July 11, 2013 Lifting up Holy Hands – staying focused

It was a writers’ conference at Wheaton…we were in an auditorium at the college and I did not know a soul.  Before the class started, the leader led in some worship choruses, and I watched from the fifth row back, as hands rose as we sang.

I must confess a load of thoughts went through my mind, my rooted in a conservative and fundamental Baptist background.  What did I get myself into?  Are these a bunch of charismatics and will someone start speaking in tongues next?  Please forgive me for what that sounds like.  I am just being honest.

Then, I started paying attention to the words we were singing, and my hand wanted to go up to join them in worship.  It was as though my right arm, my right hand has suddenly become more spiritual, more worship minded than the rest of me.  I don’t want people to look at me, I remember thinking, but as quickly as I thought that, I realized how foolish it was.  At least half of them were singing and worshipping with their hands in the air.

And ever so gently, I obeyed the Spirit, and my right arm rose, almost on its own.  And…I have to confess, I began to realize that raising my arm in worship, in reverence and honor to God made the whole worship experience more real than any I had experienced previously.  There was something about the physically raising my hand that helped me focus, gave meaning to my words.  I was no longer singing along with people.  I was singing to God, my hand raised in worship to Him, and it didn’t matter if anyone else cared or not.

I went back home, and then came the real challenge.  Had this been an emotional response to the experience or was it real?  And in the next worship gathering, as we sang our worship to God, it seemed to me more of a fraudulent thing to keep my hand down.  So I allowed it to rise, my palm up to God, thinking and praying, “Here it is, all of me, Precious Lord.  Fill me - Spirit, teach me and receive my worship.”

I’m not trying to convert anyone to this, but as I prayed this morning privately, in my office, my hand rose in worship. It struck me then that maybe there might be others who would want to share in the freedom and joy of simply yielding it all to Him, and not worrying about what anyone thinks about it.