."


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## OPC'n (Jul 7, 2015)

I believe clapping, dancing, etc was done by David outside of temple worship. Temple worship had a liturgy commanded by God which they followed. We are to use a liturgy....the regulative principle of worship.


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## MW (Jul 7, 2015)

Romans922 said:


> I'd like to hear more about this. Where should I look?



Do you have Keil and Delitzch? The comment on Psalm 47 is instructive. The references to the historical books are also helpful.


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## Verkehrsteilnehmer (Jul 7, 2015)

I am surprised that so many reformed (even the OPC directory for worship) fall for this hand-clapping and raising arms trend. The Bible clearly teaches that we worship God with our hearts. The pope pose with palms out, the hail salute, the sign of the cross, etc. have nothing to do with the worship of God. It probably does, however, indicate that persons in these poses have something they want to convey to us.
Dave
PHX
OPC


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## Verkehrsteilnehmer (Jul 7, 2015)

And why this new trend? Maybe it is due to the trend of "liturgical worship" as man's response to God. If that is perhaps the case, I don't think much of man's response.
Dave 
PHX
OPC


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## earl40 (Jul 8, 2015)

Verkehrsteilnehmer said:


> I am surprised that so many reformed (even the OPC directory for worship) fall for this hand-clapping and raising arms trend. The Bible clearly teaches that we worship God with our hearts. The pope pose with palms out, the hail salute, the sign of the cross, etc. have nothing to do with the worship of God. It probably does, however, indicate that persons in these poses have something they want to convey to us.
> Dave
> PHX
> OPC



Even those who hold to a strong RPW would not object to a orderly round of applause after witnessing an extraordinary work of God within a worship service. I stand here to be corrected if I err in my thinking.


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## RamistThomist (Jul 8, 2015)

Perhaps we should avoid an initial reaction to the term "liturgy." In Acts 13:2 it says the were *leitorgounton.* So liturgy qua liturgy isn't necessarily bad. And even man's response to God isn't bad. The parallelism in the Psalms seems to suggest such a response. Is saying "Amen" bad? That's a response.


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## Afterthought (Jul 10, 2015)

Many of the responses in this thread have addressed clapping. I suppose that's natural given the thread title and that "lifting hands" has been more addressed in other threads. But bumping again: Any more want to address "raising hands" or "bowing?"

And even if clapping is not an element of worship (and certainly cannot be a circumstance), could it be done as a cultural expression of joy (This is what seems to mostly have been argued here), even as "bowing" is a cultural expression of reverence?



earl40 said:


> Even those who hold to a strong RPW would not object to a orderly round of applause after witnessing an extraordinary work of God within a worship service. I stand here to be corrected if I err in my thinking.


I certainly don't see the harm in it, but whether it is wrong or not....well, that's part of the question of this thread. 



ReformedReidian said:


> The parallelism in the Psalms seems to suggest such a response.


Perhaps this is best suited for another thread, but how does the parallelism and repetition in the Psalms prove responses? And if one disagrees, how do they not?



jwithnell said:


> With God as our audience in worship


God isn't merely our audience though, but our director (in a divine, kingly sense), since all true worship is specifically ordered by him.


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## RamistThomist (Jul 10, 2015)

Afterthought said:


> Perhaps this is best suited for another thread, but how does the parallelism and repetition in the Psalms prove responses? And if one disagrees, how do they not?



Antiphonal responses. Further complicated when the parallelism in Hebrew poetry tells trees to do exactly that, clap.

Edit

Please understand. I am not advocating clapping hands, per se, merely that the Bible seems to advocate just that. I am a good Presbyterian. I show about as much emotion as Hank Hill.

Psalms 47:1
O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.


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## Pilgrim72 (Jul 10, 2015)

I've visited a PCA in New Jersey where they corporately kneel for different parts of the service. This was completely new to me. Sort of reminded me of a Catholic service.
I've also been to a PCA in South Carolina where some members raise their hands during different parts of the service.


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## Jeri Tanner (Jul 10, 2015)

As Rev. Winzer said above, the clapping of hands by the people of God in Psalm 47 is connected with the motif of battle and victory. I think that this clapping of hands occurs only in Psalm 47. And Psalm 47 is eschatological, is it not, and not a direction for our gathering together for worship at the present. Derek Kidner on Psalm 47: “From the first word to the last, this [Psalm] communicates the excitement and jubilation of an enthronement; and the king is God Himself … and (this is) more than poetry: this is prophecy, whose climax is exceptionally far-reaching.” In no way does the Scripture teach that we are to clap in public worship. Breaking out in applause for appreciation of something, or clapping in time to a song, in church, yikes. Best not to, normally, isn't it?

I'm an ex-charismatic so I've looked long and hard into all these charismatical doings and I have many thoughts on them! As far as raising of hands in worship, that is associated in the OT with prayer. The NT (1 Timothy 2:8) mentions it in association with, specifically, the men praying together. It sounds as though the lifting of hands might be something that was done together, by all of them, as they were praying- an already familiar posture to them as they prayed together, perhaps. The emphasis was that their hands lifted up signified their holy desires, leaving out anger or quarreling. Hearkening back, perhaps, to Psalm 24.


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## MW (Jul 10, 2015)

ReformedReidian said:


> I am a good Presbyterian. I show about as much emotion as Hank Hill.



At the scene of an accident a doctor is showing as much emotion as the excited spectators, only he is putting his emotion to work for the good of those who are injured. In the same way, regulated worship shows plenty of emotion, only it is directed towards good ends.


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## Afterthought (Jul 10, 2015)

Jeri Tanner said:


> It sounds as though the lifting of hands might be something that was done together, by all of them, as they were praying- an already familiar posture to them as they prayed together, perhaps.


This is an interesting possibility, and it would fit well with the rest of Scripture in which the lifting of hands seems to be the ordinary posture for prayer. However, this direction is only to men: wouldn't it be strange that only men would assume some reverent posture while praying? Although it might be replied to me: Are only women to dress modestly?


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## Jeri Tanner (Jul 10, 2015)

Afterthought said:


> Jeri Tanner said:
> 
> 
> > It sounds as though the lifting of hands might be something that was done together, by all of them, as they were praying- an already familiar posture to them as they prayed together, perhaps.
> ...



Well, it's hard to avoid the fact that Paul addresses men specifically and then women specifically in the passage. I think men prayed aloud and publicly in the assembly, and women didn't; I take this to be a regulative principle for public prayer in the gathering of the church and for the lifting of hands.


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