Raising your hands in worship?

I'm a died in the wool Sovereign Grace Old Line Baptist and I Don't Need To Raise My Hand!... The Lord knows where I am... Brother Glen

 

Thanks for that Salty but I stand my ground and in the words of one preacher I heard... True worship is not the posture of the body but the posture of the heart... Brother Glen

1 Samuel 16:7 The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

 

One problem that we've fallen into is that we think the assembly of the saints is our worship. That it's principle purpose is worship to God. That it must be done in a certain liturgical manner. That he cares what songs we sing, what instruments we play, and whether or not we raise our hands or roll around in the aisles. Romans 12:1...I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

So our "worship" to God isn't limited to a few hymns on Sunday for an hour; it is a daily, even hourly worship with our very lives.

While we certainly can worship in the assembly and often do, the assembly is also for the remembrance of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, and the edification of the saints. Paul doesn't say "do not forsake the assembly" because God needs us to be there, but because our Christian brothers and sisters need us there, and we need them.

When we compartmentalize the assembly as our primary worship, all sorts of weird things start happening. Rules, regs, rituals, and traditions emerge and become law that have no basis in scripture, because we have elevated the assembly hour into a new Sabbath of sorts, but with all new traditions, only a day later. Once so conditioned, we then feel comfortable "paying our penance" for an hour every Sunday and then go right on sinning after lunch. As if the weekly assembly is some sort of inoculation for us and we can do whatever for the days in between.

 

Many of the old hymns speak deeply to my heart. They speak of the blood of Christ, and what He accomplished for us on Calvary, They speak of Heaven, and many more doctrines of our faith. Some times the tears flow and I will raise my hand in praise. My church has a few people who raise their hands but not many. Even though I am a Baptist, and was a pastor's wive for 36 years I'm thankful for my Nazarene grandmother. I see nothing wrong with raising your hands in worship as long as it isn't causing a distraction to others

 

But it is a distraction! It takes my focus off my praying.

 

Well Steve it wouldn't be if you close your eyes when you do... The Lord tells you to enter your closet... Never mind!... We know where this is going... Brother Glen

 

Better to just stay home then to deal with holy rollers and their emotional displays

 

Well the JW's show up at mine... I user them into my office, show them my bookcase full of all my religious bibles and books... Take them back to the door not saying a word since I invited them in and with my Micheal Jackson's sequined sparking glove... Wave bye bye!... Brother Glen

 

Oh... I give them a minute to get off the porch before I let the dogs out

 

I'm gonna need some photographic proof of this glove...