Clap Like a Leader
Reflections on Boldness in Worship
Last Sunday, I (Max) clapped until my hands were pink. Our Worship Pastor, Ben, made a game-time decision to stop mid-song and talk to us about clapping. The youth of our church thought it was hilarious; it was like Ben had broken the fourth wall of worship. We recently introduced two huge screens in our worship space on either side of the stage, and for the first time in three years, members of our congregation can follow along with the songs without holding a little tri-fold bulletin in at least one hand. We can look up at the screens, the windows, and at one another instead of looking down at a piece of paper.
Ben acknowledged that we hadn’t clapped in a long time, (and even when we used to clap, we usually sped up), and told us to try clapping on beats 2 and 4 as we continued the song. But then Ben addressed me and my friend Rob who was standing on the other side of the room: He told everyone, “These are your drummers! Watch them!” As Ben began the song again, we all started clapping, and the communal backbeat in the room grew louder as people peeked over at me and Rob, gaining confidence and enjoying their contribution to the music. It was fun! We clapped for the rest of the set.
I clapped louder than I otherwise would have once I knew people were watching me. But being watched wasn’t intimidating; in a moment I was a worshiper-turned-worship-leader, and by delegating tempo to Rob and me, Ben had given us leadership positions even though we weren’t on stage. But Ben says things like this all the time; we are all worship leaders, everyone is on the hospitality team, and church is an every-member-endeavor. What I don’t often remember is that leading worship is my role every single week regardless of who is scheduled to play in the band, and it’s yours too!
When you gather with your church, someone is watching you, listening to you, following you, and learning from you.
You can clap or sing at whatever volume you want to if you’re listening to worship music from your home or your car, but when we gather, we are all in the band! When you gather with your church, someone is watching you, listening to you, following you, and learning from you. As the Youth Minister, I’ll remind you that young hearts and minds are being formed in this room, and you are a teacher, no matter who you are.
I don’t say this so that you’ll sing softer or clap less because you don’t feel equipped to lead. We just started a series on Colossians, and in Chapter 3, Paul reminds us that we gather together to teach and admonish one another in the Word by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs! So in fact, if you sing your guts out on Sunday, the rest of us learn a lot more about your God than we do about you because your volume can affirm that you really believe what you’re singing. Loving God with our whole selves means using our voices and bodies in addition to our hearts and minds.
Colossians 3:15–16
[15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV)
This doesn’t mean we scream every word of every song like we’re in the pit at a metal concert. We do want to exercise variety in our worship style and genre, glorifying the God of the universe in the ways we address Him. But sometimes glorifying Him means belting it because you know the greatness of the God you’re singing to, sometimes it’s pausing to internalize the Truth on our lips, sometimes it's dancing along, and sometimes it’s clapping, raising, or opening your hands as you praise.
Just know that you’re a leader. We’re leading one another; it’s one of the special parts of corporate worship. So this Sunday, come ready to sing and pray and clap and listen like other people are looking to you for encouragement. Know that when you raise your voice and your hands, it gives me the courage to do the same.