But what about congregants holding out their hands to receive the benediction? The practice of congregants holding out their hands as a symbolic act as they receive the divine blessing in the benediction at the end of the worship service is common in many churches. But where did this practice originate? Is there biblical support for it? Should we teach our congregants to do so?
It is important for us to know why we do what we do in worship, and whether or not it is supported by Scripture. After all, we ought to bring into our worship something that is not clearly binding–whether by description or prescription–in God’s word.
When Reformed theologians have spoken about what we are to do in worship, they have generally categorized them as falling into one of three categories: elements, forms, and circumstances. The elements are those things that God has commanded to be done in worship (e.g. the reading and preaching of Scripture, prayer, the observation of the sacraments, the singing of God’s praises, confession of faith, giving, etc.). The forms are the postures in which the elements may be carried out (e.g. standing when the Scripture is read, kneeling for prayer, etc.). The forms may vary according to biblical examples and teaching; however, they may never be forced on the people. No minister can command God’s people to bow while they pray. However, bowing is certainly an acceptable and biblical form of private and public prayer. Whenever forms are done in public worship in Scripture, they are carried out collectively. There is always a corporate nature to what is done in Lord’s Day worship in Scripture. The circumstances are those adiaphora that assist in the performance of the elements and the forms without become an element of worship (e.g. a building, lights, musical accompaniment, etc.). Everything that we do in worship should fall into one of these three categories, without cutting across the authority of God’s word regarding the elements of worship.
In light of that framework, I would suggest that the putting forth of the congregants hands in worship is a proper form of receiving the benediction from the minister. There is biblical precedent for congregants holding forth their hands when the benediction is pronounced. For instance, in Nehemiah 8:6, we read, “Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” This seems to be a very clear example of the people responding to the ministerial blessing of God by collectively raising their hands and saying, “Amen!” Though in the context of the public prayers of the members of the church, Paul charged Timothy to instruct the congregation with the following words: “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (1 Tim. 2:8). Here then is another example of collective hand raising in the context of corporate worship.
Although the examples cited above may not convince everyone of the appropriateness of stretching forth one’s hands when the minister lifts up his hands to pronounce the benediction over the congregation, they should serve to help explain such a practice in churches that wish to bring their bodily posture into conformity to the biblical forms while in the public worship service.
* If you want to grow in your understanding of benedictions, Ligonier Ministries recently released a teaching series in which H.B. Charles exposits many of the benedictions found in the pages of Scripture.
This article about benedictions originally appeared here.
