Why They Raise Their Hands

Every tuesday night I wonder why people raise their hands when they worship. Sometimes I stop singing and I just listen to the words being sung. I look out over the group of students humbling themselves before God as they worship. Have you ever done that? It's overwhelming. Really, it is. Sometimes I feel the urge to do the same - but I never do. Sometimes that makes me feel guilty.

This tuesday we were talking about how Jesus must have been frustrated when people just didn't understand Him. We talked about how Jesus must have been annoyed when He would tell people over and over again that He was doing things with a purpose and they just stared back at Him wondering why He was "such a fool". The talk then led to thankfulness. Students wrote down what they were thankful for and put it in a box. Seth and Kim stood up and read a few of them outloud for the whole community to hear. And in that moment, when I was hearing those words of gratitude, I began to realize why people raise their hands in worship.

It's all because they are thankful. They raise their hands because they are grateful for the grace, love, comfort, gifts, blessings, sacrifice, justice, and life that comes from knowing Christ.

I kinda like that.