Solemn worship?

The church I attend is a denomination that onlookers would dub as “strict” in that its members don’t drink or dance, at least in the sense of parties and drunkenness. Since my former life before Christ involved dancing and an alcoholic spouse, abandoning that lifestyle is not a problem for me. However, I’m convinced that Christians need to carefully consider what the Bible says about these things before lumping every form of both into the category of sin.

For instance, I attended a writer’s conference in Chicago where a young woman worshiped God in interpretative dance. The music and her movements offered a celebration of creation and the Creator. It was a stunning presentation.

My fingers keep wanting to type ‘performance’ instead of presentation, but after reading a section in Recalling the Hope of Glory this morning, I know that is not the correct term. Author Ross is talking about the celebration of redemption in Exodus 15, a song that Moses and the people of God sang after crossing the sea in their escape from bondage in Egypt. The chapter begins with, “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD. . . .”

Their celebration was inspired by a great act of God, which Ross says is the first criterion that makes this joyful “party” different from a secular celebration. Their music and words communicated that God was being praised, so it was not a performance. That means that those involved were not admiring the singers and musicians, nor giving them applause, nor critiquing their performance (how often do these things happen in today’s churches), but all were focused on God and worshiping Him.

Verse 20 says, “Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.”

As the others celebrated and praised God with song, these women celebrated with dance. Their actions also fit the above criteria. Moreover, this was a dance as Ross says, “consonant with purity and righteousness (not distracting or suggestive, and not mixing the sexes).”

Again, the worshipers were caught up in worship, not in the dance or the dancer. This dance was spontaneous, and even though the one I saw was a prepared ‘performance,’ it too was genuine in that the dancer and those involved were filled with praise to God.

We attended a church in California whose choir seemed to perform spontaneously each Sunday. We know that they practiced, but it didn’t seem like it. Each time they sang it was an outburst of joyful praise in response to God as He was proclaimed in the other parts of the worship service. This too sits in my memory as how music and voice can be worship not performance.

In any church the worship team could be ‘performing’ rather than worshiping. I suppose if they did that, the congregation would find worship more difficult. I suppose the worship team could be filled with a sense of the glory of God and the congregation, or at least some in it, were not caught up with that same praise and more inclined to view those up front as performers, even be evaluating them. However, when the worship team is filled with a love for God and the desire to praise Him, the effect can be utterly amazing in a heart that is also ready to focus on the Lord and bless Him.

When that happens in my church, the music and singing take second place to the Spirit of God. He not only motivates those leading the worship, but also fills me with joyful praise—and sometimes I even feel like dancing.