I Dance Before the LORD!

I dance before the LORD -- in my home, in my heart... even though...

I was born & raised in the Anderson, Indiana Church of God movement -- not denomination - LOL! The movement began in the early 1900's, out of the Wesleyan Holiness Movement. We reach our hands to every blood washed one. We believe in the Trinity. We believe in salvation & sanctification. We take of the bread & the cup. We wash feet!! But, WE DO NOT DANCE!  

Since my younger days being raised in the Appalachian foothills, I was told that WE DO NOT DANCE! My parents were fine with me whirling about at home - singing, clapping and celebrating. However, that was NOT to be taken outside of the home -- even into the backyard, for that matter. Can you imagine the issues my father - the pastor of that little country ChoG - faced when (unbeknownst to him & my mom) I appeared on the stage of the local elementary school enthusiastically dancing to the latest secular tunes as our community-wide PTO assembly began. Needless to say, I received a little talking to when I got home. And unfortunately, my father received several calls & notes about my serious infarction!

I continued to be a rebel with the dancing -- not understanding in my heart what the problem was if I was just dancing out of joy. In college, my roommates & I hosted an illegal off-campus dance at a local State Park out-building. We raised enough money to send all of us girls to Florida for our Spring Break. (That trip might have been a little outside of my parents' view of appropriate, as well!)

Since those days, my church movement has made leaps & bounds (figuratively) in the area of dance. I cherish the sight of little ones waving palm branches & spinning about in sheer joy. I'm incredibly blessed by our youth dancing to the latest from Mary Mary, Toby Mac & other artists. However, I still haven't quite been won over to watching middle-aged women (like myself) dressed in unattractive smock-type dresses with sashes over their shoulders leaping about the church platform to music. Just give me a little Ballet Magnificat! & I'm a happy camper :)

And so... I continue to dance before the Lord...

KARAR...
I dance before the LORD

with all my might... 2 Samuel 6:14

MACHOL... 

He has turned my mourning

into dancing... Psalm 30:11

I took this photo in Sept of 2013 when the haze
over the fields from the harvest of the soybeans
filtered the setting sun just perfectly.
It always reminded me of dancing before the Lord!

I'm posting this on the Wednesday of Holy Week. In this week, we reflect upon the last words spoken by our Lord in those final days as the cross drew near. We think about whether WE would have been the one to deny knowing the Lord. We bow in awe as we consider the great sacrifice paid for OUR sins. And, on Easter morning, we joyously celebrate the power over the grave & over death which comes through our Lord, Jesus Christ. I can't think of a better reason to dance! 

This Sunday I'll be saying, "He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!!" ... and I'll be dancing!

#JoyDare No. 2490 dancing

Linking with Ann Voskamp - A Holy Experience today... 

Crazy Relevancy! - 31 DAYS OF CRAZY - 22 October 2012

oops... forgot to POST this yesterday... sorry

I've been volunteering at my church for over 20 years now.  I began working with the Worship Arts ministry & added the Women's Ministries to my volunteer list a few years back.  As church-goers know, the format of worship is constantly changing - as is the marketing, advertising, service format, etc.  When I was a little girl (in that North Carolina country church), we sang hymns & a few choruses and the children sat with their parents through the entire service.  

Just yesterday on Twitter, a national organization posed the question: 

"Churches are often painfully irrelevant... Your thoughts?"

One of my local acquaintance's replied to the question: 

"People in a church are relevant. The culture within a church can be irrelevant if we can't relate to it. (i.e. choral music)". 

Being that I attend the same church as that person & I sing in the choir (aka choral music), my attention was caught immediately!  And my mind was filled with questions:

• What makes what we do at church relevant?  
• What is and isn't worshipful in God's eyes? 
• Is it dependent upon styles of music? 
• Have all these things changed for God as our cultures have changed over the centuries? 

The actual word worship means ascribe worth to God -- to show Him through our thoughts & actions that we value Him above everything else. 

• Is that the same for everyone? 
• Is there a right or wrong way to worship Him? 
• Does some one's worship offend God? Does the song sung by a talented vocalist reach the ears & the heart of God better or quicker than that of an aged saint with a wavering voice? 
• Does God really like those old, slow songs full of "ancient" history or would He prefer a joyous, energy-filled current song? 
• Is He tired of the choir now? 
• Does He like the beating of drums & the sound of guitars? 
• And, what in the world does He think of those "sacred dancers"? 

Ballet Magnificat worship with Women of Faith
AND, you have to admit, most church "sacred dancers"
aren't with a national ballet group.

So many questions related to relevancy in what we do!

What makes worship relevant?  As I process numerous thoughts about WORSHIP, I find it hard not to believe that God is blessed by ALL types of worship, when offered up to Him in true sincerity, love & adoration. 

His Words: 

(got this idea from Chase Tibbs' blog; using it because i love the words of God)

• Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. Ecclesiastes 9:10 NLT
• "But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23&24 NLT
• "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17 NLT

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