This past week our churches had our annual holy convocation. During service on Friday night, the church went up into a high praise. People were shouting and running, crying and worshiping. Well I’m not a “shouter”… I tend to just throw up my hands and let the tears fall, so I was in my own little world just me and God. I’m standing at my seat, clapping my hands and praising my God, my way when this lady just yanks my hand and pulls me into the aisle and tries to get me to shout. I know she meant well, but that is most distracting thing EVER. I hate when people try to force me to praise God the way they do or the way they think I should. Yes, I know how to shout, I mean I am a dancer, and yes, it may make sense to you for me to be shouting all around the church, but that’s not how I choose to praise God. It has happened more times than I care to count. The church goes up in a high praise, I’m getting my praise on my way, and here comes somebody grabbing my hands trying to make me shout. Granted, she may have felt led to come over to me, but I’ve had people yelling at me during church “Praise Him, Praise Him” So many times I’ve wanted to yell back “I AM”, but I just stand there with them holding and yanking on my arm until they’re finished and then I calmly go back to my seat. But of course by then, my moment with God has been interrupted and I’m standing there looking and feeling stupid UGH
I know that was random but its very frustrating. If you want to do something, come over and give me a hug, pass me a tissue, but please don’t grab my hand and try to force me to shout.
Oh yeah and why is it that people always grab me on my right side. The side where I have a rotator cuff injury…the side where my shoulder just pops out when it wants (I know that sounds nasty)….If it was really God telling you to come over and shout with me, wouldn’t He tell you not the grab my injured side?!?!?!
Rachelle Danielle 
Rachelle (or Danielle),
I ran across your blog looking up info on cussing. I am trying to get the people I work with to stop it. Anyway, I read your post from August 9th and wanted to comment. I am a fairly “new” Christian and have made an exhaustive search for a Church here in Virginia. I have finally found a great Church but I really feel closer to God when I am at home by myself. I don’t know why that is, it just is. I find myself lost in a christian song and falling to my knees weaping. I would never do that in church. I guess I feel I can just be myself at home and can really feel his presence rather than worrying about what others think of me. Don’t get me wrong, the people at my church are great, I think that it is just me that is worrying about what others think.
Just my two cents. I hope you have a great day! God bless you.
Mark
Mark,
Thanks for stopping by…I understand what you’re saying about worshiping alone…I often find myself doing the same thing on days that I’m home…but there’s something about that collective praise and worship that I absolutely LOVE. I mean I used to be afraid of what people would think of me for crying or worshiping at church. I was the one afraid to invite my friends because I didn’t want them to see me with my guards down allowing God to have His way…but as I grew as a Christian I realized it wasn’t about anybody else but me and God. It was about an intimate relationship with my creator and me. Once I finally grasped that concept, I no longer cared who saw me. I no longer held my tears back. Now it’s as if no one’s at the church but me and God, kind of like it is when I’m at home. Again, it took time for me to get to that point, and I’m a woman. I know most men were taught to never let anyone see them cry I think that makes it harder for men to let the tears fall and do what they really feel in church…but that’s another story. Anyhoo thanks again for stopping by. I pray for your continued strength in the Lord.
God Bless
Rachelle Danielle
This is a funny story. It kind of reminds me of my grandma’s church. They, too, were very vocal when it came time to worship–shouting, dancing and jumping. You name it, they did it.
I did often wonder, though, was it real? As a believer myself–a very unconventional believer, that is–I certainly wonder if many Christians are simply putting on show. I say that because it seems to me many Christians feel obligated or pressured to “worship” in a certain way. Take my grandma, for example, she was a great woman. But even she fell victim to the rigidness of structured “religion”. She’d say things like, “If you’re not doing A, B, and C, then you’re not worshiping Him right. What! Since when is loving my Lord and Savior confined to such provincial thinking? And who are you to tell me I’m not doing it “right”?
The way I see it, Jesus loves us all, whether we shout, jump, dance, cry, or simply sit there. We’re all his children. The way you worship is nothing more than the way you worship. Simple as that.
Good Post
PS. Sorry to hear about your arm. Injuries are never fun.
“The way I see it, Jesus loves us all, whether we shout, jump, dance, cry, or simply sit there. We’re all his children. The way you worship is nothing more than the way you worship. Simple as that.”
I couldn’t agree MORE!!!!!