Giving Honor...Always!

              

I thank my God for all the memories I have of you. ~ Phil. 1:13 (GWT)

                      

     It's been awhile since I put up a new blog post, lots has been going on and my promise is still to only post when I have something real to say. Recently, a dear friend and fellow worshiping artist departed this life, and I had the opportunity to share some words at her repast after the service. She was a true gift from God and a friend in every definition. When we realize the power of friendship, we will hopefully learn to be more supportive of one another, more Christlike in our behavior, and more understanding of our differences. When that happens, there will be no room for competition...I believe that we wouldn't even want to compete with one another if we really realized the power of friendship. No, everyone will not be our friend, and we can't be friends with everyone. But, we can be kinder and treat others as Christ would treat them.

     Cynthia Manker was a prolific writer, actor, communicator, motivator, public relations and media specialist, and most of all, a true worshiper of Christ. She lived in the revelation of Ephesians 6:13 "...After having done all...Stand". Even when she could no longer physically stand, her spirit stood tall. She was a wonderful friend to me, and we worked together in the same drama ministry for six years. These are the words I had the opportunity to speak about her today:

     August 6, 1998 was not only my birthday, it was the day that God blessed me with one of the greatest gifts I would ever have, a friend named Cynthia. On stage and off, we were complete opposites in almost everything, in height, in taste, in animals: I loved cats, she thought they were sneaky, she watched TV, I got rid of mine.  She was the extrovert, I was the introvert, when I would stress out, she would see the bright side.   If there were a theme song for our friendship, it would be: "Count on Me" but I won’t sing. I called to cry on her shoulder many a night and she would listen and never once judge me, but wouldn’t hesitate to call me out if I was in the wrong.  Once, she talked me into being part of her clown act “Quacky & Company” at a church picnic, (she was Quacky, I was Company) and I went along, being the willing drama student that I was. It was my first and last time EVER being a clown but that’s another story. But for 17 years, we were in each other’s corner, at our best, and at our worst. We both loved the Lord, and watching The Hoarders because we were afraid of becoming pack rats. Our running joke was “Cynthia, find my show”. She was my friend, and I will miss her.

     Cynthia was a reader of my blog, and I'm glad we shared many ministry times together, as well as a great friendship. Today's blog is dedicated to her, to remind everyone to honor those who you work with in ministry, whether you sing together, dance together, mime, act, do music or visual art. You never know when you won't have those times again. So, love them, uplift them, and support them!

Blessings...

A Few Questions...

    

  God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.
~ Gal. 5:22 (CEV)
 

     At the beginning of a new year, we often stop to ask ourselves where we are, where we're going, and how we plan to get there. We also look back at past years and think about the various mistakes we've made along the way, to make sure that we avoid those pitfalls that will hinder our future progress. Now that I've said this, I'm going to go out on a limb and ask a few questions: Why is there so much nastiness, cattiness and cliquishness in the dance ministry? Before you answer, think about the number of dancers that you know, and look at some of the numerous videos of dance all over YouTube and other sites. Have you noticed that in some churches there are more people dancing than sitting in the congregation? These are not rehearsal tapes, these are actual church services where dance is going on. Do you ever wonder what many of the dancers would do, or where they would be, if there was no dance ministry?  Yes, God is the judge...so this is not judgment, it's just an observation of what the dance ministry has become. The popularity of dance in church has grown exponentially, but is the growth affecting the number of people coming into God's Kingdom, or is it just another activity to add to the program? Why are so many people being  mistreated at the hands of leaders who may be excellent performers and creative spirits, but have no idea or concern as to how to love others?  Why have so many dancers left the ministry, and no one has gone after them? Why is being "ministry-minded" more important than having the mind of Christ? Do we understand that a minister is a servant, and having a ministry means that we serve other people, and not the other way around? What happened to the saying we all learned in Vacation Bible School: "Christ first, others second, self last"?

Do to others as you would like them to do to you.~ Luke 6:31 (NLT)
 

   There are many dancers who love Christ and only want to worship Him with their whole hearts, yet there are still not enough servants in the ministry today. Do you know how I know this? Look at the number of praise dance competitions and showcases that are being put on in the name of ministry. Listen carefully to the conversations, and look at the ads and promos for recognition for Best Choreography, Best Garments, Best Make-up and vying for spots along celebrities on award shows. It's wonderful to honor people for their contributions to the world, but when constant award giving becomes the focus and center of every gathering, who is really getting the glory? Remember, whenever there is a "Best" of something, then there can only be one winner, which immediately opens the door for competition because everyone wants to win! We should never settle for mediocrity, but the same spirit of competition that caused the enemy to be ousted from God's presence is the same one that has silently crept into the dance ministry...and is trying to compete with the anointing of God. If we are not careful, we can lose the presence of God because we are too focused on our works, how we look, and what we do, instead of keeping the heart of worship. Will you allow this to happen?  Are we willing to step away from our conference tables, garments, flags, music and choreography and put our focus back on Christ?  Has the dance ministry become our whole life?  Have we neglected family responsibilities to chase after a title in a dance organization?Are some of us even willing to admit that we really never had a relationship with Christ and just love to dance? What would some of us ever do if we ever found ourselves physically unable to dance for a long period of time? Would we still worship God? Can some of us honestly admit that we have rejected, mistreated, stepped on or over others, or really don't like people, but love being in leadership positions? Can we admit when we have done wrong, and  simply say: "I'm sorry"?

I will go much higher than the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High~Is. 14:14 (NLV)

The one thing I ask of the Lord, the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord’s perfections

and meditating in his Temple.~ Psalm 27:4 (NLV)

There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven that are hated by Him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that kill those who are without guilt,  a heart that makes sinful plans, feet that run fast to sin,  a person who tells lies about someone else, and one who starts fights among brothers.

~ Prov. 6: 16-19 (NLV)

     We are in the last days...Christ is coming soon. Don't be deceived and caught up in the spirit of this age, which glorifies the flesh and masquerades as God's way! We know better, and can do better. Selah...
 

Let's Let Christ Back Into the Dance...

"Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom..."

 (Song of Solomon 2:15) NIV

     A professional dancer recently commented to me that when dance was being reintroduced to the church, people were very careful about what they did, and were much more attuned to the worship of God than many of them are now. Now that dance has become more popular, much of it is becoming more about the spectacle than the worship. There are many reasons for this, but the question to ask now is, how did that happen, and even more importantly, how can we stop the trend?

     I remember my first time ever seeing dance to gospel music, when a group of middle school girls danced to Perfect Peace by Andre Crouch. It wasn't  in a church, but I saw and felt the message of the song expressed in movement, and can still recall it today. We were told in church at the time that contemporary dance was of the devil, and notes were sent home with parents letting them know that "...although we understand that many children have dance training for poise and confidence, there will be no type of dancing allowed in the talent show". When dance was finally allowed at my church, there was a group of young ladies who danced to What Shall I Do? by Tremaine Hawkins. They had small bells on their wrists and ankles and really didn't move that much, but the message was still clearly received. Of course, there were people who whispered about it, but the group continued to dance on occasion.

     Over time, dance has gained wider acceptance, and brought a lot of joy to people as they see the Good News of Christ communicated through worship in movement. Dancers have become more skilled and knowledgeable about their craft. But along with this, the element of competition and rivalry has crept in. Gospel promoters are cashing in on hosting Praise Dance Showcases and competitions under the guise of encouraging fellowship. Dance leaders have become territorial and have a sense of entitlement to top billing on programs, only want to associate with "recognized" ministries, exclude those from their groups who are not of the right body type or lack technical expertise and even worse, take the place of God in determining who can or cannot worship God in dance. In all of this, the element of worship has been lost for many people, and the dance has been reduced to entertainment, which has no place in the church.  In response, some dancers have taken a hiatus or sadly, left the ministry altogether.

      How can we stop this trend? By keeping Christ at the forefront of all we do, we will always be in worship mode. That leaves no room for competition, egoism, pride, abuse, territorial- ism, or any of the other sins that hinder God's work. I remember the days when we were happy to worship God freely in the dance and really make an impact, and I am thankful for those dance ministries who still do. Let's let Christ back into the dance...please?

     Please enjoy this video by The Georgia NLDN...