Lifting Up Holy Hands
- Jeff Kent
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
He saw that look in her eye, again. Brother Jones was one of the shepherds for the congregation, and sister Delaney was always one to speak her mind. (Not that it’s a bad thing to speak one’s mind, but when she spoke it was always about her mind, if you know what that means.) Brother Jones was smiling at her.
“Well, now I’ve seen it all,” sister Delaney snapped.
“Good morning, Isabella. What is it that you have seen now?” replied brother Jones.
“During brother Williamson’s prayer I heard a strange noise behind me, and I wanted to see what was causing it, but you’d never guess what I saw!”
“Maybe some people praying?” offered the elder.
“Well, I never did see what caused that noise because when I looked up I noticed that brother Williamson was praying with his arms outstretched and his hands raised up toward the ceiling.”
“That’s what you saw - brother Williamson praying?”
“Yes, but with his arms like that. In all my years of going to church, I’ve never seen anybody pray like that. People are always doing things different now-a-days. Why can’t we just do things like we’ve always done them?” grumbled the good sister.
“Actually, praying like that is a very old custom. Paul mentions it in First Timothy. Jewish men in particular would pray like that,” brother Jones pointed out.
“Well, it seems very strange to me - and unnerving. I don’t think it should be allowed,” sister Delaney asserted.
“And should we begin dictating that people must pray with heads bowed, eyes closed and hands folded together?”
“Maybe. At least that way we’d all know what we’re supposed to do.”
“We do know what we’re supposed to do, sister. We’re to pray with the spirit and the understanding - to pray without ceasing. Let’s be careful not to confuse traditions we’ve known with what the Word actually teaches. It’s easy to do.”
><> Jeff
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