"SWAY HALLELUJAH!" DANCE AND GRACE

Is sacred or liturgical dance a legitimate form of worship?

In seeking to connect to their audience, increasing numbers of churches, especially mega churches, are employing the spectacle of liturgical or praise dancing. Advocates in this form of worship justify it from Psalm 150:4, which exhorts, "Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe." The question before the church is does this exhortation and other biblical examples validate incorporating praise dance into worship services?

The word "dance" (Hebrew mahôl) derives from a root word meaning to "whirl in circular movements" or to "writhe in labor pains." Instances where the Old Testament refers to dance include occasions when people danced for joy after a military victory (Ex. 15:20; Jud. 11:34; 1 Sam. 18:6; Ps. 149:3), in celebration of the harvest (Jud. 21:21), and after dispersion, at the prospect of Israel's restoration to the land (Jer. 31:4, 13). Truly as Ecclesiastes sates, there is "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance" (3:4). The Old Testament reveals dance to have been a spontaneous and unscripted physical expression of joy.

Exodus mentions the fervor with which the people danced before the golden calf (Ex. 32:19; see 1 Kgs. 18:26). In other instances, people danced when their mourning suddenly turned into joy (Ps. 30:11). Such exuberance is like a cheering crowd at a sporting event when their favorite team dramatically comes from behind to win. Excepting when Herodias sensuously danced to have John the Baptist beheaded or when Jesus chastised the Pharisees for their vacillating views (Matt. 11:17; 14:6), the New Testament neither mentions nor advocates praise dance. But Jesus did predict the day when "spectacle worship" would come to an end, when those truly worshipping God would do so "in spirit and truth" (Jn. 4:23). The Apostle also gave the flesh a vote of "no confidence" (Phil. 3:3). So what are we to think of praise or liturgical dance being employed in the church's worship?

Absent any New Testament injunction to dance, though there remain injunctions to be joyful (Phil. 4:4; etc.), it is clear that dance does not enhance grace. In fact as a work of the flesh, dance obscures grace. One dancer remarks that her dancing "is a tool . . . to draw somebody closer to Christ." Another says, "It's important to incorporate dance into church. For young people, that's how we can relate. . . . It allows God to move within us." Can it really be said that dancing causes God to move in people? If the Spirit moves through dance, what about believers who are crippled, paralyzed, invalid or infirm? Are they missing out on the Spirit's work in and through them because they cannot dance? Since when does the Spirit's work depend upon physical movement? Is dance a new sacrament? "No!" is the answer to all these questions. Nobody will ever be saved by "the works of the Law" or "perfected (i.e., sanctified) by the flesh" (Gal. 3:2-3).

Praise dance not only indicates the church's continuing movement toward "the spectacle," but also her increasing dependence on "the mystical." Fleshly religion ever attempts to devise exhibitions and esoteric ways to connect with the divine, and in our modern context, praise dance now appears to be one of them. Consider the explanation of how one dance leader came to choreograph her worship dance: "I had dozed off and a song woke me up. John Legend was performing on a television show, singing 'Ordinary People,' an R&B song. I immediately started jotting down the choreography." She continues, "God gave me the message, and then it became a quickening of the spirit. Inspiration comes in many ways, but it's ultimately about me being obedient and being prayerful to hear the message he wants me to deliver." Another dance leader explains how she devises her routines: "I wait on the Lord to give me a song. I wait for inspiration and then I choreograph it. Sometimes the whole dance shall come to me in a day."[1]

"Once upon a time" Protestants agreed that the Spirit mediated spirituality through the Scriptures as they bore witness to God's works and Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:21; Jn. 5:39; 17:17). In countless ways--praise dance being but one--mysticism continues to assault "spirit and truth" worship. Instead of growing spiritually by Word and the Spirit, the church is turning to "whatever."

Pastor Larry DeBruyn

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[1] All quotes taken from John J. Shaughnessy, "Sway Hallelujah!" The Indianapolis Star, 30 Aug. 05, E4.