We at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship seek to honor and glorify God in all that we do. Our outward expressions of worship (which is what this page addresses) are merely an extension of how we feel about God on the inside. They are not meant to draw attention to ourselves or be distracting. Worship is for God, not for us. With that in mind, we would like to explain from a biblical text why we worship the way we do.
Songs of praise and worship
Ref. Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs singing in your hearts...
Lifting or extending our hands

The lifting of hands originated in the Old Testament and has been a part of Jewish and Christian worship for thousands of years. It is not just a "charismatic" expression, but a biblical one dating back to before King David's time. Lifting our hands to the Lord blesses Him (Ps. 63:4, 143:6, 134) We lift our hands when we pray (1 Tim. 2:8, Lam. 3:40-41, Heb. 12:12). The lifting of our hands can be symbolic of our surrender to God, Christ's victory over death, or simply to lift Jesus higher in our hearts.

The extending of our hands towards others during a time of ministry for healing or blessing come from when Christ blessed his disciples before his Ascension (Lk. 24:50).
Clapping our hands and shouting
Psalm 47 states "clap your hands all you people, shout to God with cries of joy." There are many other passages in scripture where God's word admonishes us in this practice. (Psalm 98:8, 2 Kings 11:12, Josh. 6, Judges 7:20-21, Psalm 95) We are comfortable and even expect to see crowds of sports fans shouting and clapping their hands to celebrate an unimportant human event such as a touchdown. Why then are we uncomfortable if someone shouts to God in church to celebrate Christ's victory? Isaiah 55:12 states that the trees of the field will clap their hands for joy. Jesus said (upon entering Jerusalem) that if the people stopped shouting, the rocks would cry out! (Lk. 19:28-40) Maybe that's because He knows how much praise He deserves even if we don't! Shouting is often an expression of joy or victory as in Psalm 5:11, 32:11, or 47:1-2.
Dancing
Dancing is another biblical form of worship or praise. In scripture, dancing was often the result of celebrating God's victory (as in His conquering Pharaoh's army in Exodus 15:20-21). David danced before the Lord "with all his might" to celebrate the return of God's presence to Israel in II Samuel 6:14-16. Psalm 149:3 states specifically "let them praise His name in the dance." We are always watchful that our dance is directed to God and before Him and not merely for the pleasure of men. In fact, because Michal, King David's wife, became barren (unable to have children) as a result of criticizing David's lavish expression of praise through dance, we want to be sure to bless those who show their love for God through dance. We do not want a barren church!
Waving flags or banners

The waving of flags and banners goes back to the Old Testament as well. God calls Himself "Jehovah-nissi" or "God our banner", perhaps because He is over us. Banners were carried by the Israelites to battle and as they traveled. A banner can be symbolic of God's power or creativity depending on the color and type of flag or banner. The Song of Solomon declares that "His banner over me is love." Other scriptures that refer to flags or banners are Psalm 20:5, 60:4, Isaiah 49:22, and Jeremiah 51:27. Flags have often been a sign of declaration as in our nation's or state's flags. As God's "holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9), we may declare our allegiance to Him with a hand made flag waved before Him in worship.