Praise Dance II (Holiness.com
Response)
We
don't require musicians to have a "gorgeous" body - some of
the best I know are far from Mr. Universe as relates to their
physical appearance.
We don't require singers to have a "gorgeous" body - some of
the most anointed singers are women and men who are sometimes
a little on the plump side.
Even preachers (who can be quite physically animated in their
expounding) are not required to have "gorgeous" bodies. If you
have been around "Holiness" churches, you no doubt have seen
that certain methods of preaching are quite physically
demanding. Nevertheless, these guys don't strip down to tights
and a leotard to preach (at least not the preachers I
associate with).
I think that possibly your support of "Praise Dancing" might
come from a lack of understanding of the male
psychological/physical construction. Simply, what I mean is
this: when a "gorgeous" body woman performs this "Praise
Dancing" thing - raising her leg (and dress) up over her head,
slowing spreading her legs until she is all the way on the
ground, and etc - maybe 60% percent of the men in the audience
are not "sitting back and preparing to be blessed." These men
are possibly nervously praying that the dance will soon end so
that they can avoid having to run out of the sanctuary to
avoid watching the spectacle.
Don't get me wrong, I do believe in animated anointed dancing
in worship to God, and have been doing so from the time I was
a babe in Christ. You see, ever before Michael Jackson (Mr.
Rock & Pop himself) was even born, the old Holiness mothers
were "Moon Walking" in the Holy Ghost. Before the "Riverdance"
troops became popular in America on television, even before TV
was invented, the Holiness preachers were River Dancing with
their feet, right in the pulpit as the Holy Spirit animated
their feet. You can best believe that although these preachers
and mothers in Zion might have squealed with joy in a manner
that resembled the screech Mr. Jackson does in his
performance, these preachers and mothers by no means would
perform the hip gyrating, pelvic pumping and grinding moves
that Mr. Jackson does. I'll tell you what else, these
preachers would not expose their bodies as do some of the "Riverdance"
folk, and as do many of the "Praise Dancers".
Allow me to say, that even if the dancing performers are
covered head-to-toe in long modest robes and do not perform
the titillating sensuous dancing described earlier, I still am
concerned about dancing as a performance for the entertainment
of Christians. Again, I see no biblical precedent for a
company of ballet performers being incorporated into the
worship service. These ballet performers remind me of the
current popular trend where churches are now hiring Stand-up
Comedians to tell jokes during the worship service in order to
"Liven Up" the folks sitting in the church pews.
Call me an "Old Holiness advocate" if you please, but I am
just spoiled by seeing so many Christians dance in the
spontaneous joy and literal anointing of the Holy Ghost. This
dancing is open to old and young; male and female; tall and
short; thin, medium-build, and portly. Let me tell you that
male and female members of my family have enjoyed stepping out
into the church aisle and praising God in joyous dancing
without the worry of memorizing fashionable steps or body
moves; because it was the Holy Ghost who animated them.
You see, I not only believe in dancing under the anointing
from a theological and intellectual standpoint, but I do dance
in the Spirit myself - sometimes I dance so with all my might
in the Spirit that others have stopped, looked, and wondered
"What's up with this guy?"
So many don't understand the blessing of dancing in the joy
and anointing of the Spirit. Let me try and describe it for
all who have not experienced it:
The Holy Ghost is an intelligent being with full awareness,
and capable of being all places at one time. Yet, in
particular locations, He actually/literally demonstrates his
favor on a worship gathering by revealing his presence in
special ways.
Next Page
|
