I would dissagree with that. We go to church to meet God. It is our place to worship him with reverence.

If that were the case, we should also throw out all clapping references in the OT.

From the pen of Inspiration:

"From the sacredness that was attached to the earthly sanctuary among the children of Israel, Christians may learn how they should regard the place where the Lord meets with His people. God himself gave rules of order, perfect and exact, to be observed in His worship. But there has been a change, not for the better but for the worse, in habits in reference to religious worship. The spirit of reverence has largely passed away..."
{The Youth's Instructor 10-08-96 para. 3}

I actually have little use for clapping in church as I believe it is primarily used to honor the performer, however I still don't think there is a direct correlation between the sanctuary of old and the church service today. That being said I've seen scripture set to music, (Isaiah 55:12)where there was clapping that was very beautiful and reverent.

Another thing is that I think we send a mixed message to our children, we tell them that all the clapping (and rytham sticks, tamborines etc) to the songs they do in the children divisions are great but as soon as they start getting older it becomes somehow wrong. Huh?

Redfog

Redfog

Acctually, the building where we have our sabbath services cannot be compared to the temple of Jerusalem. Why? Becourse the bible says that the temple that exists today is the believers/body of believers. God is "present" in a church building only when one or many of His people are assembled in it.
I would also hope that the sabbath gathering isnt everyones main time/place of meeting God. Yes you can and should meet God there and then, but you should also meet Him, communicate with Him, share life with Him the remaining 172 hours of the week.
If clapping then is disrespectful towards God in the worship service sabbath mornings, why is it any different at the football game, the consert or the school play where your son/daughter did the lead character well? If the problem is feeding the ego of the person most active, it would seem all times should be counted equal.

Comments, questions, rejections or ? Anyone?

/Thomas

Yes, a question -- I wonder why you two fellows feel like you can just brush an inspired statement aside like that, without any further ado.

Not a very safe course of action!

John

I am curious to know how what I wrote goes against the EW quote you posted. "the place where the Lord meets with His people" could as far as can be read here be any place from your backyard to the Peter Basilica in Rome.

/Thomas

Well, Thomas, if that's the case, then the Hebrew sanctuary can be compared to all of those places as well. As it can be compared to our churches, all of which are places "where the Lord meets with His people."

But more specifically, EGW was referring to our churches in the passage quoted above. In the very next paragraph, she wrote,

"Reverence is greatly needed in the youth of this age. I am alarmed as I see children and youth of religious parents so heedless of the order and propriety that should be observed in the house of God."
{The Youth's Instructor 10-08-96 para. 4}

link to entire article in Youth's Instructor

Great stuff John!

I pastor a church where we clap. In our 2 1/2 years we have only had one Sadventist that complained about the clapping in our church. She has not been back.....and that is good. Not everyone worships God in the same way. It was not the church she was looking for. And, I find it very interesting that someone brought up "Black Churches". I have often asked my black brothers how they get away with what they do in church? You see, if white folks act like that in church, we called it "Celebration" and shut it down.

NOT ALL PEOPLE WORSHIP GOD IN THE SAME WAY! If it is differant than the way you worship, don't go there..........but at the same time, don't throw rocks either.........

Our ministry is sqarely directed at the 3 out of 4 Adventists that have left the Adventist Fellowship. Praise God, we are seeing them coming back by the dozens! Recommiting their lives! Being rebaptised! I'd be clapping now if I did'nt have to use my hands to type!

I have been very interested to see that NO ONE is biting on the question of raising hands in church. C'mon, there has got to someone out there brave enough to tackle this one...........

You can clap and raise your hand all you want, but lets not forget the context of 1 Corinthians 8

quote:

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Now I will write about meat that is sacrificed to idols. We know that "we all have knowledge." Knowledge puffs you up with pride, but love builds up. If you think you know something, you do not yet know anything as you should. But if any person loves God, that person is known by God. So this is what I say about eating meat sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is really nothing in the world, and we know there is only one God. Even though there are things called gods, in heaven or on earth (and there are many "gods" and "lords"), for us there is only one God -- our Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord -- Jesus Christ. All things were made through him, and we also were made through him. But not all people know this. Some people are still so used to idols that when they eat meat, they still think of it as being sacrificed to an idol. Because their conscience is weak, when they eat it, they feel guilty. But food will not bring us closer to God. Refusing to eat does not make us less pleasing to God, and eating does not make us better in God's sight. But be careful that your freedom does not cause those who are weak in faith to fall into sin. You have "knowledge," so you eat in an idol's temple. But someone who is weak in faith might see you eating there and be encouraged to eat meat sacrificed to idols while thinking it is wrong to do so. This weak believer for whom Christ died is ruined because of your "knowledge." When you sin against your brothers and sisters in Christ like this and cause them to do what they feel is wrong, you are also sinning against Christ. So if the food I eat causes them to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again so that I will not cause any of them to sin.
1 Corinthians 8 NCV

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Would you be as glad about the lady that left your church if you knew that she has stopped going to any and all churches because of it?