Lift your hands

[Salty]

In many Baptist churches, members would never think about raising their hand - (let alone both) during
a church service - whether it is during the music or the preaching.

But Psalm 134: 2 states:
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

So should we be raising our hands during our church services??

Years ago- I went to a concert with Larnelle Harris, at the begining - he asked the audience to
raise your hands unto the Lord - then he continued - he stated "and you Baptists - raise one hand halfway!
(and he is a Southern Baptist!)

So according to Psalm 134, should we be raising our hands during music and the preaching?

 

[KenH]

So according to Psalm 134, should we be raising our hands during music and the preaching?

It is not the posture of the body during prayer or worship that matters, it is that the truth is being proclaimed and the spirit being in a right relationship with God.

John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 

[Salty]

So a couple of questions here:

Why do so many Baptists say we should not raise our hands in praise?
is it any different then raising you hands at a football game when your team is winning?

Is Psalm 134 a command? a recommendation or something else?

 

[KenH]

Why do so many Baptists say we should not raise our hands in praise?
is it any different then raising you hands at a football game when your team is winning?

Is Psalm 134 a command? a recommendation or something else?

1) Truly worshipping God is not anything profane like a football game.

2) Christians are not in obligation to what they did in the Old Testament. We don't have the dietary restrictions they had, we don't have the clothing material restrictions they had, etc.

But, Salty, if you want to stand from the start of the worship service until it ends and keep your hands held high the whole time, go ahead.

 

[Salty]

But, Salty, if you want to stand from the start of the worship service until it ends and keep your hands held high the whole time, go ahead.

I certainly will not be standing during the entire service with my hands held high - Why would I do that during the offering, announcements, Scripture reading, and the preaching.....????

 

[Piper]

Well, 1 Tim 2:8 assumes that we will lift hands in prayer.

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

 

[Piper]

So a couple of questions here:

Why do so many Baptists say we should not raise our hands in praise?
is it any different then raising you hands at a football game when your team is winning?

Is Psalm 134 a command? a recommendation or something else?

They're afraid of Pentecostal abuses of lively worship?

 

[Salty]

Well, 1 Tim 2:8 assumes that we will lift hands in prayer.
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

So it is not only in the OT

They're afraid of Pentecostal abuses of lively worship?

Interesting point.

 

[Piper]

Should Men Still Pray with Lifted Hands?

Should Men Still Pray with Lifted Hands?

Excellent discussion. Simple, biblical.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

The Baptist equivalent of raising hands is:
-Nodding
-In extreme cases saying "Amen!"
-And in the Appalachia "Wheewwwww boy! Amen! Preach it Brother!!"

On a serious note, my understanding of the lack of raising hands in most Baptist Churches is simply that folks raising their hands and swaying like a Pentecostal on a dance line distracts other Church goers from worshipping the Lord. It takes away focus from the Lord and places the focus on you acting and swaying in your pew.

When the Church is gathered together there should not be anything individual. It's not individual worship, it's corporate worship of a corporate body of Christians. And if half the body is jumping and waving and the other half is sitting down there's something wrong.

 

[Keith Mullins]

In my part of Appalachia, every Baptist church I have been in has at least a few people who lifts their hands. Personally, I often lift one hand, sometimes both. There are occasionally times I even stand when doing so. Does that make me a Bapticostal?

 

[Keith Mullins]

The Baptist equivalent of raising hands is:
-Nodding
-In extreme cases saying "Amen!"
-And in the Appalachia "Wheewwwww boy! Amen! Preach it Brother!!"

On a serious note, my understanding of the lack of raising hands in most Baptist Churches is simply that folks raising their hands and swaying like a Pentecostal on a dance line distracts other Church goers from worshipping the Lord. It takes away focus from the Lord and places the focus on you acting and swaying in your pew.

When the Church is gathered together there should not be anything individual. It's not individual worship, it's corporate worship of a corporate body of Christians. And if half the body is jumping and waving and the other half is sitting down there's something wrong.

If you get distracted by someone raising their hands, you are most likely already distracted.

 

[Piper]

In my part of Appalachia, every Baptist church I have been in has at least a few people who lifts their hands. Personally, I often lift one hand, sometimes both. There are occasionally times I even stand when doing so. Does that make me a Bapticostal?

No, I lift my hands every time I worship. We're Reformed Baptists. Many people do, and many people don't. No on judges anyone.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

In my part of Appalachia, every Baptist church I have been in has at least a few people who lifts their hands. Personally, I often lift one hand, sometimes both. There are occasionally times I even stand when doing so. Does that make me a Bapticostal?

You're halfway there to Bapticostal territory. You also gotta use the old sing-songy preaching, mixed with the dog bark in addition to the hand raising. Having been in several Churches that preach like this, I can do quite a good imitation .

"Hand I say huh. You must be beeeorn again huh. Hand if'n you ain't a-born agin' you bound for hail, can I get a haymen on THAT?! Huh!"

"Preach Preacher! Preach it!"

"I've heard it said- huh. That good folk go to heaven on their passing day. But I'm atellin' you'uns here now -huh. Ain't ary of you worth a lick, save fur the blood of Christ! Thanks be to gawwwwd"

"Haaaaaayman now!"

I don't mind that style of preaching, heard it for years, and I can get into it, but it drives my poor wife up the wall bless her heart. I guess they don't have that down in the Virginia flatlands that she was born at. That's pure 100% Bapticostal style though .

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

If you get distracted by someone raising their hands, you are most likely already distracted.

If everyone in a Church is sitting still and quiet as a statue, as is the case in many Conservative Baptist circles, and sister Bertha on the front row starts waving her hands about like a car salesman's blow-up man then Bertha is the distraction.

A Church I used to belong to in College once had a man come in that keep hooting and hollering and waving his hands like he was trying achieve takeoff clearance during the service. The gathered sheep couldn't receive instruction. The deacons sat had to sit near him during the service and had to constrain his outbursts.

 

[Keith Mullins]

A Church I used to belong to in College once had a man come in that keep hooting and hollering and waving his hands like he was trying achieve takeoff clearance during the service. The gathered sheep couldn't receive instruction. The deacons sat had to sit near him during the service and had to constrain his outbursts.

I experienced this once in a Revival and agree it's a total distraction but don't see how raising a hand during singing or preaching could be considered a distraction.

 

[Piper]

If everyone in a Church is sitting still and quiet as a statue, as is the case in many Conservative Baptist circles, and sister Bertha on the front row starts waving her hands about like a car salesman's blow-up man then Bertha is the distraction.

A Church I used to belong to in College once had a man come in that keep hooting and hollering and waving his hands like he was trying achieve takeoff clearance during the service. The gathered sheep couldn't receive instruction. The deacons sat had to sit near him during the service and had to constrain his outbursts.

I'd say both of your examples are misrepresentations of what I do.

 

[Jerome]

I certainly will not be standing during the entire service with my hands held high - Why would I do that during the offering, announcements, Scripture reading, and the preaching.....????

How can one yet do the wave, while one's holding a hymnal singing?!