Ask Questions – Raising Hands in Worship 3.21.09

Another great question. 

This certainly is a question that anyone who does it would give you a variety of answers for. 

I have worshipped in churches where absolutely no one would dare raise a hand in worship.  It would have been so out of place in one church that I worked at (old school Presbyterian) that if someone did it, the worship leader and organist may have stopped playing and singing to ask if that person had a question.  No one would have dared in that church for fear that they would be called on to sing a solo or something.

I have worshipped at other churches where the leader would not only ask, but demand that people raise their hands during worship.  In these churches, if you didn't raise your hands, people would have thought that you must be an atheist or possessed by an evil spririt or something. 

At MPCC, I notice that it is very much in the middle of these two extremes.  Very few people do raise their hands, and only once or twice do I recall a worship leader asking the congregation to do it. 

As far as I can find there is no real call in scripture to do this.  It is simply a sign of deep worship and devotion to God.  I think for some people it is kind of an automatic response, just like people raise hands and pump fists at a rock concert, only at Church you are raising them more for a reason.  To focus more on who you are singing to and what you are singing. 

I have seen people raise their hands in worship in ways that looked like they were trying to be a lightning rod for God's blessings, I have seen other people raise their hands like they are waving to God.  I really think that it means different things to each individual.

My personal preferance is that I normally don't do it.  It does not come natural to me and it feels forced when I try to do it.  During worship I try and focus on the lyrics that are being sung, I like good and thoughful lyrics.  I usually don't actually sing them out loud the first times that I am hearing them.  I like to take them in and think about them.  I love the lyrics to many hymns, some of them are so deeply and thoughtfully written.  Some of the newer and more modern worship songs surprise me with how superficial they are.  Sometimes I feel like worship songs get popular more because of the tune than the actual words.  I like to be challenged to think aand worship and pray a different way sometimes.  Tomorrow morning they are singing a cool hymn "Come thou Fount" which is a meaningful and thoughful hymn to me, beautiful imagery and analogies through the songs that paint cool pictures in my mind.

When a worship leader asks a congregation to raise their hands, I normally do.  I do it to try and see if it helps in my worship, if it makes me more focused.  To be honest, more often than not, it really doesn't seem to change my experience except to make me a little self conscious that I am doing something uncomfortable, which for me is a good thing sometimes.  I need to be dragged out of my comfort zone on occasion. 

My personal theory is that I will try about anything in worship at least once.  I always hope that God has a surprise for me when I do something new.  But on most given Sundays, I have my hands in my pockets and am deperately trying to tune the distractions out of my mind so that I can focus on why we are there, to Worship the one who loves us the most.

Keep on asking.  I love your questions.