Raising Hands in Church

I grew up in a very traditional, Baptist church. We sang from church hymnals, which included something called the doxology. Never during the worship time, which I learned as a Southern Baptist is the time spent singing, did I ever feel the need to raise my hands in the air. In fact, I thought those that raised their hands during church services were just trying to show off their spiritual superiority. I have never raised my hands during worship time or any other moment during a church service...and that's about to change.

Our church is dynamic, alive and full of hand raisers. If you don't feel the need to raise your hands, no one really cares, because our hand raisers are oblivious to anything going on around them.  They are worshiping their God, in their personal space, how they want to. They don't care who's looking. There's no pressure to join, because not everyone feels the need. We all worship in different ways. God knows our heart and that's all that matters.

Well...I've been feeling it lately, but my past beliefs and prejudices are weighing my arms down. This past week, our band (a really rockin' group of extremely talented musicians) was playing the song, "We Raise Our White Flags" by Chris Tomlin. I've attached the video with lyrics. It's a powerful song and many of our youth, who sit at the front of the church, raised their arms to show God they surrendered to Him. Our pastor stood to the side with both arms raised and his tilted back looking toward heaven. Why couldn't I get my arm to raise...it so wanted to. I was fearful, because it has never been like me to react that way. What would people think? How silly...what do I care what people think. Next time I'm feeling it...I'm raising my hands in the air and I don't care who's watching.

With that being said, I was having this discussion with the women of our Life Group (what we do instead of Sunday School) and one of them offered up the video that you see at the top of the post. It's hilarious. But now...these women are going to see me raise my hand and they will be trying to identify which one I'm performing at any given time. Watch the video...you'll understand. They are also all anticipating the moment it may happen, which makes it all unnatural and intimidating. Hey...it just occurred to me that I can sit in the back row and no one will be watching. YES!! Look out Sunday...here I come.