Shaking hands while preaching

No, I have never come across a preacher shaking hands while preaching. I certainly have never done it while I am preaching. Preaching should surely be concerned with expounding the Word of God, whereas shaking hands is a sign of greeting or farewell, so I wonder why any preacher would want to stop preaching to go and greet someone or say goodbye to them. (I know you said "shake hands while preaching," but surely these men don't carry on speaking the words of the sermon while they come out of the pulpit to shake peoples' hands?)

 

I haven't seen that, either, although that would be better than throwing punches, and I have seen a couple come pretty close to that!

love,

Sopranette

 

That was funny!!!:laugh:

I have seen a few... I had one pastor that did occasionally...
He would come down from the pulpit, preach in front of the Altar.. walk up and down the aisle, and everyonce in a while shake someone's hand while never missing a beat...

 

Well, of course I have seen it and always thought it was some kind of a crutch for the preacher. It usually is someone who seems to be struggling with his preaching, but some started it while a young preacher and never go away from it.
I don't do it, I concetrate on the congregation and try to get my message across to them.

BBob,

 

This reminds me, we had a fella come once that was struggling I mean preaching about end times from around here;

37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

and for some reason he kept saying, "and they went out in to the night". Every time he said it, 4 or 5 people would get up and leave. Maybe he should have shook their hands as the left... :laugh: :wavey:

I kept thinking if he says it too many more times it'll just be me and him... Or maybe just him. I could have gave him and key and told him to lock up on his way out... :laugh:

 

No David;
He is speaking of churches that have a raised platform where the preacher is and around him are several pews for members and fellow preachers to sit. In our churches we do move around some and you don't have to go out into the house to shake hands, there are several sitting right around you.

BBob,

 

Bob, the pastor I was talking about did come into the congregation and shake hands while preaching... sometimes going as far back as 3/4 down the aisle toward the back door. And never miss a beat...

 

We do have a few of those also Tim. I am not too fond of it, but I guess they feel they can reach the people better or something, I don't know, but its not my kind of preaching.

BBob,

 

Come to think of it, he was soooo skinny!!!
Maybe I'll try that as a weight loss idea!!!

nah.

 

Shaking hand with the congregants while preaching seems to me to be a most inappropriate thing. But then preachers do alot of stuff they should not do while preaching. I am new to preaching. I have about 10 sermons under my belt. I struggle enough to go off notes much less leave the stage to shake a hand.

It seems to me to be an emotional draw to get folks to make a decision.

Too many pastors preach TO the alter call. I do not. I will never make an emotional plea for one to come to know Christ. I will make a compassionate claim that he is the only way. And I will explain how one comes to Christ, but to design a 1 hour service as an indoctrination strategy is, to me, a very bad thing. And I am guessing that hand shaking is combined with eye contact. A way to place the "message" into the heart.

Nah, not for me.