Combatting Praise Repression
Being born and raised in a very traditional Presbyterian church has made the transition to a more contemporary service somewhat uncomfortable. Coming out of the “sit or sing” culture into one where we are allowed to clap adds both a little uncertainty and also requires a good bit more coordination (lets just be honest no one wants to be the one clapping off beat).
I bring this up because I recently realized something. As I used to look at Pentecostals and think “you know they are just trying to draw attention to themselves, they aren’t trying to praise God” (Which I’m not sure I actually think. It’s just something that has crossed my mind, and justified my treelike praise posture.) I realized that if I am putting them in the ditch of “over-praising” (new phrase, it’ll catch on, spread it around) then I am in the other ditch of “under-praising” (constraining myself to look….umm… holier? k not really sure why but it isn’t natural. Regardless it’s just as much for appearances sake as what I am saying the Pentecostals are doing.)
So what do you think of this idea. I want you to pick your 3 favorite awesome praise and worship songs (and I mean the rocking ones) and I want you to stand in your living room, crank up the volume when no one is around, and praise your pants off. Warning side effects may include: clapping hands, stomping feet, moving of body in perhaps a dancing motion and maybe singing louder then you ever have in church. However you act in the eyes of your Father should be your gauge for how you praise him all the time. What do you think about my slightly insane process?
I realize the dangerous position I have put myself in by posting this. Since some of the folks from my church read this, but they shouldn’t expect immediate change here (we are combating 20 years of praise repression). My prayer is that they can loving encourage me to loosen up and celebrate how awesome the God who saved us is. And maybe a little shoulder rub wouldn’t hurt either.
I did this once and ended up weeping like a baby on the floor of my living room while George Beverly Shea sang “How Great Thou Art” Best praise moment of my life.
@Lauren yeah that’s why I emphasized the importance of the rocking. There are some amazing songs that pull at the heart strings, but I was thinking more along the lines of songs that make you wish you knew how to play the drums (although my air drums are pretty freakin sweet on In the Air Tonight).
I am totally going to do this. I grew up in a church that didn’t budge an inch during worship time, for the most part, and I’m now in a hands-raising-only church. I think part of the reason I’m comfortable in that atmosphere is that I’m easily embarassed and I’m self-centered — I always assume everybody is looking at me and judging what I do as some sort of performance. It’s completely ridiculous, because it shouldn’t be a performance. It should be worship.
Love it.
Great point you make about over praising and under praising being essentially the same problem, just different sides.
I’ve never understood how you can’t move at least a small bit when a good rocking song is played.
Oh you have to start young and I think you have to pitch it as a reverence thing. I don’t really recall since its so ingrained.
I think this either stems from or has led to the whole Christians shouldn’t dance idea.
Come on we all know what dancing leads to ….. breaking contract, and we all know what that leads to ……. skipping chapel.
Sorry just had a flashback to Covenant days.
See I thought you were going to say that dancing leads to sex.