Psalm 47:1, 5–6 “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.”
Does that sound like quiet, subdued worship to you? I’m thinking that if the nations were all clapping their hands to God, combined with shouting, that it would be just a tad noisy, and dare we say it – joyful? I have never noticed there being a problem with self-consciousness when people are at sporting events or concerts, in fact it’s almost as if they are not the same people who sit in church every Sunday! God,, who deserves all our praise, seeks our praise and honor, our thoughts and our actions. Don’t worry about your neighbor thinking you’re a little strange, maybe he’s worried about what you’re thinking of him. How unfortunate that we spend so much time worrying about what other people think of our worship instead of focusing on the One to whom all honor is due.
Terri Pettyjohn is a regular contributor to ExperiencingWorship.com Her devotionals and Women in Worship articles are a favorite of many of our users as she seeks to touch the hearts of others through her writing. Terri currently lives in Farmington, NM where she is pursuing a career in free-lance writing. She is an attender of Pinon Hills Community Church and volunteers on a regular basis in the Worship Arts Ministry. When she is not busy there she is investing in the lives of her grandchildren and others.