Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am,
Empty handed, but alive in Your hands
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Zaita and Stella were dancing again during church. Last week they danced on my watch, after Sunday School when Amy and I bring the kids into the singing part of "big church."Were they misbehaving? No. Was their holding hands and twirling about beautiful? Well, it's rather apparent that the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these. Were they also a distraction? Absolutely.
We're not really the dancing kind of church.
But in a lot of crazy dancing churches where being loud with your body is the norm, my sing-murmur/pew tap combo would be all awkward and judged. Yeah, I probably...definitely wouldn't go back to a crazy dancing church.
At the same time, I'm aware of at least a few families who have moved on from LBC primarily because there's not enough dancing and hand raising going on during service. Our church is likely in trouble if loud "amens" and "thank you Jesus's" displayed before others are indicative of a moving Spirit, even for shy or contemplative types.
But what do I do with Stella and Zaita? Tell them "stand still?" Give them formal lessons in word-mouthing and mechanical, lukewarm singing? Who is the fitting example here?
I try to conceive of all the bickering over the "proper" music and order of service that has occurred throughout church history. Two little girls dancing in our non-dancing church are like the opposite of that.
I had a growing suspicion that God has hidden things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Okay, so the "Spirit moved." I sung Majesty a little louder; a little more real. And I certainly didn't interfere with the girls.
Take that, Satan.
Besides, "dance" they will, if not around the church, then other places. In those days we'll be barraging them with Mt. Dew looking activities having long tails of exclamation points, trying to show them that church is cool and safe and real.
I can see Stella and Zaita in 10 or 20 years, leaning back hard as they tug on my arms to get me up and dancing, as some girls have tried to do in the prior 10 or 20 years. If that happens in church, I just may have to join them. Because for once it will be more than a lame, self-conscious white man dance.
It would be an outward-focused, lame white man dance offering unto the Lord.
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1 comment:
The following is from 2 Samuel 6-- came across it while doing the 1-yr Bible (good stuff)
..."And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.
But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.
They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord...
When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, 'How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!'
David retorted to Michal, 'I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!' So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life." Yikes, harsh punishment
...I think one translation quotes David as saying, "And I'll become even more undignified..." as he is replying to the smug, contemptuous daughter of Saul (which was his wife--well, one of them-- but that's a WHOLE other blog...) I wish the charismatic movement wouldn't have given such a disingenuous name to dancing and physical movement, in general, while singing and celebrating as a congregation. Or I wish 2 Samuel said, "And David rolled his worship folder while striking it into the opposite palm of his hand trying to find the merit in congregational singing..." Or I wish it said, "And David snuck off to use the restroom as the Ark of Lord was being carried into the city so that he did not have to sing and celebrate before the Lord." Why would I prefer that David celebrated lamely before the Lord? Because sadly, I don't celebrate before the Lord that way, and I REALLY want to find a verse to support my own lameness. Perhaps I can come closer to the side of becoming more undignified before the Lord and the congregation. Good stuff, Bob. THanks!
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