FredMcKinnon.Com

Hey Fred,

What do you mean by “forced clapping?” Do you throw water balloons at your church family if they don’t clap on 2 & 4?

Hehe, just kidding. We actually choreograph clapping points within our sets, if we go just drums and vocals all the musicians/vocalists will “clap” instead of someone yelling out “COME ON, CLAP YOUR HANDS WITH US!”

It’s actually been a pretty effective way of “spurring” others on to “good clapping” all the more as we see the Day approaching!

Spontaneous clapping rocks. Although I’ll say that I clap on most fast songs when I’m not playing on the worship team. Yeah I’m often initiate, or lead, or “force” the clapping right from my chair in the crowd. Although I clap on almost all the fast songs I will say I feel pretty dumb doing so when the worship team doesn’t even clap or when they are half-heartedly tapping their leg. As a worshiper I always like clapping as a corporate community thing especially when the community includes the worship team.

I was leading a small service once when I was serving at a church in Ohio about 7 years ago. We had done about 3 or 4 contemporary songs, and the service felt rather “dead in the water”, with the congregation absolutely not into the worship. Then, we went into “Amazing Grace”. First verse, same thing – no life from the crowd. Second verse, same. THEN, when we went into singing the repetitive “Praise God, praise God…” it was like a blanket just fell over the whole place! It was incredible! Right at the end of the worship service, the place was truly filled with a heavy anointing.

Some worship leaders would be upset that the crowd didn’t “get into worship”. It would be nice if we could just jump right-in and be right there in that atmosphere, but those times are rare. I’m at the point where no matter how simple or how “normal” a praise & worship service may seem to me on paper, I just release it to God and let Him move through the service. I like it that way, because I’m out of the way. I’m not performing for the crowd, I’m not urging or pushing or even “leading” the crowd, I’m just there as an example.

Often times we go through a whole service with not much response, only to have the Spirit of God come in at the last moment and just floor everybody (not literally, but figuratively… although possibly literally!) I’ll go through any boring worship service if it means getting to the throne.

Last night I led the p.m. service at my church, and I felt that we needed to do “How Great Thou Art”. It’s funny, because my wife had said to me earlier, “Why are you doing that old song? I can’t stand that old hymn.” (She’d grown tired of singing it at her previous ultra-traditional church which she attended.) I told her that I felt we needed to do that particular song, and that even though she may not be in the mood to sing that old, stuffy song, that it might be meant for someone else to hear. Well, lo-and-behold, as we did that as the last song of the night, when the worship band went into that song my own step-daughter broke down and several folks around her were able to minister to her. My wife told me after we’d gotten home, “You were right about that song being for somebody. It was for her.”

God has the ability to come in and take over at just the right time, no matter the “flow” of a service. True, we are to give Him a place that is exalted, but there are times when He will come in and take over, and those times are the coolest!!!

my favorite is when people start standing on their own, which happens pretty regularly here…it gives me the chills and usually brings a few tears of emotion for whatever reason.

We started off with “Everlasting God” at my church too.
Great post!

err wild*fires

Oh this is great! Last week we had spontaneous combustion in a different way. Because of time in our 2nd service we pulled an audible to play “Breathe” during communion and not invite the congregation to ‘stand and sing’ with us.
It was beautiful. THEY DIDN’T NEED TO BE ASKED TO SING! Here we are playing Breathe and singing it and as the congregation sits down I see them …singing! Some even had …their eyes closed! Some even were bowing their heads! Worship broke out without me having to do anything! Thank you God! It was one of the most amazing things I’ve had the privelage of being a part of!