Its our culture to support our soloist by perhaps "slapping the lead singer on the back" at times or even "pointing to the lead singer". I see nothing wrong with that at all. Regardless of how you feel, God was edified and the devil was horrified and because of this musical over 20 souls were baptised in Jesus Name and filled with the Holy Ghost. The Bible is very clear in John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. God did the drawing and thats all that matters. If the video was not about lifting up God there would have been ZERO (and I mean ZERO) souls to have been born of the water and of the Spirit.
As for whats a "praise break"? Well, simple, its taking a break from the normal flow of the service i.e. offering, announcements etc and giving God a praise through any form He deems fit (i.e. dancing, lifting up hands, running the aisles etc). We are an Apostolic Holiness Church and we dont allow the order of worship to hender us from taking time to give God a praise.
Keeping with the spirit of humility, if you having nothing nice to say, there is no reason to say anything at all.
Good post!
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I think though that there is a segment of people who would consider this a move of God. I have heard many say, "man we had good church tonight" and they are right, it was good church compared to what they were used to but that doesn't mean God was moving because of all the dancing and jumping.
It is a style of church. Just like 30 years ago everyone was into southern gospel and before that people loved the old hymns.
Personally, I feel that self-control should be expected in church. If the church you goes to dances and runs the ailes then you can do that but if folks are more serious at another church then it is best to respect the culture of the church.
About a year ago we had a young evangelist show up at our church and he wanted to show us how to have a move of God. We hadn't hit the second word in the song and he was shouting and spinning all over the front of the church. Well, he then said that we were a dead church and that we didn't have the holy ghost because we didn't join with him in his antics.
Again, nothing wrong with having church that way but to think it is a move of God and spontaneous is reaching just a little.
LOL...not everybody was into southern gospel 3o years ago. Some have been having this kind of church for generations now ...and I'm certainly not saying that everybody who does everything demonstrative is right all the time. What I am saying is that I don't think that you should look at everybody who worships exuberantly and cast a negative blanket statement.
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Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
I have no problem with people expressing the joy of the Lord. It is a culturally taught way of worship, and fun to watch and participate. I'm culturally a little more comfortable in that environment than I am in a church service with no energy!
Personally, I prefer a worship service somewhere in between. That doesn't mean that my way is the best way! It just means that is where I am the most comfortable!
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LOL...not everybody was into southern gospel 3o years ago. Some have been having this kind of church for generations now ...and I'm certainly not saying that everybody who does everything demonstrative is right all the time. What I am saying is that I don't think that you should look at everybody who worships exuberantly and cast a negative blanket statement.
Bro., I am from the deep south. I know all about this type of church service. I used to be right in the middle of it jamming on my guitar. I wasn't trying to be negative about this clip but it is a place I have moved away from and even when I was a part of it I was always a little uncomfortable.
This style of worship is part of the black culture and I like it but you won't find me trying any of those moves anytime soon. Now, if someone starts playing some harder Christian worship music you just might see me start bobbing my head a little.
I honestly didn't see anything cultural about the video. It's the pentecostalism that I don't care for. The intentional fast beat in order to get people worked up is fleshly, emotional, and has nothing to do the the greatness of God...in my opinion.
We once had an organist...one of the best and very well known....that would get this stuff going. And the frenzy would start. But eventually he would work his own self into a frenzy and he'd flip over the organ bench and start destroying the platform.
The problem was, without the music, everyone would stop and he'd be the only one...for a few seconds....still going.
It was always funny but I always wondered, "Aw darn, the worked up music stopped and God must've left 'cuz everyone stopped"
Some of the best and deepest worship I've had in my life, was when the music was stopped and all you could hear were voices of moaning, prayer, and unknown utterances raised toward heaven! The power of God was on me so strong that I couldn't utter a word!
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Some of the best and deepest worship I've had in my life, was when the music was stopped and all you could hear were voices of moaning, prayer, and unknown utterances raised toward heaven! The power of God was on me so strong that I couldn't utter a word!
Many years ago Dan Dean came and spoke at our church. I didn't even know he was a minister. He spoke, "A Hungry Man Has No Manners" (Blessed are those who hunger and thirst...)
In that church at that time, EVERY message ended with music. No exceptions. But that night no one moved. After 45 minutes of so, Dan went to the B-3 and played softly "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." It's been 20+ years but I'll treasure every moment forever.
No long ago, I showed a DVD of a message by Bill Hybels "Buildling and Acts 2 Church). When it was finished we sat in dead silence for over 20 minutes. No one could say anything. Just silence and tears. I don't think I've ever experienced anything more spiritually intense in my life.
I honestly didn't see anything cultural about the video. It's the pentecostalism that I don't care for. The intentional fast beat in order to get people worked up is fleshly, emotional, and has nothing to do the the greatness of God...in my opinion.
We once had an organist...one of the best and very well known....that would get this stuff going. And the frenzy would start. But eventually he would work his own self into a frenzy and he'd flip over the organ bench and start destroying the platform.
The problem was, without the music, everyone would stop and he'd be the only one...for a few seconds....still going.
It was always funny but I always wondered, "Aw darn, the worked up music stopped and God must've left 'cuz everyone stopped"
NotOf, all I'm saying is exactly that (this is your opinion and those are your experiences). It is reckless in my opinion to project that onto everybody that you see and to assume that their church's experiences are like yours. That is my point. I don't know anything about your old church so if you say it was manufactured...I will not argue with you, but it is very presumptive to then say that everywhere in the world must have been like that.
I am a musician and I am at a church that has times of worship like this. I am also a minister (interpretation: music is not the only thing important to me). I will absolutely not allow our musicians to fabricate or work up anything like this. Our church does not stop when the music stops...neither do they start when the music starts...there are times of spontaneous worship like this that break out after we have been praising God for a while.
Most often we eventually stop the music in an attempt to "get the service back", but they very often start up again without the music. If I ever felt that the music was manufacturing something that did not exist or was improper, I would absolutely do something about it.
As I have stated earlier, in our church this most often leads to a place of worship once it all settles down. The music slows and people are worshipping, praying, weeping, or whatever all over the sanctuary.
As the music director, I have never allowed the fast stuff to go on so long that it cuts out the rest of the service, but many times we have allowed that place of worship that we reached to take over the service. Families come to the altar, I see people praying and weeping together, I see couples who I know are having problems praying together, visitors get prayed through to the Holy Ghost...so I don't regret those times at all.
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There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Houston.
Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
...and I'm certainly not saying that everybody who does everything demonstrative is right all the time. What I am saying is that I don't think that you should look at everybody who worships exuberantly and cast a negative blanket statement.
Yeah but I am as far south in Arkansas as you can get.
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