Kurt Carr - (We Lift Our Hands) In The Sanctuary

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents three videos of Kurt Carr's contemporary Gospel praise song "In The Sanctuary". The lyrics for this song are also included in this post.

This post also includes brief comments about the custom of people raising their hands during church services.

Comments about the custom of Watch Night services that is referenced in one of these videos are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

LYRICS: IN THE SANCTUARY (also known as "We Lift Our Hands In The Sanctuary")
(Composer: Kurt Carr, 2001)

We lift our hands in the sanctuary
We lift our hands to give you the glory
We lift our hands to give you the praise
And we will praise you for the rest of our days
Yes we will praise you for the rest of our days(2x)

We clap our hands in the sanctuary
We clap our hands to give you the glory
We clap our hands to give you the praise
And we will praise you for the rest of our days
Yes we will praise you for the rest of our day

We sing our song in the sanctuary
We sing our song to give you the glory
We sing our song to give you the praise
And we will praise you for the rest of our days
Yes we will praise you for the rest of our days

Jesus we give you the praise
Emmanuel we lift up your name
Heavenly father coming Mesaiah!
And we will praise you for the rest of our days
Yes we will praise you for the rest of our days

Hallelujah in the sanctuary
Hallelujah we give you the glory
Hallelujah we give you the praise
And we will praise you for the rest of our days
Yes we will praise you for the rest of our days

Jesus we give you the praise
Emmanuel we lift up your name
Heavenly father coming Mesaiah!
And we will praise you for the rest of our days
Yes we will praise you for the rest of our days

Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
For the rest of our days
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
For the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
For the rest of our days
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
For the rest of our days
Yes
Yes lord for the rest of our days
And we will praise you for the rest of our days!
(Repeat Yes! as an outro 3xs)

From http://artists.letssingit.com/kurt-carr-lyrics-in-the-sanctuary-5z7lkvj#axzz2F6JjwY2e
-snip-
Click
http://www.hcna.us/columns/lifted-hands.html for an article about why people lift their hands high in church. Here's an excerpt of that article:
..."raised hands in worship may suggest a reaching out for God's presence, blessing, comfort, or strength. Often, this meaning is seen during prayer.

...hands are raised in song and prayer to show thankfulness and joy for God's great works (cf., Psalms 134, 141). The raising of hands for this purpose is common during songs of praise."
-snip-
The way in which the choir in Kurt Carr's video "In The Sanctuary" raise their hands and move them to the beat is a very familiar custom that African Americans (and other people) do during non-religious concerts or just while listening to music. Moving your hands like that is a way of expressing and enhancing your enjoyment of the music. Of course, this secular custom may have been borrowed from the church.

All of these reasons could be why people raise one or both of their hands in the sanctuary. However, the lyrics to "In The Sanctuary" indicates that "we raise our hands to give You [Jesus] the praise".

FEATURED VIDEOS:
Video #1: In The Sanctuary KURT CARR



eydelyworshipchannel2, Uploaded on Nov 3, 2011

GOSPEL

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Video #2: STG Presents The Black Nativity 2011 @ the Moore Theatre [song- "In The Sanctuary"]



Seattletheatregroup, Uploaded on May 10, 2011

STG presents Intiman's BLACK NATIVITY at The Moore Theatre in Seattle on Thursday, December 8 -- Saturday, December 24, 2011.
-snip-
Musical productions based on Langston Hughes' 1961 "Black Nativity" are an annual pre-Christmans event in many African American communities throughout the United States.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/12/langston-hughes-black-nativity-song.html for information about Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity" and for multiple videos of songs that have been sung during that play.

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Video #3: "In The Sanctuary" Macedonia Watch-Night 2010



macedoniachurch, Uploaded on May 30, 2011

the combined praise teams of bibb mt. zion and macedonia sing this song for watchnight 2010!!!!!! [Atlanta, Georgia]
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchnight_service#African-American_churches
"A watchnight service is a late-night Christian church service. In many different Christian traditions, a watchnight service is held late on New Year's Eve, and ends after midnight. This provides the opportunity for Christians to review the year that has passed and make confession, and then prepare for the year ahead by praying and resolving. The services often include singing, praying, exhorting, and preaching....

Watchnight service has added significance and history in the African-American community in the United States, since many slaves were said to have gathered in churches on New Year's Eve, in 1862, to await news and confirmation of the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, on January 1, 1863."

RELATED LINKS
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Carr for Kurt Carr's Wikipedia page. http://www.answers.com/topic/kurt-carr-1 contains additional information about "In The Sanctuary" and other Kurt Carr songs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Kurt Carr for composing and performing "In The Sanctuary". Thanks to the other featured choir for their performance of that Gospel song. Also, thanks to those who transcribed this song, and those who writings are quoted in this post.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.