Applauding in Church

Miss Manners . . . is all for music, speaking, and other decently appropriate forms of worship. But she is afraid the good people missed that part about [a joyful noise unto the Lord] being directed unto the Lord, and not unto themselves. Their pleasure may be great, but it is incidental to the purpose of worship, and they should not attempt to usurp the Lord’s power of passing judgment on those who are worshipping Him. If God wishes to applaud in church, He may, but it is inappropriate for anyone else to do so.
— Judith Martin, Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, Freshly Updated, 2005, 123.