What are you doing as communion hymns that invite clapping? LOL

Off the top of my head, only As We Gather at Your Table,  All Who Hunger, One Bread One Body, We Gather Here, Eat this Bread and Never Hunger my toe might tap to.

Good question SG!  Usually the communion hymns or anthems are pretty reserved and contemplative ... so I've not been moved to applause.  I usually sit still in prayer if I"m not assisting to serve.  

All Who Hunger can be pretty lively, depending on the tune that is chosen for it.

Hi crazyheart,

The question presupposes that there is a proper way to participate in hymnody.

There are several proper ways to engage in hymnody, no two congregations will do so identically and even among those congregations there will be variation.

I myself, being strongly influenced by Reformed tradition do not clap in worship (it reeks of charismatic excess) others will, and I am okay with others doing that.  I myself don't.  If the timing is tricky I may keep it with my feet.

My general rule of thumb for behaviour in worship is, if people are staring at you and they aren't smiling don't do that anymore.  If nobody is staring or they are and they are smiling it isn't a distraction so you can keep on doing what you are doing.

If the song excites me enough, I don't clap I sing "lustily and with good courage" ensuring that I do not sound "half dead or half asleep."

Grace and peace to you.

John

My general rule of thumb is to tell people not to stare at other people disapprovingly!

I can think of a couple of Communion pieces that pretty much require clapping...

What ones are you thiking of, Gord?

THey aren't in the hymn book.  One is by a friend of mine, Nancy Chegus but I can't remember what it is called.  The other is a piece that is not in Voices United proper but is in the music leader's edition (the one in the binder)--and I also can not remember the name of it--been many years since I sang it..  Both are almost impossible to not want to clap while singing

EDIT: Nancy's piece is called Break the Bread, Share the Cup.  It can be found at #3 in All God's Children Sing (a music resource produced by Alberta and Northwest Conference and Wood Lake Books about 20 years ago).  I can not find the music leader edition of VU anywhere in the church to research the title of teh other piece--and the rest of my family is out of town so I can not ask my partner if she remembers.....

I remember the one from All God's Children Sing

It seems to me that there has to be some toe tapping or swaying or hand waving or other body language as we sing "Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ"

It seems to me that "I Come with Joy" is fairly lively. 

I also found "Shout for Joy" in the communion section of VU, but I don't remember ever hearing it.  It seems to me that shouting for joy might lead to clapping.

Did anyone say that communion has to be sad?

It does seem to be, all too often, a rather sombre occasion. Certainly, I have yet to be in a UCCan where it wasn't accompanied by quiet playing on the organ/piano or a meditative/contemplative anthem. I'd love to see a Communion that was lively and celebratory, but it hasn't happened yet.

Mendalla