A United Methodist Pastor's Theological Reflections

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory (nikos) through our Lord Jesus Christ." - I Corinthians 15:57


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

New "Praying Hands Bump" for Christians Tired of the Same Old Hand Shake

[Fellow staff member, Jill Warner and I modeling the new and super cool "praying hands bump."]

Are you getting a little tired of the boring handshake during the worship service greeting time? It's a secular gesture anyway and so worldly. Is it a little uncomfortable for you to high five the person seated next to you when you have just heard an awesome choir anthem? Does a fist bump seem out of place when you greet somebody next to the donut table during Fellowship Hour? 

That's why I am proud to announce a new greeting gesture that I think you're going to love. I'm calling it, "The Praying Hands Bump." Here's how this works. During worship, the pastor invites the congregation to greet the people around them. When you approach a co-worshipper, you simply clasp your hands together in the form of a prayer with the other person doing the same and you do the praying hands bump.

This idea came to me one day when I asked myself, "Why does the secular world have to have all of the good greeting gestures?" By the way, contemporary Christian music started when someone asked, "Why does the devil have all the good music?"

There are a couple of advantages to this new 21st century church method of passing the peace. First of all, the praying hands will remind you and your buddy, that you both depend on God because prayer is that important. And secondly, there are a lot less cold and flu germs spreading by having just the sides of our hands bump another set of side hands.

I really think this will catch on. Maybe, I need to make a YouTube video of this so it will go viral and spread across churches all over the world. Maybe the new Pope who is into innovation and change will like it and start a new tradition.

I've introduced this to a few people at church and they are beginning to greet people this way. Don't wait to try this six months or a year from now. Be a trail blazer. Prayer bump your co-pew friend this Sunday!

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