Volume 02 | Issue 06

How We Handled Hand Raising

I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. But who would have expected it from mild-mannered, rational, Jim Moseley, one of our leading laymen? The guy raised not one arm but two during the first hymn.

Now Jim always sits close to the front, so there was no hiding it. And we’re not talkin’ one of those half-hearted palms-up-at-the-waist-to-humor-the-song-leader efforts you see at big rallies. No sir, those arms went all the way up.

Mabel Zwimmer, who sits behind and to the left of the Moseleys, wobbled a bit, grabbed the pew in front of her, then finally had to sit down. Jim’s teenage son buried his face even deeper than usual into his hymnal, while his sister turned to friends with one of those “who is this guy?” looks. And our song leader fell two measures behind before he was able to collect himself.

After church, our pastor called an emergency meeting of the deacons. “I’m sure you all noticed Jim’s, uh, expression of praise this morning,” he began. “And I’m not suggesting what he did was out of place. But I thought we should at least discuss it, in case any of you think we have a problem here.”

One of the deacons said it didn’t really bother him, but he wondered what visitors might think. Another deacon allowed how he once felt like raising his hands, but decided not to. No one came right out and said anything against raising hands, but one of the deacons said we at least ought to appoint a committee to establish some guidelines for this and other examples of “spiritual exuberance.”

The pastor asked for a show of hands from anyone who would like to serve on such a committee. Too bad Jim’s not a deacon.

Not a hand was lifted.

EUTYCHUS X
Written by Warren W. Wiersbe
Originally appeared in Christianity Today
Used by permission. Not to be reprinted.