Standing for Scripure Reading

[Salty]

Does your church stand for the morning worship Scripture Reading?

If so, why - if not why not?

How important is it to stand?

Is it disrespectful not to Stand?

If it is deemed appropriate to stand during the Scripture reading, they why not ask the congregation to stand each time Scripture is read during the message?

 

[preachinjesus]

We don't, because it gets too confusing and because we don't think it is mandated in the Bible.

Also, because of the nature of our services, and preaching styles, it doesn't always mean you're going to have one chief text where you'll stay for the whole sermon.

It isn't disrepectful not to stand. I wrestle with from time to time because the church I grew up in always stood for the primary passage. Of course the Pastor of that church only used a seductive style so it leant itself to standing.

Your last question sort of demonstrates the difficulty that arises. Also, as a staff we believe (given our context) that in our services we need to make as much sense to first time guests as members. So random standing doesn't work well for us.

I applaud other churches who do stand.

 

[jbh28]

We don't, but have had visiting speakers ask us to stand. What's always interesting is that we are doing it out of "respect" for the Bible, yet we only stand for the reading at the beginning. When we read Scripture during the rest of the time we don't stand. I guess we are not showing respect during those times.

I also wonder if they stand when they read the Bible in private as well. I'm not saying we shouldn't stand, but it seems to me to be more of a publicity thing to make themselves look "spiritual" than anything else.

 

[freeatlast]

Normally no we would not stand. It would be disrespectful not to stand if you believe you should stand, but if not it is a non issue. Being proper or not proper to stand for scripture reading is bound up in the principle laid out in Romans 14:5,6.
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

 

[HAMel]

Like most I've been in services where it's both ways.

One pastor commented once that to stand gets the blood circulating one last time before the sermon and to stand during Invitation causes the same effect. Else, folks would fall out in the isles trying to get to the door. :tongue3:

What bothers me the worst is 30 minutes of singing followed with an hour of sermon only to find your bladder screaming like a siren toward the end. Some folks resemble doing a tap dance once that great spirit hits.

 

[David Lamb]

I am rather puzzled as to why the OP only asks about standing for the morning worship Scripture Reading. If it is direspectful to sit while the bible is being read before noon (and I am not saying it is), why should it be any different in the afternoon or evening?

 

[Scarlett O.]

We don't stand at my church, but we've have the occasional guest pastor who make a big to-do over standing and we always stand when on of those guest pastors asks us to. I'm hard pressed to understand how the stance of the body correlates to the respect and love felt for God's Word in the heart.

I don't feel any more or any less like I'm honoring God and His Word by the change in my stance. But if I'm asked to stand, I do so.

 

[Salty]

First, let me mention that if the pastor asks us to stand, I do so without a problem.

I am rather puzzled as to why the OP only asks about standing for the morning worship Scripture Reading. If it is disrespectful to sit while the bible is being read before noon (and I am not saying it is), why should it be any different in the afternoon or evening?

I didn't intentionally mean to forgo the evening service, but David does bring up an interesting point. Are there pastors who ask you to stand in the morning service, but not the Sunday evening, Wed Prayer meeting or other Bible studies?

Like most I've been in services where it's both ways.

One pastor commented once that to stand gets the blood circulating one last time before the sermon and to stand during Invitation causes the same effect. Else, folks would fall out in the isles trying to get to the door. :tongue3:

Interesting theory - but then again, I don't preach for a full hour!

 

[glfredrick]

I can go either way. At Sojourn, we stood for the entire worship set, so it is good to sit for the sermon. At other churches the congregation sits and stands according to their practice, and it seems that they know the routine, but the poor visitors are popping up and down like jumping beans... :laugh:

I generally ask the congregation to stand if I am reading more than a verse or so at the beginning of the sermon. Seems to cause them to pay attention to the reading instead of "settling in" so soon.

 

[Crucified in Christ]

We do not stand for the Scripture reading. As many others have stated here, we have had visitors ask for this when they were preaching. While we always stand when asked, I don't understand the implication that to not stand is somehow to show less regard for the Scriptures.

 

[Tom Bryant]

We don't stand because often as I am reading the passage I am preaching from I will stop and give some historical background of the person/place/thing.

 

[DiamondLady]

Does your church stand for the morning worship Scripture Reading?

If so, why - if not why not?

How important is it to stand?

Is it disrespectful not to Stand?

If it is deemed appropriate to stand during the Scripture reading, they why not ask the congregation to stand each time Scripture is read during the message?

Yes, we stand when scripture is read. (both morning and evening worship services)

We stand out of respect for the reading of God's Word and because it is demonstrated in scripture.

How important.....I've been in churches that do it both ways, I find when I stand I pay more attention to the scriptures (we often read corporately aloud). When you've "settled in" (I believe someone said) I find I don't receive the same benefits, spiritually, as it's almost as if I'm half listening while I get settled for the sermon.

As for the last question...while the pastor may reference other scripture, while we may turn to see the scripture we generally don't READ additional scripture together. He may quote a verse, use it as ad additional point, etc., but to read an entire passage we do not. Those are the verses I jot down in my notes for further study during the week.

 

[Crabtownboy]

In Europe when I have been there standing is almost always done when scripture is read. It shows respect for both God and the scripture.

I agree with another who said that when standing I, and I believe most people, pay more attention to the passage being read.

At the church I attend when I am home, sometimes we stand and sometimes we do not stand. The pastor never reads the passages of scripture during our worship service. Usually it is an adult, sometimes a teenager, and sometimes a elementary school age child who reads. We believe in getting all ages involved in the worship service. I believe that children participating in the worship is important. It makes them feel important and accepted. I also believe it is important for children to know we, the old folk, think they are important to us.

 

[mcdirector]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends I think in large part to if the Scripture passage is read in its entirety before the sermon or if it's read piecemeal during the sermon.

 

[Mexdeaf]

Not a fan, although our senior pastor does it for the hearing crowd.

 

[Scarlett O.]

I don't concentrate any better standing than sitting. I can pay attention just as well either way. My mind can wander either way, also.

The sitting vs. standing is really just a matter of personal preference. We should also do whichever the pastor asks us to - not because he's "the pastor", but because we shouldn't want to be a distraction to others - by either standing or sitting while everyone else is doing the opposite.

I know that in Nehemiah 8, the people stood up while Ezra read from the book, but they also, when he finished, lifted their hands up and shouted "Amen, Amen!" and then fell with their faces to the ground and worshipped God.

I can't see that happening in my church.

My pastor forbids women to lift their hands and he would definitely disapprove of all of us putting our foreheads on the carpet.

Anyway, tomorrow when you are in church (and I hope you all go), whether standing or sitting, let's all be thankful for God's Word and make a concerted effort to show gratitude to Him.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Not sure the motives of those who ask to "stand", but it is a choice of each person and each church.

Have only seen it rarely, for "special" speakers (elevating themselves, not the Word, sadly)

I see it as a "gimmick" and would not do so because someone asked. I'm kinda that way.

Same way with the preacher who walks up to the pulpit, then gets on his knees for a silent prayer (last one I saw took more than 90 seconds while the audience just looked around). False humility by "tebowing".

Not my style.

 

[Romans7man]

Does your church stand for the morning worship Scripture Reading?

If so, why - if not why not?

How important is it to stand?

Is it disrespectful not to Stand?

If it is deemed appropriate to stand during the Scripture reading, then why not ask the congregation to stand each time Scripture is read during the message?

We do stand for the reading of the Word. We do it for morning and evening service. We get this from Nehemiah, as most already know. No we don't stand for the entire service, but for the initial reading only. I don't think that is showing disrespect not standing the entire service and I suppose not standing at all is disrespectful. I do believe it shows the younger ones how we feel about God's word, as long as we live it elsewhere.
We understand that standing is to be shown for women, kings, and other dignitaries. We open and hold doors for women. So why not stand?

As I went back and read Nehemiah 8 I see this is most likely where we get the pulpit and eating right after service. Yep, verse 10, go and eat, They had to be baptist the way I see it.

Dell

 

[michael-acts17:11]

Standing while God's Word is being read is a personal preference. Do those who believe we must stand out of respect always stand while reading or studying Scripture? If so, then why are there chairs at Seminaries? This belief is not commanded in Scripture, nor can it be held to 100% consistency. Our church doesn't stand, but I wouldn't care if we did; so long as it is described as a personal preference & not taught as a Biblical mandate.

 

[HeDied4U]

Like others, I have been in churches where the congregation stands at the beginning when the Word is read, and I have been in churches where we didn't stand.

At the church I currently attend, the pastor (usually) doesn't even read an "opening" Scripture (a lot of his sermons are topical). He just usually gives a quick overview of his sermon, and then dives right in, and reads Scripture as needed. We stay seated for that.