"Running the aisles" is an ecstatic expression of worship that occurs occasionally in some contexts of worship in the Pentecostal and Holiness movements. As the expression suggests, when a person runs the aisles in a worship setting, he leaves his seat and runs down the aisles between seating sections, or he may run around the interior perimeter of the meeting house.
A biblical basis for the act known as “running the aisles” is difficult to establish. Nevertheless, in the Pentecostal worship tradition, spontaneous expressions inspired by the moving of the Spirit are highly valued, and in many congregations the spontaneous running of aisles has traditionally been an acceptable expression of joy. Typically those Pentecostals who run the church aisles do not do so unless they feel that they are overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit at a point in the service when the congregation in general is sensing His moving.
It may be reasonable to classify running as a form of dancing. It is worth noting that running occurs at times in modern Jewish folk dancing.
Opponents of this expression of worship would argue that it violates Paul's instructions on Orderly Worship found in 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, as well as contradicting the idea that one of the "fruits" of the Holy Spirit is "self control" (Galatians 5:23). At its basic level, however, opponents of such a belief would have a different view of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Famous quotes containing the words running the, running and/or aisles:
“People run away from the name subsidy. It is a subsidy. I am not afraid to call it so. It is paid for the purpose of giving a merchant marine to the whole country so that the trade of the whole country will be benefitted thereby, and the men running the ships will of course make a reasonable profit.... Unless we have a merchant marine, our navy if called upon for offensive or defensive work is going to be most defective.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“Do but consider this small dust, here running in the glass,
By atoms moved.
Could you believe that this the body was
Of one that loved?
And in his mistress’ flame playing like a fly,
Turned to cinders by her eye?
Yes, and in death as life unblest,
To have’t expressed,
Even ashes of lovers find no rest.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
“While there we heard the Indian fire his gun twice.... This sudden, loud, crashing noise in the still aisles of the forest, affected me like an insult to nature, or ill manners at any rate, as if you were to fire a gun in a hall or temple.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)