2:4 – Let’s Have a Dance Party

#faithbites #faithjourney dance

The music comes on. Your foot starts to tap. One at first, then the second. Before you know it, you are in full dance mode. I love to sing and love to dance but I can’t do either very well. In spite of that, I love doing it and have fun. It’s awesome exercise and a great stress release.

As many of you know, I attend a contemporary Christian service. We have popular Christian music that really gets me going. One Sunday, I was really feeling it, and I had someone at the end of service come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed my dancing as it’s a sign of praise.

This morning, my eldest asked Alexa to play “Jump in the Line“. You know you are already singing it and maybe dancing a little. As soon as it came on, I started the foot tap and full out dance. I felt better, was more energized, and was able to do everything I had planned to do.

Besides being a fun activity, did you know dancing is biblical?

Scripture

• Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! – Psalm 149:3
• Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. – Jeremiah 31:4
• You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
      You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, – Psalm 149:3

Reflection

When I was younger, music and dancing weren’t a big part of my life. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like it. Now, I can’t think of life with out music and dancing.

Life is hard. There are challenges that overwhelm us and bring us down. My favorite band, Reel Big Fish, released a new album in December called Life Sucks…Let’s Dance. I can’t say my life sucks as I am so blessed. One of the lyrics rings true: We are all different notes but are all in the same song. Why not get on the dance floor because it’s all going to be alright.

In our verses for today, we see that our hard times and mourning will be turned to joy and dancing. We are to praise God with our voices and bodies as he gave them to us. We should make a joyful noise (Psalm 100).

It doesn’t matter where you dance, how you dance, or with whom you dance, it makes you feel better. But more than that, we should use our dancing to praise God. When we dance in church, it’s not self-expression but rather helpful to the congregation enhances the spirit, and is part of doing everything in a fitting way (1 Corinthians 14:40). Dancing in church could be distracting, just like other things in life, and in those cases we leave it out. But the key to remember is the music is from God, for his worship. Why not let your body move to the beat. (Or in my case, the beat that is in your head).

Charge

Can’t dance? Dance anyway. Can’t sing? Sing anyway. When you are using your voice and your body to praise God, it can’t be wrong and you aren’t doing it for you but for him. Who cares what other people think. Next time you are at worship and that contemporary music gets you or you are really feeling a hymn, let you body do the talking.

Prayer

Lord, remind us that our bodies are gifts from you. Help us to use them in singing and dancing to praise you. Let our woship in voice and dance be ever pleasing to you. Help us remove the fear and shyness that some have with dancing in public. Let your grace guide us as we worship in your Son’s name Jesus. Amen