Journal: Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
Volume: JOTGES 21:40 (Spring 2008)
Article: Lifting Holy Hands? Comparing Contemporary Practice with Biblical Injunctions and Descriptions
Author: Calvin Pearson

JOTGES 21:40 (Spring 2008) p. 65

Lifting Holy Hands?
Comparing Contemporary Practice with
Biblical Injunctions and Descriptions

Calvin Pearson

Associate Professor of Preaching

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Fort Worth, Texas

I. Introduction

Coming back to a Baptist seminary after being gone for 20 years enabled me to identify many changes, like an uncle who sees his niece at birth and not again until her High School graduation. One of these “my how you’ve grown” moments occurred when I attended my first worship service in the Seminary Chapel.

Remembering my student days, I was expecting traditional sacred organ music with a new chorus or two thrown in to appear contemporary; the drum set, electric guitar and tambourine were unexpected changes. People were clapping to the music and lifting hands up toward heaven. Even a professor who teaches Baptist worship was lifting his hands, though not an unrestrained outstretched raising of his arms, rather a discreet waist level opening of the palms in an upward direction. Sitting in this transformed worship service I rejoiced at the expression of joy and thought, “My how you’ve changed!”

This injection of emotion and freedom to express praise to God in various forms is not unique to seminaries. Many evangelical churches enjoy this new freedom in worship even as other churches, unsure of change, stick to more reserved forms of worship. While all these changes will be tested over time, I’d like to focus on one specific action. Just as a lifted hand asks to be recognized in a classroom, the practice of lifting hands in worship needs to be addressed.

Some people are uncomfortable with hands being lifted during worship services because it is new. Others are irritated, not just uncomfort-

JOTGES 21:40 (Spring 2008) p. 66

able. They see it as a move towards a worship tradition that they believe might be theologically incorrect. Or worse, they see lifting hands in a worship service as a move towards rowdy behavior. “What’s next,” they might think, “One of those NFL stadium waves?” However, those lifted hands are not trying to offend, they are just expressing themselves. Some even justify “lifting hands” by quoting scripture and saying that Christians are commanded to worship in this way.

Should we all be lifting our hands in praise like we bow our heads in prayer? Should we ask people to not lift their hands because it is disturbing to others, or ask them to lift their hands because it is a command? Is this action of lifting hands during a worship service a personal preference, or a command? Is it a nuance of worship ...