What do think about holding hands in church?

It seems more reasonable than holding feet.

 

Are you talking Sunday morning? Night? Wednesday night?

Well, it kind of depends. There have been Sunday mornings over the past year that just going to church has been difficult and with God's grace it's taken all I've had in me to hold myself together. Some Sunday's I've not been especially successful, so on those Sundays, I'm not sure I'd be thrilled at the prospect of having to hop up and grab someone's hand and pray with them. Of course, I'd not be prepared for this on a Sunday morning, but I'd know it might come on Sunday night or Wednesday night and if I was feeling especially vunerable, I'd probably stay clear.

Normally, I'd be all for it, but I have come to realize that people do have reasons to not want to embrace others (or even want to hold hands).

 

It would be harder for me. It doesn't happen often, but if I can hardly focus on what's going on without crying (and I don't know why it seems to happen in certain places like church more often - but it does), then that's not an experience I want to share or be questioned over. "Bitsy, honey, are you ok?" "No you aren't!" Sometimes it's easier to keep to myself

 

My wife loves to hold my hand....:laugh:

 

I hold my husband's hand too. He always grabs mine during prayer. That one I NEVER mind!

 

My wife and girls? Sure. Sounds good to me. I'm not real strong on "everybody take someone's hand and let's pray..." Not everyone wants to hold strangers hands.

 

There is an old proverb, 'Idle hands are the devil's workshop'...

... of course, wandering hands can also be accused of the same.

What is the mindset of those holding hands? is one being encouraged to take his neighbor's hand not mature in the Lord? Could that open doors for evil thoughts in that one?

Things to think about before grabbing that neighbor's hand.

 

SBCPreacher.

Me too. Thats a wonderful thing to do in church.

We dont do that much where I am now, but I've been part of churches where thats quite common. I've never minded it at all.

Why would you consider them strangers?

And if is a 1st timer, why not take their hand to pray? I fail to see why anyone would object to taking a strangers hand in church.

Mike

 

One better be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit before grabbing another's hand.

Suppose that one whose hand you are grabbing has a spirit of lust? Do you think God would be pleased if you were feeding that spirit by grabbing that person's hand?

 

SFIC,

1st of all, what do you think the odds are of someone grabbing the hand of someone of the opposite sex, during prayer in church, and becoming filled with lust over that?

I would say it would be "nill" to "extra-nill"

And 2ndly, if somehow it DID happen for that miniscule amount of time regarding the other person, the fault would be theirs not the innocent one!

Where do you get the idea that God would be displeased with the one who is innocent???

Mike

 

Then do you obey, or do you repudiate, Romans 16:16 ("Salute one another with a holy kiss")?

 

Do you know what a holy kiss is?

 

At times, the whole church has held hands and prayed. It didn't bother me.

We always hold hands, at home or in a restaurant, when we ask the blessing over a meal, no matter who is at the table.

We have lost people over for meals and we still hold hands with them and pray. The touch of a friend or family can be healing and the Holy Spirit can work through that. We always thank God that He has allowed us to have so and so in our home.

It would be hard for me to lust after someone while I was worshiping the Lord in prayer.

As far as boys and girls holding hands in church (dating), I'm against it all the way.

Husbands and wives are a different story. I think it's sweet!

 

The question was: do you obey Romans 16:16, or do you repudiate it? Which is the answer?

 

The commands to Greet or Salut one another with a holy kiss were written to the Church in Rome, Corinth, and Thessalonica.

Why not Philippi, Colosse, Ephesus, etc.? Surely if it were meant for every church, it Paul would have included it in those letters as well, would he not?

As I asked before, do you know what a holy kiss is? Do you know how it was given? Paul does not say.

 

By that reasoning, it's only to the church at Rome that Paul instructed to "obey the higher powers." So that's not for us also?

Meanwhile, do you obey Romans 16:16, or do you repudiate it?