The Dancing Lord


Prior to my salvation, I often went dancing in nightclubs and also worked as a DJ in a few of them. After getting saved, I continued going to clubs for a couple of years but eventually stopped. I could no longer put up with smoke-filled rooms plus listening to music with explicit lyrics.

One reason many sinners resist Christianity is the mistaken idea God doesn’t want us to have fun. Some religious leaders have a problem with dancing in general. When I worked for Billy Graham’s World Wide Pictures, one film we distributed called “The Homecoming” featured students at a high school dance. A pastor who planned to show “The Homecoming” in his church changed his mind because he was afraid the dancing would offend members of his congregation.


A more famous movie that dealt with this issue was 1984’s “Footloose.” Based on actual events that happened in a Oklahoma town, an overzealous pastor convinced his city council to ban public dancing. He was challenged by a young man who read the following passages from the Bible:


“Let them praise His name with the dance...” - Psalm 149:3


“Then David danced before the Lord with all his might...” - 2 Samuel 6:14


“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4


Dancing is a natural expression that shouldn’t be suppressed unless it entices illicit behavior. I’ve seen the original “Footloose” movie but only parts of the 2011 remake. A couple of scenes from the latter I found inspiring. Unfortunately, much of the dancing reminded me of the “twerking” Miley Cyrus made famous at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. That type of dancing should only be reserved for married couples in the privacy of their home. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV) says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”


In recent years, I’ve been a DJ at a few parties, playing Christian music. The music and dancing glorified the Lord, and as a result, supernatural manifestations have occurred. 


In Matthew 11:16-17, Jesus spoke against young people who wouldn’t dance:


“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.’”


Church meetings bring freedom when congregation members do more than just sit or stand still during praise and worship. The Lord wants to dance with His people. This short article called “Asking for Guidance” by Pauline Lamarre illustrates this truth:


When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing “dance” at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.


When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person relaxes and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.


When I saw “G,” in guidance, I thought of God, followed by “u” and “i.” And it hit me: God, let’s u (you), and I dance.


Worship leader Kevin Prosch wrote a song with the lyrics “Lord of the dance/You're the dancing Lord.” Let’s dance with Him today!


“They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.” - Job 21:11


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Gospel Soul Winning Script

Image
During my early days with evangelism, I developed an approach called the Survey Technique . By asking short direct questions, you can maintain control of the conversation and find out quickly what a person’s spiritual beliefs are. Although the Survey Technique has helped me lead thousands to the Lord, I’m still open to utilizing new methods in reaching people with the gospel. Rodney Howard-Browne 's ministry uses a tool called the Gospel Soul-Winning Script , which originated during their Good News New York campaign in 1999. I became familiar with it a few years later during evangelism outreaches with Rodney’s church in Tampa, Florida. At first, I resisted using the script. I found it restrictive and thought sinners wouldn’t be receptive to me reading a scrap of paper to them. Then while taking part in a 2009 outreach with Rodney’s ministry in Washington, D.C., my team leader asked me to “stick with the script.” Wanting to maintain unity, I complied with his request. Initially it f...
Read more

Looking Back @ the Toronto Blessing

Image
With friends I met in 1996 Twenty-five years ago today, a supernatural move of God began at a church near the Toronto airport. When guest speaker Randy Clark prayed over congregation members that night, they started shaking, hollering, and doing other things religious folk would consider disruptive. However, there were changed lives as a result of what became known as “The Toronto Blessing” (or “The Father’s Blessing” as Pastor John Arnott prefers calling it). Soon people from all over the world flocked to Toronto Airport Vineyard to experience a fresh touch from God. By 1995, both pastors and lay people from my home church in Minnesota were making pilgrimages to Toronto. One woman who visited there invited a group of us to watch videos of services from Toronto Airport Vineyard. Initially, I wasn’t impressed because the preaching didn’t sound “charismatic” enough. The worship music gradually appealed to me because of its unique passionate sound not often heard in churches b...
Read more

Toking the Ghost Revisited

Image
Back in February 2007, a fellow missionary I was traveling with started talking about “smoking the weed from heaven.”   He would pretend to have a joint of marijuana between his fingers and have “smoke breaks with Jesus.”   He also encouraged other believers to take “hits.”   I was a bit uncomfortable with this idea but didn't contest it. Then in October of that year, I heard John Crowder preach on “toking the Ghost” at a church in my hometown of Fargo, North Dakota.   I was inspired to make a video with John to share with my missionary friend.   During the filming, I experienced much laughter. I decided to make the video public figuring other people might enjoy it also. Two weeks later at a church in Minnesota, I heard Benjamin Dunn share testimonies of people getting healed from “toking the Ghost.”   This was just before he and John Crowder started ministering together.   I believed this was God confirming His word in the mouth of ...
Read more