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NASB | John 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 4:24 "God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." |
Bible Question: Dear Saints, I wonder....In many churches in our land, it has become common practice to applaud. Applaud the choir. Applaud a soloist. Applaud the preacher when he makes a good point. Applaud just about everything but the collection plate :-).....What are your thoughts about this practice? Does it enhance the worship of God or detract from it? Is the worship service being turned into a performance? Is there any Scripture that might be applied to support or refute the practice? --Hank |
Bible Answer: Hm-m-m...sometimes I feel moved to applaud. I don't always. Sometimes others applaud when I don't. Sometimes nobody has performed but someone feels moved and we applaud Him. I think we are to edify each other so applauding (showing appreciation) doesn't seem wrong. We have been known to applaud the collection too. I figure if I can applaud my favorite football team, I can surely applaud Him or someone singing for/to Him. I do feel uncomfortable when people sort of cheer. Applause used to make me uncomfortable. Oh - I remember, in Psalms - something like "clap your hands, all you people, shout onto God with a voice of...(praise? triumph?)" It's Psalms 47. And in Isaiah it said the trees would clap (I loved that as a child). So, I guess I have now convinced myself - that applause is OK! His Servant... |