Handshaking while instruments play a verse

That's why we keep hand sanitizer in the back of the church. It's a lifesaver for those of us who are immune suppressed!

 

A verse! On some songs, I wish it were only a verse!

As the pianist, I have mixed feelings about it. It always seems like when the song is fun to play, like "He is Able", or "My Lord knows the way through the wilderness", the fellowship time is always too short. Whenever the song isn't as much fun, like "What a Mighty God we serve", the fellowship time goes on and on and on and we play the song like 20 times and you think the fellowship time is going last until the Rapture.

Just for fun next Sunday, see if you can tell when/if the pianist(s) has/have run out of gas during the fellowship time and is/are desperately wishing the songleader would lead the congregation through the final singing of the song to end the fellowship time sometime before Jesus comes back or their arms fall off, whichever comes first.

 

I grew up with handshaking, and I appreciate the desire to facilitate fellowship. I now am less favorable towards handshaking because I have a different overall vision of how a worship service should run.

For our Sunday worship services my church uses Scripture meditation, responsive readings, and carefully chosen songs that pursue some biblical theme (often the topic of the sermon). The Scripture and hymns are organized so that we ponder Christ, then respond in worship. In a setting like this, handshaking seems rather out of place. Taking a break to press the flesh interferes with the purposeful forward motion of the order of worship.

I would suggest welcoming guests, giving announcements, and handling other "business" before going into the formal service.

 

Fortunately, our music director, lets the pianist play it through about once or twice, then he sings and then by this time the congregation is to sing with him and this works very well to settle them down, but it is usually our pastor who is still visiting and visiting and visiting.


I think that this is one way that many germs are spread throughout the congregation...handshaking and hugging so I also feel fortunate that I play the organ and most of the time shake only one or two hands.

The purpose of our fellowship is actually to greet the guests, but it is amusing to see how much talking people do who just came from a Sunday School Class together.

Usually people who do not like to do this, time their arrival to church or the sanctuary after this fellowship time.

 

Sometimes I wonder why people get worked up about small issues like that. If you do not want to shake hands, then don't. I do not care. Personally, I like the time to do so. I am friendly, shaking hands before and after the service. I lock up at night, so I even stay long after most have left. It does not bother me at all. We could shake hands on every song if we wanted to. God forbid people be friendly to each other at church, especially if it is during the song service.

 

I have no problem with it. It encourages you to greet those around you, and you often end up greeting a stranger or someone you don't know well.

Greeting is not a scriptural requirement, and it's not scripturally forbidden. It's often beneficial though if not to you, then to the occaisional stranger who ends up being greeted by the people aroung him/her.

 

Or have a compulsive behavior attitude.

I've stopped watching "Monk" because I find myself identifying with him (although I've picked up some good tips from him).

HankD

 

If there is such a thing as the top ten
"most retarded topics " then this one has got to be #1.

 

That's because you have only been here since May 2005.

In fact check out the one presently on the board called:

How fat does a person have to be to be a sinner?

HankD

 

That's because you have only been here since May 2005.

In fact check out the one presently on the board called:

How fat does a person have to be to be a sinner?

HankD </font>[/QUOTE] I love honesty!

 

Never thought this would generate so much opposition!

I've just observed as I've visited large churches, that more often than not, people sitting around you will ignore you before the service starts, shake your hand at the handshaking time, then ignore you again after the service.

It makes me think that the handshaking time is pretty meaningless.

Tim

 

I declare...it looks like the modern-day church is "heading to hell in a hand basket." (Can I say that on this forum?) How is it that we get hold of these ungodly practices and bring them into our churches?

I wish we could all be as blessed as Dr. Bob and have a church that is so biblical in what it practices.

Let's forget about this handshaking stuff and get back to greeting one another with a holy kiss. Amen?

Heaven help us.

 

If one wants to see the dead then go to the mortuary or the city morgue.

 

see the dead?

Did I miss somethin"?

 

Heading to hell in a handbasket for shaking hands? You've got to be kidding. What a ridiculous notion that shaking hands and being friendly to someone is ungodly.

The first man that tries to greet my wife with a kiss of any kind, holy or not, is going to wish he had stuck with handshaking. Heaven help him.

 

[/qb][/QUOTE]Heading to hell in a handbasket for shaking hands? You've got to be kidding. What a ridiculous notion that shaking hands and being friendly to someone is ungodly.

The first man that tries to greet my wife with a kiss of any kind, holy or not, is going to wish he had stuck with handshaking. Heaven help him. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Settle down my brother. I was just adding a little tongue-in-cheek to this great theological issue.

 

Hmm, I am hoping that this entire thread is/was tongue-in-cheek.

That was my first impression.

HankD