Dance as worship

[Ransom]

What types of churches are you referring to that uses these aids?

In my experience, it's Charismatic churches or those adjacent to them. I would also guess churches with a large student population, hence also a large artsy contingent.

There seems to be a sense that the church requires people of their particular talents--not merely to support the ministry (a fine-arts student designing posters or PowerPoint slides, say), but to take an active role in liturgy. As if every performing art is the equivalent of a musician.

It's a bit of an alien concept to me, probably because although I also have an arts degree, it's in English, and I'm a writer. Am I likewise entitled to take an active role and use my prose-writing skills in the worship service? What would that even look like?

(Meanwhile, my mother's cousin is an artist and graphic designer. My parents have one of her landscaped on their wall, but there are Christian organizations all over the country who hired her to design their logos and so forth. There are ways of using your talents for the Kingdom that don't involve being on stage on Sunday mornings.)

 

[subllibrm]

Sorry for all the questions, but...

What types of churches are you referring to that uses these aids? Do they do this alongside the preaching? As a warm-up? A separate (special) service? How does this comport with the Evangelical tradition?

Though I'm a normative principle kinda guy I don't see how such worship practices should be conceived as appropriate when there's scant/zero Biblical examples to warrant them.

Actually I was asking you if those were the types of "other art" you were thinking about. I have never seen or heard of anyone going after a hunk of granite during a church service.

I made a reference to chalk drawing. I have no idea how common it is "out there" but a good friend of ours has used it as a ministry tool for years. Usually this is done in the spot where special music guests would do their thing.

 

[DrHuk&Duck]

Liturgical dance performances are quite common in the South in Baptist churches, but only in AA churches from what I’ve seen. They are really harmless. It’s just a cute way for the younger girls to show the congregation a different form of worship expression.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Liturgical dance performances are quite common in the South in Baptist churches, but only in AA churches from what I’ve seen. They are really harmless. It’s just a cute way for the younger girls to show the congregation a different form of worship expression.

What is AA?

 

[ALAYMAN]

In my experience, it's Charismatic churches or those adjacent to them. I would also guess churches with a large student population, hence also a large artsy contingent.

There seems to be a sense that the church requires people of their particular talents--not merely to support the ministry (a fine-arts student designing posters or PowerPoint slides, say), but to take an active role in liturgy. As if every performing art is the equivalent of a musician.

It's a bit of an alien concept to me, probably because although I also have an arts degree, it's in English, and I'm a writer. Am I likewise entitled to take an active role and use my prose-writing skills in the worship service? What would that even look like?

(Meanwhile, my mother's cousin is an artist and graphic designer. My parents have one of her landscaped on their wall, but there are Christian organizations all over the country who hired her to design their logos and so forth. There are ways of using your talents for the Kingdom that don't involve being on stage on Sunday mornings.)

Excellent , I'm leery as well of the motive and temptation to "perform" on stage under the auspices of leading worship.

In addition, and at the risk of sounding redundant, what Biblical narrative authorizes or warrants these other forms of (subjective) communication to minister in a corporate worship setting?

 

[DrHuk&Duck]

What is AA?

African American

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

461K views · 6.3K reactions | Not often do you see men praise and dance before the Lord. I was so blessed to see such praise from these men❤️🙏🏽What a powerful and blessed weekend in Wemindji. Let the Tribe of Judah arise among our men🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽 | Merle M

Not often do you see men praise and dance before the Lord. I was so blessed to see such praise from these men❤️🙏🏽What a powerful and blessed weekend in Wemindji. Let the Tribe of Judah arise among...

www.facebook.com

 

[Bob Jones VI]

Anybody ever go to a church where this is practiced as a form of worship ("Liturgical, worship flag, praise, prophetic, and spirit led")? I have a kind Christian young lady who teaches dance that would like to use our facilities for such instruction. You can imagine the awkwardness of tackling this one, but fortunately for me I can defer that decision to my stodgier-than-me Senior Pastor, lol.

Anyhoo, thoughts on dance as an expression of formal worship? Thoughts about allowing the church property to teach such?

I've been to a couple Pentecostal types where they danced in the aisles. What follows is not formal worship, but more recreational. I am good with it, although you Hylesians will call me a liberal, pink-lemonade-sippin, pussy-footed, sissified compromiser. Fine, go ahead.

My wife and I have been involved in Marriage Dance Ministry for about 10 years. It is taught at New Hope Church in New Hope MN, formerly Crystal Evengelical Free Church. This church, at one time, was the largest E-Free church in America, with over 5000 members. One of my professors at Maranatha Baptist Bible College, who got his PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Where D.A. Carson taught for years), said that church was the model that was used in the classroom the entire time he was at TEDS.

They teach ballroom dancing; Swing, Foxtrot, Waltz, Rumba, Two-Step, and a few minor ones. You only dance with your spouse. They do use secular music, which may be an absolute no-no for some. But we have found it to be an excellent Friday night activity, and it gets you face to face with your spouse for 2 hours. They break for 25 minutes and someone leads a devotional, which have been pretty good. Andy Naselli (A professor and author and blogger from Bethlehem College and Seminary) was in the class last year, as several Profs from University of Northwestern, an evangelical local Christian College (Yes Billy Graham was president in 1956 for one year).

Anyway, we have enjoyed it immensely. One of the instructors is a member of Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth MN, the largest Independent Baptist church in MN, where Central Baptist Theological Seminary is. Dr. Bob from the Baptist Board and I both got our MDiv there.

 

[ALAYMAN]

461K views · 6.3K reactions | Not often do you see men praise and dance before the Lord. I was so blessed to see such praise from these men❤️🙏🏽What a powerful and blessed weekend in Wemindji. Let the Tribe of Judah arise among our men🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽 | Merle M

Not often do you see men praise and dance before the Lord. I was so blessed to see such praise from these men❤️🙏🏽What a powerful and blessed weekend in Wemindji. Let the Tribe of Judah arise among...

www.facebook.com

Have I ever told you just how not right you are? lol

 

[ALAYMAN]

I've been to a couple Pentecostal types where they danced in the aisles. What follows is not formal worship, but more recreational. I am good with it, although you Hylesians will call me a liberal, pink-lemonade-sippin, pussy-footed, sissified compromiser. Fine, go ahead.

You're a liberal, pink-lemonade-sippin, pussy-footed, sissified compromiser.

You told me to.

My wife and I have been involved in Marriage Dance Ministry for about 10 years. It is taught at New Hope Church in New Hope MN, formerly Crystal Evengelical Free Church. This church, at one time, was the largest E-Free church in America, with over 5000 members. One of my professors at Maranatha Baptist Bible College, who got his PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Where D.A. Carson taught for years), said that church was the model that was used in the classroom the entire time he was at TEDS.

They teach ballroom dancing; Swing, Foxtrot, Waltz, Rumba, Two-Step, and a few minor ones. You only dance with your spouse. They do use secular music, which may be an absolute no-no for some. But we have found it to be an excellent Friday night activity, and it gets you face to face with your spouse for 2 hours. They break for 25 minutes and someone leads a devotional, which have been pretty good. Andy Naselli (A professor and author and blogger from Bethlehem College and Seminary) was in the class last year, as several Profs from University of Northwestern, an evangelical local Christian College (Yes Billy Graham was president in 1956 for one year).

Anyway, we have enjoyed it immensely. One of the instructors is a member of Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth MN, the largest Independent Baptist church in MN, where Central Baptist Theological Seminary is. Dr. Bob from the Baptist Board and I both got our MDiv there.

Thanks for sharing that, and I think it's interesting. I don't see any problem with teaching couples to dance in an appropriate manner, much as you've described. But it wasn't exactly what I envisioned as far as being made a part of a formal corporate worship.

 

[Bob Jones VI]

You're a liberal, pink-lemonade-sippin, pussy-footed, sissified compromiser.

You told me to.

Thanks for sharing that, and I think it's interesting. I don't see any problem with teaching couples to dance in an appropriate manner, much as you've described. But it wasn't exactly what I envisioned as far as being made a part of a formal corporate worship.

From you, I'll take it. I have found you to be a serious, reasonable, consistent fundamentalist, and I appreciate you.

 

[Bruh]

I dance with my wife in the kitchen often.

 

[ALAYMAN]

I dance with my wife in the kitchen often.

This is a g-rated audience, so leave it right there buddy.

 

[Bob Jones VI]

I dance with my wife in the kitchen often.

Being in the marriage dance ministry, the kitchen is where we practice most. Plus, when we're done she makes me a sammich.

 

[Ekklesian]

Being in the marriage dance ministry

Only in America...

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

I dance with my wife in the kitchen.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Nothin' wrong with a good baloney sammich.






Loretta Lynn said so. (If ya don't already know, don't Google it)

 

[Bob Jones VI]

Only in America...

It's just the name of the group. Go read my post.

 

[FSSL]

I have a friend, from my seminary days. Conservative, fundamental seminary. He has a rsther large ministry outside Detroit. Members of his congregation are professional dancers. They do interpretive dance at times.

 

[Ransom]

Decades ago, it wasn't uncommon for churches to hold dances some evenings. Square dancing was a community activity and a far cry from sensuous modern dancing, obviously. It was an alternative to spending the evenings in the taverns.

Obviously that's not "liturgical" dance either. More an act of community service than an act of worship.