I’ve been studying and slowly incorporating into my life the ways in which God has established us to worship. It’s not about how we feel, how we desire to worship, but more about how He not only has commanded us to do, but gives us ways in which to express our praise and worship.

I’m looking forward to keeping up a bit with your site!

Thanks!

Your words will help me in teaching my church in a biblically balanced way.

Thanks for the additional point. I think you’re right. Some exercise restraint in bodily expression because they’ve seen others draw attention away from God. However, the right response to abuse is not disuse, but proper use. For example, I might see a couple display inappropriate affection in public. That won’t keep me from wanting to hold my wife’s hand when we’re out. I want others to see that I truly do love her, and holding her hand is one way of demonstrating it.

God has given us many ways to physically express to Him our love, reverence, and adoration. Those expressions shouldn’t be forced, but neither should they be completely restricted. When someone IS distracting, it’s the responsibility of the pastor, or more mature Christians, to speak to the person and help them worship God by thinking of how their actions affect others. Of course, the definition of what’s “distracting” is partly dependent on how expressive the church is in general.

The idea that people want to be careful not to bring attention to them (the worshipper), but rather God (the worshippee… if that’s a word? )

I think for some it isn’t an issue of theology or passion or fear of man…. but rather a carefullness to not bring attention to themselves.
Unfortunately, there has been such an abuse on this aspect of physical expression in worship by some churches (barking, laughing, slain in the spirit, etc.)…. that it causes some to draw back in fear of bringing that type of attention to themselves.

I’m mostly speaking of those that might belong to a church that isn’t typically very expressive during their worship services.

I have, for instance, been in a worship service where the brother next to me was very “expressive” during the singing portion of the worship service. As we sang, it became very apparent that not only was he going to continue to “shout to the Lord”, but that he was going to do so with no regard for the melody (or harmony for that matter) of the song. And I’m not talking about a bad voice or anything superficial like that…. he was basically singing a completely different song, but using the same words.

Quite honestly, even for a worship pastor, it was quite distracting. His actions seemed almost uncontrollable and it was obvious, by his body movements, that he had no regard for the people next to him in the pews.

What are your thoughts about physical expressive and control? Are they at odds, or can their be a balance (I hate that word, but you know what I mean)?

Thank you for taking time to read my post. Blessings to you and please keep posting, it has become a blessed part of my day.

In Christ,
Matt Shea

I remember two specific conversations with friends on this topic. One was with a group of guys my own age and one guy was saying, “During worship I want to clap and express my joy to God for what He’s done, but I know we don’t allow that.”

Then at my last church we were studying 1 Timothy in our men’s Bible study and the pastor said in regard the verse in chapter 2 about lifting hands that we had a lot to learn from charismatics and how worship isn’t just supposed to be in spirit and truth. I remember a lot of us looking at him befuddled as this didn’t jive with our ideas of coming to God in humility and awe.

I love the truth of Psalm 30Psalm 30
[30:1]I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
[2]O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
[3]O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to
the pit.
[4]Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
[5]For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
[6]As for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I shall never be moved."
[7]By your favor, O LORD,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
[8]To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
[9]"What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
[10]Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!"
[11]You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
[12]that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

, that God’s mercy gives us reason to dance and instead of being frozen on the outside, but joyful in the heart we can be clothed with joy!