Northern Europeans aren’t known for their emotive bodily expressiveness, but neither did they write the Bible. Paul “desires then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (1 Timothy 2:8). Note he says men, not effeminate, overly-emotional males who are about to melt into a puddle. This expression is consistent with Paul’s insistence that Timothy be a good pastor-soldier (2 Tim. 2:3) and fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 5:12).
Praying with lifted hands is not an uncommon in the Scriptures. Moses spreads his hands (Ex. 9:29), David lifts them toward the sanctuary (Ps. 28:2), Solomon dedicates the temple this way (1 Kings 8:22), and Jesus raised his (Luke 24:50).
Since our bodies are not just transportation for our brains, bodily posture is important. It expresses how we feel, what we want, and whom we honor–note Barack Obama’s recent bow to the King of Saudi Arabia, but not the Queen of England. From the biblical examples, it looks as though lifted hands should play more of a role in evangelical corporate worship. Most of the examples I’ve seen of this have been where one individual is off in his own emotional cocoon, swaying, muttering his own prayers and generally stoking his emotions. This seems to have no resemblance to the biblical examples. But neither does lifting no hands at all.
Interesting ideas – I have heard similar before. I am just how important culture in all of this is. Take for example kissing on the cheek:
In the bible people often kiss eachoter when they meet…no problem at all. When I am in France everybody kisses eachoter when they meet….again no problem. It is a part of the more southern culture, where it is a normal way of greeting a friend or relative. When I am in the Netherlands and two women or a woman and a man meet and kiss eachother on the cheek….again no problem, it is the normal way of greeting. However when I am in the Netherlands and two men meet and kiss I feel uncomfortable and feel it is wrong…because it is a very open sign of a homosexual lifestyle.
So my question would be: what is the role of culture on body posture. Take for example the raising of the hands…can it be that in certain cultures this is the right thing to do, while in others it is not? Being Dutch and Reformed it would feel weird and unnatural to raise my hands in church. I would be playing a role and not really worship at all. I wonder what you think.
Hey Rachel. Nice to see you in the upside down world!
Culture does have a role in shaping what bodily postures and gestures mean. I feel the same way you do about homosexual men kissing, but I wonder how much of this is the northern European in me. Paul says to greet the brothers with a holy kiss. He also wept far more we think is manly, but no doubt his tears were masculine and self-sacrificial rather than self-indulgent.
There are a lot of factors involved here. Since cultures do shape the meaning of gestures (like raising hands), it makes sense to not do certain things for a time, or to do them partially, and to teach clearly in the church to bring people along; I will worship with the mind also. For example, the Reformers refrained from certain rites like laying on of hands even though they are biblical because of the superstitious connotations associated to them by Roman Catholicism. Everybody knew laying on hands meant Apostolic succession in the way the Papists defined it, so it was good to lay off. But our problem as evangelicals (Reformed or otherwise) seems to be not working back toward the biblical model. Raising hands, kneeling, etc are all biblical phenomena (and cross-cultural, I’d argue), and it’s not like we’re trying to replace them with equivalent gestures–we do nothing instead (perhaps this is inevitable for some things; what would you do in prayer besides lifting hands?). So I think we need to teach on these things and implement slowly, festina lente, as Caesar put it. New things (like most obedience at first) are uncomfortable. In one sense it’s “playing a role”, but what is more worshipful than doing what God says even though you don’t “feel” like it? That is the essence of devotion.
I have been thinking about what you wrote and am still not convinced. Of course I agree that our feelings should not dictate how we act, but reading my bible I think Scripture does not say much explicitely about it, especially when we look at the New Testament. Jesus tells us not to make a spectacle of ourselves. We should be focused on God instead. That’s about it.
There are people mentioned kneeling, and people raising their hands, but I think apart from I Tim 2:8 the New Testament does not tell us explicity how to pray. And one could argue Timothy does not want to command the way men should pray (lifting their hands), but (looking at the context orders) orders to pray in an orderly fashion…without anger or quarreling, with holy hands etc.
Secondly at least in the Dutch Reformed tradition the raising of the hands is not completely away. Our minister raises his hands when giving the blessing at the beginning and at the end of the service. When children are baptised, when people do confession of faith, when newly weds have their church service or when a minister is ordained there is also the raising of the hand, often laid on the head.
Thirdly you argue we have not tried to replace kneeling/raising hands etc with equivalent gestures. Perhaps you no longer notice it, because you are so used to it, but the folding of the hands and bowing of the head is a gesture too. I am told it used to be a sign of complete surrender. In Asian countries it is still a way of showing respect when you meet someone. Certainly for both christians and non christians it has now become a very clear gesture that means someone is praying.
So well what I am trying to say that I am just not convinced by your arguments.
Just wondering one thing though….the raising of the hands…should that be just the men or women too??
Well no one said you are easy to convince! I bet there is a Dutch word for that. I would write one of those smily faces so you know I’m laughing, but I think they’re girly.
Let’s not be Marcionite in our interpretation. The OT has tons of worship positions like you mention that should influence us. Jesus prayed with his hands lifted, and one common Greek word for worship (proskuneo) means to prostrate oneself. If Paul is not telling the men to pray with lifted hands, then I don’t know how he could tell them. Seems plain. As well, of course, without quarreling etc.
I agree we have not done away with gestures altogether. Bowing our heads is good in many cases and better than nothing. But when is the last time you clapped your hands for joy while singing a psalm of triumph (Psalm 47:1)? I’ve never clapped my hands in a Reformed worship service, though I’ve sung Psalm 47 countless times.
Regarding raising of hands for men or women, I’d say both should together. My guess is that Paul is speaking to address specific issues and weaknesses in 1 Tim. 2:9-10. Should men not dress modestly? Of course they should, but that’s not their issue, at least it wasn’t at that time in Ephesus.
Hmmm….not sure if there is a Dutch word for that….or maybe it is just being a ‘Brouwer’ – I live with four siblings and we all have very strong convictions about almost everything. It can very frustrating. Especially because I know I am (almost) always right, but they not always agree.
Anyway…..your post did made me think, you just didn’t convince me. Still would like to make one thing clear: the reason why I focused on the NT was not because I was supporting a marcionite interpretation, but more because there’s much more explicitely said about the way we should pray in the NT then in the OT. Don’t want to give the wrong impression!
Just wondering…what kind of church are you going to? Are there any links with Dutch churches. I know there are some reformed churches with Dutch roots in Northern America, especially Michigan I believe. Don’t know much about them though. My father still wants one of us kids to move there for a year or so to see what the US is really like. None of us have been brave enough though. We’re not sure if we’d like the US to be there for a year and we have no idea if the US would like us!
RMB
And no smileys aren’t girly.
Liturgically, so much of what we derive from the Bible isn’t what is command but simply what is done. I know you don’t pit the Testaments against one another, but just because something is commanded in the NT doesn’t mean it outranks, necessarily, numerous things that are done in the OT. Posture stuff is like that. In many ways, the Bible is more like story where we see what is done and learn from it than a didactic manual where we are told what to do.
I’m a pastor at Trinity Church (www.trinitywa.com), part of the CREC http://www.crechurches.org/, a Reformed Evangelical Denomination that is growing rapidly. You should definitely take a year out and come to Seattle!