Has anyone ever thought about the ritual of holding hands at the mean during the prayer over the meal?
One day, as is my practice with everything, I analyzed what that ritual of holding hands during prayer was all about. I didn't see any direction, mandate or instruction or even and example where people practiced this in the Bible accounts.
Then I began to research the origins of the hand holding at the meal during a prayer and I found something interesting.
In a seance in the occult those seeking to summon the spirits will "complete the ring" with hand holding. Now I began to wonder if this is one more of those practices of the occult that Christians adopted into Christianity that really should be abandoned. My question when I first began to question the origins of this practice was "what did it do for us." Did it cause God to listen to us better because we were holding hands." or "Did it create a bond between the people when God should be the focus."
Then I found out in the occult it was a ritual to summon the spirits, of hand holding having some sort of power to evoke the spirits. How on earth did this ritual become a practice in the Christian church. It is my belief that it came about through the influence of Hollywood's idea of Christianity as the writers mixed occult practices with their version of Christianity.
No one did the hand-holding ritual when I was a child, it came later with the onset of television and the influence of radio as the occult began to subtly enter the homes.
No one knew they were occult practices and thought they were a sweet idea that bonded one another.
Our bond to one another as believers comes through Christ and our love for one another, there is no need to practice a ritual the occult uses to summon demons or encourage power of some sort.
My suggestion is that if God never gives an example of it in the Bible or commands it, then we are free to ignore it. The sad reality is that if we are in a "Christian" group that does it we are pressured to do what they do without anyone understanding why they are doing it.
So many rituals are followed in the church today that are merely meaningless rituals that do nothing except make people feel good momentarily.
Just for fun, ask someone why they do something and watch their confusion. Many things people do have no purpose, however, they will attempt an answer that makes little sense if they do try to answer it at all. In my experience asking questions about rituals often places us on the outs with those who love their rituals but don't have a clue as to why they do it.
Colossians 2:8
"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
Matthew 15:3
"He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"
The practice of hand-holding brings the focus away from God to those we are holding hands with, the connection is with the people not about God.
The reaction of those we ask for an explanation about practices will tell us a lot. If tradition is important to them they will be irritated that we asked. I grew up in a family that acted angry when I asked why we did things, so I stopped asking them. But when I left home and was on my own I asked God and he revealed a lot to me. God will never chastise or bully us for asking for truth as people often will do.
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"
I love that!!!! God gives generously wisdom to those who want it. And, often it will leave us without friends and advocates because most people do not care about God's truth, they want to fit into the culture around them more than they love God.
It is human nature to need "rituals" to feel superior and special. When we follow God's commands for His sake we are not special, He is the One Who is special. Self is taken out of the equation and worship of God is the focus.
Since the practice of holding hands at the meal blessing is not practiced in the bible but is practiced in the occult, we are free to decline to engage in it.
I have grown to hate human rituals that God never commanded, they are burdensome and place enmity between believers and those who love their ritual.
Believers who love Christ want to obey Him which is not burdensome, but ritual lovers want to oppress and obey each other, God is not the focus for them. They will follow the human traditions and negate and neglect the commands of Christ.
Let us be joyful and resolute when we decline to follow human traditions. Any negative reactions to our choice will tell you who loves you and who does not.
