Be Careful...

   

      By now, most of us in the worship community have heard the announcement from Israel Hougton about recent events in his life. The responses from many in the church range from support and prayer to downright condemnation, while others are not quite sure what to do. But I have news...God has already told us what to do.

     In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul speaks about the Israelites who followed Moses and the consequences of their actions that displeased God. They all started with the same spiritual food and drink, but somewhere along the way they started doing their own thing, which caused calamity to come upon them. After describing their fate, Paul reminds us that what happened to them were examples written down as warnings for us, and the modern language tells us to check ourselves if we think we are standing. In other words, if any of us feels that we would never do any of the things that the Israelites were involved in, think again...

  

 These things happened to them as examples for us.

They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

~1 Cor 10:11-13 (NLT)

     There is nothing that one individual has gone through at one time that hasn't happened to another. Only God knows why people make the bad decisions that they make, even when a way of the situation is always available. It's not our job to figure that out for anyone, but it is ours to learn from their mistakes. It's not our place to censor or judge them, it's our place to humble ourselves and remember that the same thing can happen to us. No rational thinking person wakes up one morning and decides to do something that will destroy their family, ruin their reputation, and bring their ministry down. There is always a path to destruction that starts at a blind spot. What's yours? 

     Avoid the temptation to speculate, tear down or have a "holier-than-thou" attitude when you hear about someone who has sinned. The enemy is always looking for opportunities to knock us down from our high place. He's looking for you, too. He's watching to see what he can use, who he can send your way to take you out and shame you. He hates the worship of God; He hates God and all people; He hates when people worship God. His goal is to steal, kill and destroy completely, including those who lead others to worship God. Don't help the enemy!

     Selah…

   

Be Thankful!

This is a re-post from 11/24/11. Blessings!

 

...Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

~ Col. 3: 12-15 NLT

     We have so much to be thankful for every day. In spite of the many historical controversies surrounding Thanksgiving Day, thankfulness should be a part of every day if we have life. Even if everything around us is going completely wrong, we can still give thanks and praise to God:

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

~Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT)

       Being thankful doesn't mean that we are in denial about our situation, it is really about humbling ourselves and trusting God to work things out for us in His way.  We give thanks in the midst of the situation, (not for it) and believe by faith that He will give us wisdom, guidance, and peace until we get through it, knowing that He always has our best intrests at heart.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

~1 Thess. 5:18 (NLT)

        There are many who will say that they have absolutely nothing to be grateful for, and are angry at God for the way their lives are going. The Word says that people would be increasingly ungrateful in the last days..

...in the last days there will be very difficult times.  For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.

~1 Tim 3:1-3

     Don't be counted among the ungrateful ones! Give thanks and praise to God at all times. He's done so much for us that we can never thank Him enough. Have a Happy Thanksgiving today, and every day.

#That Garment Conversation...Again

. . . Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]

~ Romans 14:16 (AMP)

     There can never be too many blogs, books, online classes or conference workshops about appropriate attire for dance ministries. While there are many dancers who have invested time, effort and money to dress themselves in garments that are both beautiful and modest, there are still too many who wear clothing that is either too tight, revealing or doesn't fit well because it is too large or does not cover enough of the body. A few of the common reasons for this are:

     "It doesn't matter what you wear, God is looking at your heart"   It's true that God does look at our heart, but taking 1 Samuel 6:7 out of context to justify not wearing the proper attire when we dance isn't going to change what people see. We never want to be a stumbling block for anyone.

     "Dance garments are expensive" Wrong...some dance garments are expensive, but some are very inexpensive and well-made. In addition, there are ways to make beautiful coverings with 2 yards of fabric that don't even require sewing skills. The other problem with this argument is that some of us who complain that dance garments are expensive will spend the same amount of money or more on worldly concert tickets, hair weaves, shoes, and handbags. What is our real priority?

     "I don't need to wear pants under my skirt or dress if I have on tights"  For modesty purposes, ladies should always wear the wide legged palazzo pants under a skirt or dress. That way, we can be free to move without anyone seeing something of ours that should only be seen by our mates at home. Men (and some women) in a church service should not have to struggle to focus on God because they are seeing crotches on the platform! 

     "I can't help it if I have a lot up top, that's the way God made me" You can't control your genetics, but you can control how it is seen. Ladies, please wear proper undergarments that don't allow your bust to bounce up and down when you move. Make sure you wear pasties if you need them, or put folded tissue in the front of your bra. Some type of overdress or overlay should be worn over a leotard. The worship dresses that are made by the dancewear companies look may beautiful on children, but not so nice on women because they call attention to our bust. The body is not shameful, but once again, we don't want to call attention to our form, because the focus in worship is always on God. Anything that takes away from that is a distraction.

     "Those praise dance garments look plain and old-fashioned"  A long time ago, when dancewear manufacturers discovered there was a market for worship dance attire, they created garments based on their perception of dance, and of the church. The result was often drab, non-interesting, cheesy looking, almost comical items. Their stock consisted of ruffles, bib-tops, and dresses that looked like choir robes or togas, instead of the beautiful selection of garments now available. As people who were gifted to sew began to create dancewear that was colorful and modest, the amount of garments available increased tremendously. Today we can look anywhere online and find very nice attire for all budgets. It's not necessary to buy the most expensive garments, but it is important to purchase the nicest ones that you can afford. Even if you don't have a lot of money, you can create a worship dance top using 2 yards of 45" or 60" fabric, secured with safety pins on the inside and tied at the shoulder over a leotard. The same length of fabric can also be wrapped without any pins at all. 

(We can show you how to do this in detail in a future blog).

      A great reference is Garments of Glory, a downloadable e-book by Jocelyn Richard of Visual Praise Ministries in Augusta, GA (www.thepraisedancelife). Jocelyn has a wealth of information about garments and other aspects of the dance ministry from her many years of experience as a worship dance leader. Her e-book includes full-color pictures, historical references and a list of reputable and affordable dance garment makers. You can purchase and download it here: http://store.payloadz.com/details/843062-ebooks-religion-and-spirituality-garments-of-glory.html

     It can never be stressed enough that one of the main reasons that praise and worship dance is still not accepted in some churches is because of the way dancers are dressed. I was in a fabric store one day and an older woman began to lecture me on why she didn't like praise dance, and how disgraceful women looked in what they wore. She was so offended by their immodesty that she didn't even believe that anyone could do anything different than what she had seen. What a shame! Someone did not receive the message of the dance (if there was one) because of a preventable situation.

     As a member of the National Liturgical Dance Network, I want to share this best practice information with as many in the dance ministry community as possible, because once we learn something, we need to pass it on to others. Please feel free to share the this blog and slideshow I created with anyone you feel could benefit from seeing it. You can go to the video and share it directly from You Tube. The garments pictured are but a few of many examples of attire that is beautiful and appropriate in any church setting. The purpose of the slideshow is not to endorse any garment maker. You can go online and type in "Worship Dance Garments" or "Praise Dance Garments", and several options will show in your browser. If you would like any additional information about garments, you can e-mail me at: urbanartz212@gmail.com, and I will be happy to direct you to more resources. You can also contact the National Liturgical Dance Network, Foot of the Cross Ministries, Dancing for Him Ministries or any of the ministries and garment makers in the info section of the blog. We would love to help you dress for glory and beauty!

     I hope that I've posted something that can help the dance ministry to grow, and to be perceived in the way that God intends. 

Be blessed, and as always, Keep Dancing for Christ!

We Are Free!

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1 (NKJV)

     On the day that is remembered as Good Friday, let's remember why it has that name...the day that Christ died on the cross in our place, receiving the punishment that we should have received so that we could be free. That's Good News! Whatever you do today, consider Christ and his life, not just on today, but everyday.

     Please enjoy this classic worship song by Morris Chapman, "We Are Free":

What if God is Speaking?

The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him. ~ Habakkuk 2:20

 



     I went to a church service recently and the minister in charge was seated in front of the altar singing and praying to the Lord during the sound check, and I was immediately drawn into the worship.  Meanwhile, people were in and around the sanctuary, talking and socializing with one another. It was as if two worlds were in one place, but the more they talked, the more he continued to sing and pray in the spirit as if it were just he and the Lord. I wondered if anyone really understood what was going on, that they were being invited by God Himself to put aside their mundane conversations and join in the worship, or if they were just there, waiting for the program to start, so that they could 'get their praise on'! I wondered if they realized that worship begins long before a church service starts, that we are to come into the sanctuary with a heart of worship. No matter what is going on, our focus is to be on God, to give thanks and praise, to pray, cry out, and do whatever we need to do, to get into His presence. It's not up to the worship leaders to bring us into God's presence. Their role is to lead and inspire the way into worship, and then we then decide to follow them, as they follow Christ.

 

     When we come into the sancturary, it's not the time to have long conversations or greetings during praise and worship. There is nothing more important than the communication that we have with The Most High. Cell phones should be turned off and not answered, bluetooths need to be put away. It is a shame for us to be texting and posting to Facebook and Twitter when worship is going on. How focused are we on God, if we have time to check-in and let everyone know that we are basking in His presence? Do we understand that if we have an divine encounter with God, sending a text or a post would be the last thing we would be doing, or have we become so familiar with Christian jargon and the need to impress others that we need to say something that sounds spiritual but is devoid of  meaning?

 

     We take so much for granted when it comes to the presence of God. But, there are so many things going on around us that we can't afford to take the worship of God lightly. People are suffering with all kinds of illnesses, tragedies, finacial lack, family challenges, spiritual and emotional distress and discouragement. One of the benefits of worship is hearing The Holy Spirit speak to our hearts so that we can receive guidance and help from God, to be a blessing to those around us. We don't come into the sancturary for own benefit and blessings alone, or to  entertained or amused,   God wants to speak to us... about our lives, about other's lives, and to give us revelation about who He is. Are we listening?



~~~
God is speaking... 

so come into the sanctuary

and quiet yourself

remove your spirit from the cares and busyness

will you be still and listen for God’s voice in the secret place of reverence and respect

separate from the inner and outer noise of constant chaos

or continue to block out the sound of His words

speaking life to your soul?

you are invited

to come from the weariness and receive peace

and receive water from the well

that will never run dry

come and drink

and be filled

and take the waters of  life to the world
God is speaking...
 

 

Cross references:

1. Habakkuk 2:19 : 1Ki 18:27
2. Habakkuk 2:19 : S Jer 10:4
3. Habakkuk 2:19 : S Da 5:4, 23; S Hos 4:12
4. Habakkuk 2:20 : S Ps 11:4
5. Habakkuk 2:20 : S Isa 41:1

In The Vineyard...

The Sovereign Lord has taught me what to say, so that I can strengthen the weary. Every morning He makes me eager to hear what He is going to teach me. - Isaiah 50:4 (GNT)

      In the past few years, many churches have become increasingly "seeker sensitive" instead of Holy Spirit sensitive, and there is no real word from God. So, the seekers are going elsewhere to get their life questions answered. Some churches have become more interested in attracting large crowds and getting large offerings than speaking to people's concerns, and hurting people are coming into the church, hopeless, oppressed, discouraged, depressed, confused, and going out the same way. Why? Because the God is not allowed to be in charge of His own house. The Lord knows everyone by name, He knows exactly where they are in life, what they need, and how to speak to them. He has called us to be avaiable to communicate His Good News to them, speak life to them, show them love, and show them a better way to live through His Word.

“The Lord’s Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the Good News to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say: 'This is the year the Lord has chosen'" ~ Luke 4:18-19 (CEV)

~~~~~

It shall come to pass in that day
That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,
And his yoke from your neck,And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.~ Isaiah 10:27 (NKJV)

     What does that mean for us as worship leaders? That means that we have to take the time to find out what song or music God wants to speak through, and not just choose the song that will move the crowd because it's popular, or because it's our favorite. If we have a choice of music, then we must take time to ask God what the appropriate song will be to meet the needs of those who are present. That may mean that we may have to listen to several songs and do some research before making a decision, but true ministry is always about serving others, not ourselves. People come into churches with all kinds of spiritual, mental, and physical conditions that they can't share with anyone. God may reveal some things, but it is impossible for us to know what is going on with each individual. If we allow God to lead us, He will give us a message that will speak to the audience at large, in many different ways. That may mean that we won't be able to do our favorite choreography, jump, grand jete or freestyle move, if He wants to speak through a simple gesture that will destroy a yoke of bondage from somebody's life that will enable them to receive God's word in a way that they had never seen it before!

"[...art often bypasses the intellect and speaks to the heart rather then the head, leaving the viewer to discover their own meanings and interpretations." ~ Brian Giberson, Visual Artist*

     We have to be more concerned for what God wants than with our need to be seen, heard, recognized or applauded. Remember... we are not here for ourselves, we are here because God thought enough of us to invite us to work with Him, and He is in charge of His vineyard.

____________________________

Notes: *Art Philosophy, Brian Giberson: http://www.indigolights.com/art/artist-biography.html

Do You Have His Attention? Pt. 2

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? ~ Hab. 1:13 (NKJV)

     In Part 1 of our discussion, we talked about Cain's offering and why it was unacceptable to God, because of the condition of his heart. We also learned that just as it was with Cain, it's possible for God to hate what we do for Him, if we have sin in our hearts. In these times when worship arts sometimes become more focused on the presentation than the message, how do we stay focused on the Lord, and keep His attention on us? How do stay out of the many traps and snares that the enemy has planned for us?

     The first and most important way to stay free from the enemy's traps is through prayer. Prayer is our first line of communication line with God, and without a prayer life, we have no ministry. Through prayer, we can find out what the enemy's next move is, and get His guidance on how to handle, stop, or navigate around it. Another way is to be mindful of what we say. Sometimes, we casually say things that can be misunderstood, or we speak to the wrong people about things that are going on. Also be careful of competition, and trying to outdo others. God is not judging whose praise is the best, He receives all praise that comes from pure hearts! If the band changes the music or switches songs, keep it moving and don't complain about how "they messed us up".  Speak kindly to others in your group, respect them at all times. Remember, what you have to say is never more important than the person you are speaking to; that goes for members as well as leaders. Don't look down on those who are less skilled than you are, instead, look for ways to befriend them, and offer to share your knowledge. If others have more abilities than you, introduce yourself and find out how you can learn from them.

...But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart"~I Samuel 16:7 (NCV)

     This is God's work, and we're all on the same team! There is no place for striving in the Kingdom. If we are worshiping and sharing the Good News of Christ through our gifts and talents, we can all have God's attention, at the same time.

Please enjoy this group of dancers from different ministries who worked together to present a beautiful worship piece:

Worshipful Season

     While we are all preparing for the holidays, remember to keep the worship of God at the center of all things. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, don't get caught up in the busy-ness, commercialism and greed that overtakes many during this time. Find someone to bless, who cannot return the blessing and continue to seek out opportunities to share whatever you have with someone else!

Being kind to the poor is like lending to the Lord;

he will reward you for what you have done.

Prov. 19:17 (NCV)

Generous people will be blessed,

because they share their food with the poor.

Prov. 22:9 (NCV)

 

When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse. No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs. Don't count the cost. Don't listen to that selfish voice saying, "It's almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled," and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He'll call God's attention to you and your blatant sin.

Deut. 15:7 (The Message)

    

A Word in Season...

     Last Saturday, July 31 was National Dance Day. Also on this day, a great man of God and minister of dance passed from this realm to the heavenlies. Michael McCray is no longer with us, but we will always remember him as one who truly loved to worship God with everything he had. I never met him in person, but via Facebook, he recently sent a message to my inbox and simply said "Please send me your address, I want to send you something". I had no idea that I was going to receive something that I could keep for the rest of my life. It was a DVD of his ministry. As soon as I started watching, I could feel the power and presence of God in my livingroom. It was intense! I have no idea as to why he sent me the video, or how many he sent out. But I am so glad that I have it. I found an article that he wrote on MySpace and wanted to share it with everyone, I don't think Michael would mind:

To Leaders, Especially Dance Leaders:

Grace and Peace be unto all of you, saints and friends! Truly, today is a great day, and I thank and praise God for it!

Today, I want to encourage all of the LEADERS IN MINISTRY. One thing that I’ve discovered in dealing with people is that everyone is not going to be supportive of you. There are some who are envious, or jealous, of the call that God has placed on your life. There are those who really don’t like you, and will not celebrate the anointing that God has on you. There are even those that seek your demise, and not just a great fall, but people may want you dead! But the Word of the Lord came to me through Daniel 6:3..

"Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm."
If you read the entire 6 Chapter of Daniel, you will see that King Darius appointed Daniel to be over other leaders in the kingdom. It’s quite obvious that Daniel had some "haters" to deal with because they (the Leaders) plotted to destroy him. They wanted Daniel dead! But what they failed to realize is that Daniel had two things going for him...One, Daniel was a PRAYING MAN! Prayer is so essential. Even when faced with tough odds, Daniel continued to pray three times a day! Daniel was not shakened nor moved by his haters, but he was moved to pray without ceasing! Two, Daniel has an EXCELLENT SPIRIT! That blew me away! What I got from this is that even as a Leader, in order to be effective, I must possess a spirit of excellence! This is why King Darius chose Daniel over all the other leaders, even those leaders that had a longer tenure with him. Daniel’s spirit was also RIGHT! He had no hidden agendas, no motives...he just did what was right.

So Leaders, Christians and Friends: Let your haters continue to hate on you! Don’t get discouraged! Continue to PRAY, even for them, and make sure that your spirit is one of excellence! Make sure that your heart is right and your motives are pure! And when you do this, watch "The King" move you into heights unknown! The Word declares that your gifts will make room for you, and place you before great men! (Proverbs 18:16) So don’t ever feel that you have to push your way into a position...what God has for YOU, it’s for YOU!

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for teaching me how to move forward inspite of my enemies. I thank You for allowing me to possess the gifts and talents that I do, knowing that every good and perfect gift is from above. I pray that in all that I do, it will be done to Your glory and honor, and that it will edify my brothers and sisters in the household of faith. This is my prayer, in Jesus’ name...Amen!

Extracted from: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=18553179&blogId=367786559

  
To everyone: Life is a vapor...we can be here today and gone in the next minute so don't take anyone for granted. All life is valuable even if you think the person who holds the life is not. So, take time to say things to people around you that need to be said TODAY, thank them today, appreciate them today, while they can hear you today and please, don't wait until they are gone to show that you care. And remember that any of us can be gone at anytime for any reason. It’s a vapor…


Selah.

The Posture of Worship Pt. II

 
 I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you
All about you, Jesus.
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about you,
All about you ,Jesus.
~Matt Redman

Imagine for a moment on Sunday morning....there is no Praise Team, no band, no sound system, special effects, or no flags, streamers, banners or beautiful garments for the dancers. Could we still offer extravagant praise to God without any of these things? How many times after praise and worship have we complained about the way the musicians played, or how the worship leader switched gears in the middle of the song, or even worse, forgot the words to the song  and threw everything "off"? Could it be, that we have taken ownership of the worship time and made it about us, instead giving worship to the One who made heaven and earth? Unfortunately, many of us have been guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit in this way.

The story of  the song: The Heart of Worship tells of how the songwriter's pastor in England got rid of the sound system and band in the church for a short time, to allow people to worship from their hearts. He asked the church members one question: "When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?" The article states that the congregation was uncomfortable at first without their music and sound, but they learned how to really honor and reverence God in a way that they never had before. In other words, the people put their focus back on God, and not on acting out what they thought was praise and worship. Matt Redman wrote the song in his bedroom as his response to what he learned from this experience, and it subsequently became popular around the world.

Worship is all about God, and who He is. Now imagine again...that everyone came to worship Him just because He is God. What kind of atmosphere would be in our gatherings if we all did that? God is calling. Let's go back to the posture of worship!

What may I give to the Lord for all the good things which he has done for me?  I will take the cup of salvation, and give praise to the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:12-13)







Footnote: Song Story: Matt Redman's The Heart of Worship,  by David Schrader (http://www.crosswalk.com/)

The Posture of Worship Pt. I

"Come let us worship and bow down...let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for He is our God" (Psalm 95:6-7).

There are so many things that can be said about what worship is, and what it is not. Let's look at the definition of worship from Webster's Dictionary: worthiness, respect, reverence paid to a divine being; reverance toward a divine being or supernatural power, or the expression of such reverence; extravagant respect, admiration or devotion; to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power.
It's very interesting how the word "reverence" is repeated several times in the definition of worship. This means that our worship is to honor or respect the supernatural Divine being, Creator of the Universe, the True and Living God. Notice that it says nothing about what we do when we worship, the garments we wear, the banners, flags, tabrets, streamers, or anything else that accompanies our worship. The true worship of God starts in our hearts, and everthing else follows. Over time, we have become so preoccupied with external things, that we have forgotten about the One whom we are worshipping. Worship time is now on the clock, and has to fit in with everything else that goes on in a service. It has taken on a life of its own, and sometimes has all of the characteristics of a staged show. Many times before a worship service, dancers are waiting "in the wings" talking about everything else but God, and say a quick prayer before going back to their original conversations until "showtime".

Worshipers, this should not be! If we are going to give honor and reverence to the supernatural Divine being, the posture of our hearts, as well as our bodies should be one of quiet meditation, even if we are going to dance to an upbeat song. Our worship is spiritual warfare, and lets the enemy know that our God is greater than anything he would try to perpetrate in our midst, on the people or in the atmosphere. We cannnot do this without starting from the posture of worship.

God has given us the awesome opportunity to publicly lead others into worshipping Him. Let's not be guilty of reducing worship down to another performance, or something we do because we are part of the Praise Team. We are all called to give extravagant respect, admiration and devotion to the Maker of heaven and earth, from the posture of worship! Selah...


*Thanks to Lynnea Johnson of Baltimore, MD for permssion to use this picture.