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"I saw," she said, that "singing to the glory of God often drove [out] the enemy, and shouting would beat him back and give us the victory" (Letter 8, 1850).
Their meetings were so noisy that on one occasion the local sheriff arrived to arrest the meeting leader for disturbing the peace (Spiritual Gifts vol 2 pages 40-41). The Adventists then barred the door so the sheriff couldn't get in and continued their meeting.
When the meeting leader was on trial, one witness testified, "I have been young and am now old, and of all the places I ever was in, I never saw such a confusion, not even in a drunken frolic" (Piscaaquis Farmer, Mar 7, 1845, quoted in Spectrum, August 1987, p 31). Yet Ellen White, who was present, speaks favourably of all that happened at that meeting and says God's Spirit was there (Spiritual Gifts vol 2 pages 40-41).
Early SDA preachers didn't have an uninterrupted time in which to speak. People would rise to speak during their sermon (ibid page 67). And during sermons congregation members would call out fervent shouts of "Glory!" "Hallelujah!" "Praise God!" and "Blessed Jesus!" ( Ministry Oct 1991, p12).
Excitement
In the conservative SDA Church of today, few would clap to the beat of songs they sing. But early Adventists did.
James White wrote about when he and his sisters sang `You will see your Lord a-coming' (Swanee River) to introduce a communion service. As they reached the chorus of each verse "good brother Clark" would rise, "strike his hands together over his head, shout `Glory!' and immediately sit down." "The influence of the melody accompanied by Brother Clark's solemn appearance and sweet shouts, seemed electrifying" (Life Incidents p107).
Joseph Bates, one of the three main founders of the SDA Church, indicates that the services were exciting. In A Word to the Little Flock he writes of wanting to meet another SDA "when her mind was free from excitement, (out of meetings)" (page 21). Notice that "out of meetings" was the time the early Adventists were "free from excitement." Conversely, in their meetings there was excitement.
Joseph Bates was considerably older than James and Ellen White. However, his advanced years didn't stop him expressing an excitement in his worship. In meetings he would often start clapping his hands and call out, "Isn't it good to have the Sabbath!"
Formal worship "evil"
Formality was not part of early Adventist worship. One church leader said, "The evil of formal worship cannot be too strongly depicted" (Testimonies vol 9 page 143). "Evil" is probably the strongest word in a Christian's vocabulary. And to make sure people understood how evil formal worship was, this author wrote that it "cannot be too strongly depicted." They are strong words!
Ellen White wanted everyone to speak during a church service. She wrote, "None of you should keep silent in your meetings" (Letter 30, 1850).
Doctrinal differences
Early SDAs tolerated different theological opinions. Prominent Adventists James White, Uriah Smith and Joseph Bates all believed that Christ was a created being. That belief today would see them expelled from the SDA church -- or at least dropped from church leadership. But the church then accept divergent views more readily.
Ellen White wrote against lengthy sermons. "Ministers too often stand before the people and deliver lengthy discourses, which in order to do good, need to be divided into three parts" (Letter 95, 1896. Manuscript Releases p194)
Attractive to outsiders
Early SDA leaders wanted their church services to be attractive to unbelievers. "It is the duty of those connected with the church to feel an individual responsibility to... make the meetings so interesting that outsiders or unbelievers will be attracted to your meetings" (EGW Manuscript 13, 1885 -- Manuscript Releases 162).
Energetic meetings
One leader said there should be "more energy" shown in SDA worship services. "I saw there was great necessity of more energy being manifested by the commandment keepers in their meetings" (EGW Manuscript 3, 1853 -- MR336). Notice that this direction to have "more energy" was given at a time when services were the energetic services described earlier. To give this direction today to the SDA Church, you would need to say "far more energy!"
Talking about God
Personal testimonies, short prayers, and members talking about God were the core of early SDA worship. They "came together to honour and glorify Him (God), to speak of his glory and talk of His power.... All the time would be occupied by short, sweet, testimonies and prayers, that were to the point" (ibid).
"The worship of God will become corrupted unless there are wide-awake men at every post of duty" (Testimonies vol 4 517). Unknowlingly, we may have we let worship "become corrupted" by gradually moving away from our early church's modes of worship.