I trust that you recognize you are expressing your own feelings, which have the same validity as those of folks who feel differently.

Who judges what is "true worship"? Is that not the work of the Judge of all the earth?

It seems to me that we should be very hesitant to condemn that which the Bible recommends -- the lifting of hands in prayer and worship.

Is it not far more important to teach the true work of the Holy Spirit, as expressed by Christ, than to worry about some of our members worshiping in a way that is reminiscent of those who do not understand the work of the Holy Spirit correctly?

If the Spirit brings me to raise my hands, then like Peter I would say 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head...'.

But when the Holy Spirit truly comes upon a congregation or group, the raising of hands has not been a necessity or a primary requirement to say the least. If it had been first or foremost like prayer and fasting, then it would have been given clearly for us in scripture, and we would have seen it in the church from Pentecost. But yes, I dont worry too much about it as most things if they are not from God seem to fade with time.

I'm trying to picture that, Richard, and I come up with levitation. Now that would make me wonder, seeing what that is usually associated with.;)

I don't think anyone in this thread mentioned raising hands as a "necessity or primary requirement."

However, there is some clear scriptural support for the practice:

1 Timothy 2:8
I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

(That sounds a bit like a command, though I have no intention of pushing it. I confess I'm a bit reticent myself about lifting my hands. )

Lamentations
2.19
Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches
pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord:
lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children,
that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

(Again, a positive injunction to "lift up they hands.")

Lamentations 3:40-42
40 Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the LORD .
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
42 "We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.

(An invitation to life up hands as well as hearts.)

Psalm 141
1 O LORD , I call to you; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD ;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

(The Psalmist is clearly lifting up his hands in prayer ...)

Psalm 134
1 Praise the LORD , all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD .
3 May the LORD , the Maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.

(Another positive injunction.)

Psalm 119
47 for I delight in your commands
because I love them.
48 I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,
and I meditate on your decrees.

(Again, the Psalmist leads by example.)

Psalm 63
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

(Again, the Psalmist says, "I will lift up my hands ...")

Psalm 28
2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

(Another example by the Psalmist.)

Nehemiah 8
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD , the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

(And this is reported as an example of repentant people lifting their hands to the lord.)

I don't know when we, as Adventists, stopped lifting hands to the Lord, because the practice seems to have been current in Ellen White's time, as she writes, "How can you who repeat the Lord's prayer, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven,' sit at ease in your homes without helping to carry the torch of truth to others? How can you lift up your hands before God and ask His blessing upon yourselves and your families, when you are doing so little to help others?" (from Historical Sketches, p. 287)

Again, I'm not saying that you must lift up your hands because the practice is positively recommended in the Bible and still current in Ellen White's time. But I'm suggesting that you can set your heart at ease about the practice. In the charismatic manifestations, the lifted hands aren't the problem. (It's a biblical practice.) The problem is a wrong understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit.

Satan would love to have us focus on minor outward manifestations and ignore the major issues that actually affect our salvation and/or the salvation of others.

May you be blessed.

Inga

There are a few people out there that like this type of life, but most feel that's NOT a healthy way to live. But it's what's driving the people in this chruch more than anything else. And I say if you dont' believe me, step back, take an OBJECTIVE look for yourself. Yes, that means you'll have to do some work, use your mind, the ability to seek out information and asses it's meaning, but I think you'll agree.

[quote=Richard]The lifting of hands is from the charismatic movement which some people have picked up, and IMHO just like the chanting, jumping or rolling on the floor can be a distraction or diversion from true worship...

So can a crying baby, or someone with a bad cough. And if that's all it takes to distract you from the light of God, then maybe you should spend more time getting to know Him, and less time in chruch. If those things distract you and your ability to worship, then yeah, that's a problem, FOR YOU! That's not a problem for someone who is expressing the joy they find in God, it's a problem that YOU have with them.

I'm not saying that you are wrong, because in my opinion, your "feelings" can't be wrong, they are what they are. But, it is wrong (IMHO) to shame/degrade/punish or be prejudice against someone else for thier feelings. Those activites may bring them closer to God, even though it doesn't work for you.

And yes, I am accepting of your feelings, and opinions, they just aren't mine. And thats OK, and good. It's nice to be able to express our feelings in a loving, God worshiping place such as this.

During an inspired rendition of Wilson's classic, "Lonely Teardrops", Ronald went into a gospel routine and with his older brothers tagging along yelled out "you know you make me wanna shout!" A scout for RCA Records was at the audience and was so impressed that he helped them get signed to the label where they went into the studio to record what they had created on stage that night. Penned solely by the brothers, the song, "Shout!", became a breakthrough for the trio. Its mixture of gospel call and response vocals, bluesy lyrics and rock angst helped the boys score their first charted hit.

Hey, could it be that the "shout and put your hands up", came out of "gospel" and moved into rock, not the other way around / the world mimicking the church?