Lifting of hands during worship

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Tommy999

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Hello,
Just curious what your faith tradition’s position is on lifting of one’s hands during worship service, especially during singing and prayer.

Is it allowed or not, frowned upon or encouraged, or treated with ambivalence? How do you feel about it personally?

When I was attending an Assembly of God congregation for a number of years, it was fairly commonplace and seemed to be accepted, although not everyone did it.

At my more conservative Methodist Church where I currently attend, it is rare for someone to lift their hands during the service, although it is a little more common at the contemporary service where the average age of worshipper is younger and where modern praise song music is played.

At the traditional service, where the average person is older and the music is more traditional hymn-singing, I don’t see people lifting their hands much, if ever.
 
I don’t disapprove of it but wouldn’t do it personally. And it’s not done where I worship, so it’s kind of a non-issue for me.
 
Other.

It’s not an approved thing, and it bugs me when people hijack the liturgy because something “feels right”.
Making liturgy in one’s own image.
No bueno.
And I’m no rad trad. I just think that we should behave ourselves.
Rant over.

Hi Tommy! Good to see you! Hope you’ll make it over to the new format! God bless you!
 
When at the AOG, do as the AOG do !!!

Amen Glory Brother !!! 😉 😉 😉
 
I grew up in a Catholic church where nobody lifted up their hands during worship. That would have been very, very odd to do.

I have attended, over the years, a few evangelical churches where lifting hands during worship was the norm and I felt kind of weird not doing it.

At my current Presbyterian church, a handful of people will lift their arms during worship, but most people don’t.

I’ve never felt moved to do it myself, but it doesn’t bother or distract me.

ETA: I grew up in a white, middle-class suburban area, and people were very subdued during worship. I think most of us just moved our lips silently and considered that “singing”. I currently live in a largely-non-white urban area, and people are in general a lot more demonstrative during worship, regardless of the denomination, than I grew up with. The first time I heard somebody yell out an “Amen!” during a service, I just about died, it struck me as so unseemly. 😉 I am now far more comfortable with people being less subdued during worship, although I do think people should keep it within the boundaries of what is considered acceptable worship behavior in that particular church.
 
I’ve never been very comfortable with that. When I was a Protestant the churches I went to were very traditional and lifting hands would have been out of place. I’d say it makes me feel like I’m at a Dead show. So it makes sense that this is more commonly associated with a particular style or music. For me getting lost in the music isn’t the highest form of worship.
 
Median age of 242? 🙂

When the weather is cool and damp, my bones sometimes feel like they are that old, I must admit.
 
It’s a non issue to me. There are so many other things that need our attention in the world today. The poor, the sick, welcoming the stranger to name just a few. So I say to each their own on raising hands during worship. When I attended Mass, people would sometimes raise their hands during the Our Father. At the last parish I attended, if I recall correctly, it was quite common. I’ve never felt particularly comfortable doing so but I don’t care if it’s done.
 
It makes no difference to me.

Interestingly enough, there was a Catholic parish I went to in NH where the demographics were reversed. You had a lot of young families at the traditional organ and hymn and incense masses, and the mass with a “median age of 242” had electric guitars, drums, glory and praise music, and “eyes closed with one hand lifted as if in benediction and the other over the heart” singing.

Nothing wrong with either.
 
i cringe when i see people doing it

we are proscribed from aping or imitating the priest during mass

the priest’s uplifted arms cover us all

please people, stop w/ the pantomime act…
 
pianistclare said:
Other.

It’s not an approved thing, and it bugs me when people hijack the liturgy because something “feels right”.
Making liturgy in one’s own image.
No bueno.
And I’m no rad trad. I just think that we should behave ourselves.
Rant over.

Hi Tommy! Good to see you! Hope you’ll make it over to the new format! God bless you!
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HI Clare,
I have mixed feelings on this issue, which was why I was curious how others felt about it. When I attended Assembly of God congregation there were some people whom I knew who raised their hands when in worship (and sometimes in prayer) and I knew them to be very sincere and genuine Christians who said they did it out of an overflowing love for our Lord and they were not disruptive about it. They even sat toward the back and over to one side where they didn’t draw much attention.

On the other hand, I remember a few who turned it into a spectacle (just my opinion) by sitting up front and being very demonstrative, which didn’t help a person like me (with ADD) focus on the Lord. Perhaps that was *my * own personal problem – I don’t know, because I am also distracted by loud crying babies whose parents don’t take them out of the sanctuary to settle down before returning.
 
Tommy999 said:
HI Clare,
I have mixed feelings on this issue, which was why I was curious how others felt about it. When I attended Assembly of God congregation there were some people whom I knew who raised their hands when in worship (and sometimes in prayer) and I knew them to be very sincere and genuine Christians who said they did it out of an overflowing love for our Lord and they were not disruptive about it. They even sat toward the back and over to one side where they didn’t draw much attention.

On the other hand, I remember a few who turned it into a spectacle (just my opinion) by sitting up front and being very demonstrative, which didn’t help a person like me (with ADD) focus on the Lord. Perhaps that was *my * own personal problem – I don’t know, because I am also distracted by loud crying babies whose parents don’t take them out of the sanctuary to settle down before returning.
Click to expand...
my parish spent a boat load of money building a “cry room”; where families can see & hear the mass & receive the sacrament; it is always nearly empty even for “crowded masses”

selfish, lazy people let their toddlers cry, scream & wander the aisles constantly
 
Tommy999 said:
HI Clare,
I have mixed feelings on this issue, which was why I was curious how others felt about it. When I attended Assembly of God congregation there were some people whom I knew who raised their hands when in worship (and sometimes in prayer) and I knew them to be very sincere and genuine Christians who said they did it out of an overflowing love for our Lord and they were not disruptive about it. They even sat toward the back and over to one side where they didn’t draw much attention.

On the other hand, I remember a few who turned it into a spectacle (just my opinion) by sitting up front and being very demonstrative, which didn’t help a person like me (with ADD) focus on the Lord. Perhaps that was *my * own personal problem – I don’t know, because I am also distracted by loud crying babies whose parents don’t take them out of the sanctuary to settle down before returning.
Click to expand...
Well, the issue is that it’s likely just fine in those other denominations. Whether people do it for show, is another matter.

In the Catholic Mass? No.

That’s the sticking point. There are some who feel it’s no biggie, and don’t care one way or another.
But the poster who said we’re not supposed to be aping the priest is correct.
I think it all came about when people started telling kids “don’t worry about what to do, you just do whatever the priest does and you’ll be fine.” Like sit when he sits, stand when he stands, and then it got out of hand. :rolleyes:
The problem is when those of us who don’t want to do it get reamed out by people who LOVE it and vocally express that we are rigid, unfeeling, backward types that can’t express joy. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m pretty excited to be at Mass and to receive Eucharist, It’s a joyful moment for me.
The second and probably most important issue, is that when a parish or pastor permits something (for the sake of unity, or just doesn’t want to die on that hill) then a new pastor comes along, telling people to stop and everyone loses their mind. :eek:
Once you allow something, and then come back later and disallow it…people feel like part of their heritage or prayer norms have been stripped from them unjustly.
And then there comes more fighting.
The last thing that should happen in a Church and especially at Mass. 😦
It’s not a point of doctrine…we shoudl just decide one way or the other, and everybody enforce it.
Oh wait! They did already! :newidea:

It just never “took”. 😊
 
brian_custer said:
my parish spent a boat load of money building a “cry room”; where families can see & hear the mass & receive the sacrament; it is always nearly empty even for “crowded masses”

selfish, lazy people let their toddlers cry, scream & wander the aisles constantly
Click to expand...
HAhaha! This made me laugh because its so true.
A woman with several wriggly and loud kids told me the reason she won’t use the cry room is because “It’s noisy in there! I can’t hear the Mass!”

Well, um…ok.
I love kids,and they don’t bother me, but the notion that everyone else’s child should behave while hers don’t just struck me as odd.

I remember once a child who was unruly got snatched up by his frustrated dad and was carried to the exit doors…and the child yelled out “ya’ll pray for me!”
 
Tommy999 said:
Hello,
Just curious what your faith tradition’s position is on lifting of one’s hands during worship service, especially during singing and prayer.

Is it allowed or not, frowned upon or encouraged, or treated with ambivalence? How do you feel about it personally?

When I was attending an Assembly of God congregation for a number of years, it was fairly commonplace and seemed to be accepted, although not everyone did it.

At my more conservative Methodist Church where I currently attend, it is rare for someone to lift their hands during the service, although it is a little more common at the contemporary service where the average age of worshipper is younger and where modern praise song music is played.

At the traditional service, where the average person is older and the music is more traditional hymn-singing, I don’t see people lifting their hands much, if ever.
Click to expand...
I voted: disruptive and distracting, and attracts attention to oneself.

If I went to a church in which people did this during the service then I’d not do it, but then if I were in such a church, it would be a confusing time, because being a Catholic, i attend Catholic services only (and we don’t do this). Some people have their arms stretched out lower down but are in the minority. It is a bit off-putting but I don’t let it affect me.

Raising arms places a lot of emphasis on one’s body position rather than simple humble gesture of submission and worship to God: standing and kneeling.

Interesting the question, as to whether, in places where they raise their hands like that, do they also kneel?

All that being the case, in churches other than the Catholic Church, Christians do not celebrate Mass with the True Presence of the Eucharist and therefore it is a different scenario completely. It is okay to praise God however you wish but Holy Mass is a different level altogether.

I don’t think any religious order is in favour of raising arms at Holy Mass.
 
friardchips said:
I voted: disruptive and distracting, and attracts attention to oneself.

If I went to a church in which people did this during the service then I’d not do it, but then if I were in such a church, it would be a confusing time, because being a Catholic, i attend Catholic services only (and we don’t do this). Some people have their arms stretched out lower down but are in the minority. It is a bit off-putting but I don’t let it affect me.

Raising arms places a lot of emphasis on one’s body position rather than simple humble gesture of submission and worship to God: standing and kneeling.

Interesting the question, as to whether, in places where they raise their hands like that, do they also kneel?

All that being the case, in churches other than the Catholic Church, Christians do not celebrate Mass with the True Presence of the Eucharist and therefore it is a different scenario completely. It is okay to praise God however you wish but Holy Mass is a different level altogether.
I don’t think any religious order is in favour of raising arms at Holy Mass.
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Thanks. friardchips. Follow up question:
So at Charismatic Catholic parishes the lifting of hands during Mass is not allowed, either?
I am not an expert on Catholicism to know if there are any such congregations, but I assumed there might be a few. Just curious.
 
In our neck of the woods there is no such thing as a Charismatic Parish.
There are parishes here that have a “Charismatic Prayer Group” operating one night a week (mostly Mexicans) and they have a Chaplain provided to them from the Archdiocese.
It may be different elsewhere.
I’d be interested to find out if that is so.
 
Tommy999 said:
Thanks. friardchips. Follow up question:
So at Charismatic Catholic parishes the lifting of hands during Mass is not allowed, either?
I am not an expert on Catholicism to know if there are any such congregations, but I assumed there might be a few. Just curious.
Click to expand...
🙂 As another poster as suggested, I don’t think there is such a thing as a Catholic Charismatic Parish and so no Charismatic Holy Mass. Because we go to church for one reason, to receive the Sacraments and to attend Holy Mass. There are get-togethers for this area of Church interest. Mass could not get any more miraculous than it already is!
 
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