I wasn’t going to write a blog for this week. In fact yesterday morning (Sunday morning) when I woke up I told my husband I wasn’t going to . Basically because I couldn’t come up with anything to write. That changed after we got to Church.
Our worship service started with a kind of a fast paced song. I really like the song too. It was upbeat, the kind of song that makes you want to dance just a bit. And in my case I found myself wanting to lift my arms and hands up in praise. I stopped myself though. I knew nobody else in our Church was doing it and I felt silly doing it all by myself. I was torn between doing what I felt like doing during a praise song and standing still like everyone else just singing.
I think some people would call this stifling the Holy Spirit. Maybe they are right, I don’t know. I do know that it has always been difficult for me to let go and raise my arms in praise to God. Not because I don’t want to. I think more likely because when your in a Church filled with people who don’t do that it makes it harder for me to do it. There have been so many times when I wish my Church was more of a lifting up your arms in praise kind of a Church, but they aren’t. Some of the people are, but most aren’t.
There was only one time that I can remember lifting my arms in praise in Church. That was at my mom’s funeral. The Pastor asked anyone who wanted to join in tribute to my mom to raise their hands in praise. Here is a quote from my book:
“During the last song, the Pastor asked all those who wanted to, to join in a tribute to my mom by lifting up our arms in praise to the Lord while we sang the last verse two more times. My husband and I automatically raised our arms in praise to God during that tribute to my mom. With the tears flowing down my face, I sang as best as I could with my arms lifted in praise to God. After a minute, I closed my eyes and this stillness just came over me that I’ve never felt before. I was completely sad about losing my mom. At the same time, I knew how happy she would be to see us praising the Lord with our arms lifted as she would have done.”
That was the last time I really raised my arms up in praise during any song. This is something I wish I could do more often in my Church. I don’t always feel like lifting up my arms in praise, but when I do it would be nice if I could. I think because of my personality being what it is. I find it difficult to raise my hands in praise in my Church when I know nobody else is doing it. It would be nice to see everyone in my Church lifting up their arms in praise.
Maybe one day my Church will be a Lifting up your arms in praise kind of a church. Until then I either need to learn to do it on my own or pray about it.
Psalm 63:3-4 Because they loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
