Write About Now

Along with the ongoing debate about music styles in worship, some churches also struggle with including other artistic forms, like dance, in their weekend gatherings.

Worship ministers who incorporate this art into services sometimes get criticism for allowing the dancers to wear inappropriate clothing in church. Obviously anyone participating in worship should be dressed modestly (and that includes you, worship team), but I think this complaint is often a veiled objection to the dancing itself. Like Michal, we can fault David for dancing before the Lord in his revealing linen ephod and miss the example of this verse—David danced, and it seems to be held up as a legitimate expression of praise and thanksgiving to God.

At last night’s opening NACC service, a local dance troupe performed intricately choreographed routines to two different songs, one at the beginning to the week’s theme song and one following the message. At my tech crew post on stage right, I had a close-up view of the young women who danced. Their outfits were modest yet attractive, their contribution was well-rehearsed and done with excellence, and they added to the message of the songs rather than drawing attention to themselves. And like David in the Old Testament, these girls danced exuberantly, with abandon, and with huge grins of joy.

I don’t know if the NACC will get any flak for including the dancing, but it was a highlight of the service for me.