worship styles

[vibrant]

tonight i went a weekly meeting held by my christian club. we had some awesome worship songs, but my arms/hands just feel like rocks. i seriously can't lift them high enough for my elbows to leave my side. lol. i'm just not the type to be clapping and waving my hands up high in the air and such.

i even get good-natured jibs from my relatives when i go out to concerts and such. i'll see an amazing artist, on the waterfront, in new york city, with a sunset and i won't be able to do more than admire - hands firmly holding unto some railing.

anyway, when i see people who can and do, i have to wonder if they're filled with the Holy Spirit more than i am. is that really an indication of anything? anyone else feeling what i'm feeling? how do you worship?

 

[In need of god]

Its more of personality really, I dread doing that stuff actually. I'm more of the quiet type that doesn't like to be seen and heard. But I feel what you feel. I just sit there or stand watching and listening. I dont like all that mumbo jumbo moving around and stuff.

 

[LifeInYou]

I get CRAZY girl......dance, lift up my hands, clap, shout, sometimes kneel.....man i just feel free .....I love worship. I even break it down when I'm alone it my bedroom sometimes.

A question for you....are you not lifting up your hands because you have never lifted your hands and you don't want to break tradition? I lift my hands to say I SURRENDER! To say, YOU ARE GOD! But it's the condition of the heart that matters, as long as one believes it there then be comfortable in your worship. Man, I bet God has a smile on his face when he looks down and sees all his children waving their little white flags saying 'We surrender'.......We NEED Him and He WANTS us.

P R A I S E A D O N A I

 

[Multi-Elis]

I think it's a matter of taste, and what you feel free to do. Nothing more. You don't want to be lifting your hands if you truely don't feel like doing it. That's hypocritical. But it is often good to express your worship with your body. I used to dance and sing, and clap hands in youth confrences, but now, I do very little more than clapping hands. I do, however dance, with friends and alone, and it is then that I express my worship with my body.
It's generally healthy to let you faith be expressed beyond your intellectual brain. This could be done even by kneeling or something. It doesn't matter where you do it, at home, or at church, it has just been proven to be healthier to let your body be part of worshiping God, whether in traditional movements, kneeling, or going up front to have comunion, or whether un-traditional, dancing in you room. Or anything else you feel comfortable doing.

 

[vibrant]

i know i asked the question but the responses don't have to be directed at me. i'd luv to have a lively discussion on worship in general.

 

[girlscoutdropout]

I don't think it's an indication of anything, and i am highly offended when people comment about others who don't lift their hands. i agree, it's definitely a personality thing. everyone is special, and God knows how to reach all of us, in different ways. if you wanna get down to it, i'd be pretty disapointed if we all worshiped the same way. God's more creative than that!

 

[Multi-Elis]

So what is there to disscuss about worship styles in general?

 

[LifeInYou]

I don't think it's an indication of anything, and i am highly offended when people comment about others who don't lift their hands. i agree, it's definitely a personality thing. everyone is special, and God knows how to reach all of us, in different ways. if you wanna get down to it, i'd be pretty disapointed if we all worshiped the same way. God's more creative than that!

I apologize if I offended anyone with my first post....let me reiterate however what I said, and that is that ABOVE ALL ELSE I believe its the condition of the heart that matters. Praise Him in anyway you feel comfortable....you can be clipping your toe nails, typing online, or just sitting still.......


I prefer dancing

 

[Yekcidmij]

It's just a matter of doing what you feel comfortable with. I am the same way. I dont feel the need to lift my arms or wave them or sway with the music or anything.

 

[girlscoutdropout]

I apologize if I offended anyone with my first post....let me reiterate however what I said, and that is that ABOVE ALL ELSE I believe its the condition of the heart that matters. Praise Him in anyway you feel comfortable....you can be clipping your toe nails, typing online, or just sitting still.......


I prefer dancing

i'm really sorry lifeinyou, i didn't mean to target you. i wasn't offended at your post at all, i was just making a comment about other people i know who judge others and their worship style. it's awesome that you dance. at the church i go to some people dance in the spirit as well, and it's soo beautiful..

 

[Force]

I know everyone is different. I know personally I never wanted to do those things especially as a teenager because I was embarrased, not saying I am much more mature now or anything (my friends would say that was a lie) but now I just don't care. I know for me it was "what will people think". I am still not really out there or anything but I love lifting my hands or clappin or on a good gospel song, gettin into it.

Dude now I especially get into it in the car on the way too and from work and everywhere in between. (otherwise I couldnt survive such a boring job...lol)

 

[Shannonkish]

Worship is NOT and will NEVER be about lifting your hands, clapping, dancing, yelling ect. Yes, all those things are expressions of woship, however they do not say "I am more spritiual than those that don't raise their hands."

For me, and this may sound wierd... but when I worship God.. I tend to sway from side to side and have one hand on my heart and one of my stomach... this isn't an indicator of anything.. this is just the position I place myself in.

 

[vibrant]

when i get really into it i just lean my head back and close my eyes, singing just for God.

are you not lifting up your hands because you have never lifted your hands and you don't want to break tradition?

lol, perhaps. my arms just feel inordinately long when i have to raise them above my head.

 

[chris0513]

I felt compelled to respond to the idea of differing worship styles. This is my first time on this forum and first post, so bear with me.

I felt it necessary to bring scripture into the picture, as I have been at both ends of the spectrum. I was born and raised Methodist and we NEVER lifted "holy hands" or clapped or anything during the ritual hymns. To be frank, it was unbelievably boring. Kids are born with excess energy, stifling it in the name of God is a kick in the pants of what He intended. He made us to worship in praise and thanksgiving, not quiet, seemingly pious reverence.

So here's my argument (in good nature) for the idea of loud worship.

Psalm 100:1-2 - 1 Shout for joy to the LORD , all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs. (NIV)

1 Timothy 2:8 - 8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands (NIV)

There's a reason that some Christians don't approve of loud worship, it convicts them. Loud, joyful worship ushers in the presence of God and they get convicted about their sin. I guarantee that if the wages of sin were still death, and you found youself being prepared to die, and Jesus came running up and took your place you would be crying in joy, thanking him for his sacrifice. We of course know that's exactly what he did, yet we reserve ourselves to quiet worship. I challenge that true worship is inherently loud, and it doesn't even have to be good. Can't sing? Sing anyway! Shout to the Lord of the earth, let us sing His praises!
If you died and they hauled your carcass off to the firey depths of Hell you would certainly cry out! So cry out in joy, because you cannot be sad or negative in the midst of loudly praising the Lord! Try it. I challenge those of you who believe earnestly in quiet reverant worship to crank up some praise & worship music and sing to your heart's content, do it in the car even. See if it's possible to think negatively for even one moment.

We can dance and sing at concerts and shout at sporting events but not for the Savior of the world? Hmmm...

Just my two cents.

In Christ,

Chris

 

[LifeInYou]

I felt compelled to respond to the idea of differing worship styles. This is my first time on this forum and first post, so bear with me.

I felt it necessary to bring scripture into the picture, as I have been at both ends of the spectrum. I was born and raised Methodist and we NEVER lifted "holy hands" or clapped or anything during the ritual hymns. To be frank, it was unbelievably boring. Kids are born with excess energy, stifling it in the name of God is a kick in the pants of what He intended. He made us to worship in praise and thanksgiving, not quiet, seemingly pious reverence.

So here's my argument (in good nature) for the idea of loud worship.

Psalm 100:1-2 - 1 Shout for joy to the LORD , all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs. (NIV)

1 Timothy 2:8 - 8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands (NIV)

There's a reason that some Christians don't approve of loud worship, it convicts them. Loud, joyful worship ushers in the presence of God and they get convicted about their sin. I guarantee that if the wages of sin were still death, and you found youself being prepared to die, and Jesus came running up and took your place you would be crying in joy, thanking him for his sacrifice. We of course know that's exactly what he did, yet we reserve ourselves to quiet worship. I challenge that true worship is inherently loud, and it doesn't even have to be good. Can't sing? Sing anyway! Shout to the Lord of the earth, let us sing His praises!
If you died and they hauled your carcass off to the firey depths of Hell you would certainly cry out! So cry out in joy, because you cannot be sad or negative in the midst of loudly praising the Lord! Try it. I challenge those of you who believe earnestly in quiet reverant worship to crank up some praise & worship music and sing to your heart's content, do it in the car even. See if it's possible to think negatively for even one moment.

We can dance and sing at concerts and shout at sporting events but not for the Savior of the world? Hmmm...

Just my two cents.

In Christ,

Chris

WOW! Good thoughts.
Welcome to the forums.

 

[chris0513]

Thanks for the thanks...

I appreciate the speediness of your reply, too!

In Christ,

Chris

 

[JOYfulbeliever]

But it's the condition of the heart that matters

Right on!!!

It depends on the song for me. Some songs, I have my arms in the air - like LIY, somewhat in a surrender mode. Other songs, I clap and dance. Many songs, I just close my eyes and sing prayerfully, putting my heart and soul into the words and giving them back to God.

 

[vibrant]

I felt compelled to respond to the idea of differing worship styles. This is my first time on this forum and first post, so bear with me.

I felt it necessary to bring scripture into the picture, as I have been at both ends of the spectrum. I was born and raised Methodist and we NEVER lifted "holy hands" or clapped or anything during the ritual hymns. To be frank, it was unbelievably boring. Kids are born with excess energy, stifling it in the name of God is a kick in the pants of what He intended. He made us to worship in praise and thanksgiving, not quiet, seemingly pious reverence.

i was was born and raised a methodist as well. yep, excessive moments short of clapping hands wasn't seen around me. the first time i saw people dancing around in fellowship was on the tv, and i found it so odd i had to laugh. years later, i was invited to a pentecostal church, and i so "weirded out" when people starting jumping up and down, waving their hands, in the isles. tis a very odd thing for me indeed.

to share though, i now make it a point to raise my hands and they don't feel heavy.

 

[JOYfulbeliever]

i was was born and raised a methodist as well. yep, excessive moments short of clapping hands wasn't seen around me. the first time i saw people dancing around in fellowship was on the tv, and i found it so odd i had to laugh. years later, i was invited to a pentecostal church, and i so "weirded out" when people starting jumping up and down, waving their hands, in the isles. tis a very odd thing for me indeed.

to share though, i now make it a point to raise my hands and they don't feel heavy.

I was raised baptist - clapping hands was like breaking a sacred law! The first time I saw any clapping/dancing during worship was when I went to college. Talk about being out of your element! It took me a while to really "try" it, but man, once I did...there was no turning back! LOL

 

[Quiet Storm]

Vibrant, thank you SO much for making this topic. I went through the most traumatic experience over the summer. I call it traumatic because while I've gone through it concerning other things, it was a direct attack on my relationship with God.

I was closer to God than I had ever been. I'd spend hours in my room (it was the summer. LOL) just worshipping Him, kneeling, on my face, everything else, singing to Him in my heart, praising Him, having conversations with Him....but I'd never verbally say a word. The thing was that the peace that filled my room whenever I did that was so overwhelming and sometimes I wouldn't even want to stop even though I had nothing more to say. I was like a school girl in love. Every single moment in my life revolved around God.

THEN it happened.

I was watching a sermon by an "anonymous" (won't go into names. All is forgiven) preacher/prophet who basically condemned those who didn't shout. He/she would say things like "I need such and such many people who 'don't care'. The rest of you all can just go home" and "stop trying to be cute". Being that I was still very frail in who I trusted (basically, if it was a preacher and it was obvious he/she was annointed, I'd eat everything he/she said like a four course meal, no questions asked), I began to believe that I was falling under that category. Long story short (or shorter ), I tried to make myself pray out loud, tried to make myself shout, tried to make myself say "Praise God" or "hallelujah" after every thing and as a result I fell further from God than I ever have before and am still suffering the effects to this day. I could never enjoy worship. In fact, I'd hate the worship part of the church service and would wish that it would just hurry up so we could sit back down and hear prophecies/listen to the sermon. I stopped reading the Bible, I stopped loving people, I stopped trying to let His light shine through me. The only thing I did was pray in the spirit and that's because....well it made me think I was holding onto the last thing I had. Right now, the only thing I want is to be back in love with God the same way I was before this summer and experience joy, fullness and everything else I was experiencing without thinking that God would be looking at everyone's worshpi but mine. Basically, my whole relationship with Him just flopped. I personally believe that just there are billions of people in the world, there are just as many personalities and with that comes "methods" so to speak of worship. It's like someone said: "God's not bashful, but He's not deaf either". That's why I'm glad this topic came about. Just some kind of assurance that I'm not alone. Silent worshippers not because we "care what other people think about us" but that's the most intimate way we know in contacting God. I personally think that my vocally saying things gets in the way and it just kills the intimacy. But some other people in the same way can't imagine not just getting on the rooftop and shouting "GOOOOOOD!!!". "Not wrong. Just different". (Quote from John Hagee about the sexes and how we think differently, but I apply it to so many other things). Sorry guys for going on so to speak, but I've endured torture. I had to let it out somehow.