Competitive Praise...Really?

     Within the dance ministry there has been a growing trend to hold Praise Dance Competitions. While it is not my place to judge the spiritual condition of those who host or participate in these events, I do question the basis for their existence in the worship community. By definition, praise or liturgical dance is: (1) A dance divinely inspired by God for public or private worship; (2)  Dance done as a praise and worship tool to honor the holiness and supremacy of God as a vehicle of prayer, intercession, and witnessing.  As part of our personal relationship with God, praise dance is done to uplift and encourage others in their worship. There is no scripture in the Bible that even suggests that praise and worship is competitive; in the book of Psalms, the musicians, singers, and dancers were inspired by God to minister together in their praise to Him.

     In the secular arena, there are dance competitions in which participants vie for monetary prizes, scholarships, further performance opporuntities and exposure. They are judged on the basis of technical strength, showmanship, originality, and costuming. These competitions are exciting and fun to watch, but there are always winners, and those who don't place. There are many in the dance ministry who are extremely talented, but God doesn't esteem their worship any higher than of those who worship by only lifting their hands.

     There is a big difference between dance as an artform, and the artform of dance as worship. Both have their places in the world and although at times they may look similar, they are not. Competitiveness is what caused disruption in the heavenlies when Lucifer said:  ^"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:14). Isn't that just like the enemy to have God's people competing against one another? Once this happens, there is no more praise, just confusion. According to Ps.22:3 God inhabits the praises of His people... if His people are no longer praising, I will be headed for the nearest exit door!

     We can't be like anyone else, or observe what they are doing to become better than they are. It's impossible to compete with others without comparing ourselves to them. When we do this, we will either feel that we are superior to them, or that they are superior to us because after all, there can only be one winner, right? So, the next time you receive that flyer, e-mail or inbox invitation to compete with your praise, ask yourself these questions:

• Who are the judges?
• What qualifies someone to be a judge of praise?
• What is the criteria for winning?
• What makes one person's praise better than another's?
• What is the prize for having the "best" praise?
• How does one become a "loser"?
• How does this promote true worship?                                                                                             

But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants. (John 4:23-GNT)

Enjoy this presentation by the Tribe of Judah:

Endnotes:
 (1) Dancer's Array, Liturgical Dance Conference
 (2) National Liturgical Dance Network

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...

"Enough"

     There are times in this fast-paced world when many of us have felt that the more we do, the more we will be accepted by God. If we aren't careful, we will feel the pressure to compete with others or compare our progress with that of someone else, because whatever we are doing at the moment never seems to be enough...  "Enough" is a spiritual thing, it doesn't mean that we don't need to live with purpose or we don't need friends, that we don't need a companion, that we don't need money or any of the things that are part of living. But when God becomes our "enough" we won't spend our time obsessing about what we don't have or can't get done. We can be at peace within ourselves, so that we don't spend our lives constantly trying to please others to the point where we lose our own way. The way that God becomes our "enough" is through our communications with Him, praying to Him, not just because we need something from Him, but because He is God. Read His Word. you cannot separate God from His Word because He is the living Word (John 1:1). The more you learn of God, the more you will want to know of Him. You can see Him in nature, in his creation, in all the things that He does. God is great! and He is enough.

Be blessed...

A Heart That Lets Go

     December 31, 2009 was the International Day of Forgiveness. I had never heard of this before, but a friend sent an e-mail about it and it really piqued my interest. I posted it as an event in Facebook, because I wanted everyone I knew to participate. It did not require a special meeting place or preparation, only a heart to truly forgive everyone and anyone who had ever done anything to harm us, whether they deserved it or not. Many people responded, some did not, but it didn't matter to me, I knew that I had to take part in this event for myself. I had recently gone through a very difficult season of life and it seemed that most of the people who claimed to be my friends had abandoned me. A few of them actually turned out to be enemies, and one of them even tried to turn my family members against me. I had to make a choice to either return the evil, or completely let it go, so that Day couldn't come quickly enough for me.

    On New Year's Eve, I drove out to Dockweiler Beach, and sat down on a rock with a sheet of paper and a pen. I wrote down the name of every person that I could think of that I needed to truly forgive, and prayed for each one of them. When I finished, I took the list out to the shore, and send it away into the tide. It was so freeing to watch it go out, under the waves. I began to feel sorry for some of the people, because I began to see them as they were; that they really were unable to do any better than what they did. I thanked God for life, health and strength, and asked Him to help me to never do any of those things to anyone else. I found a seashell with holes in it, and put it on my bulletin board to help me remember the day.

     There is a line in the song entitled A Heart That Forgives by Kevin Levar says: " A heart that lets go is a heart that will know so much freedom". I thank the Lord for freedom today, so I can go on with my life. Forgiveness does not change what people have done to us, but it helps us to live our lives to the fullest.

     Be blessed...and forgive.

Thanks to Jeneen Harris for the top photograph...

A Time to Reflect

     The season of Lent is a time for many to contemplate our lives and think about what is going right, what has gone wrong, and what we need to do differently in the future. Many of us abstain or "give up" certain activities or foods, and "give in" to things of a higher nature. There is much going on in the world and this is a time like no other in history. Working with children every day has caused me to reflect on my own childhood and how I can make life better for the ones I come in contact with, even if it's just for a day. When I was in school, I was bullied a lot. I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it had a lot to do with being different. My family was from Barbados and had a very different way of thinking and doing things. When I started school I had an accent and didn't know a lot of the games or ways of speaking that the other children had. My grandmother was a seamstress and made all of my clothing, so I dressed differently. I was already reading when I went to kindergarten, so most of the time I was bored with most of the books that were being read and always finished the stories early. In short, I didn't fit in!

      I know that by now you are probably reading this article and wondering: "What does this have to do with worship?" The answer is: Everything. Worship is the way we relate to God every day, not just when we go into a sanctuary. The truth is, children haven't changed much over time, and I see a lot of  the same behaviors that they do being repeated in adults. How do we treat people that we see as "different"? Do we talk to them and make them feel welcome in our circles of faith? Do we put on the smiles when they are around but talk about them as soon as they leave our presence? Do we go out of our way to greet a new person who comes to visit our church, or just ignore them? What happens when someone new joins wants to be a part of our group?  Do we welcome them in, or see them as a threat and try to run them away from the church?  These are all things that people have either experienced at one time or another or been a part of and I can guarantee that some of it is going on right now, somewhere. But, look at what God's word has to say to us:

I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’“Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? “The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me.’

 Matt. 25: 35-40 (GWT)

     Christ came into the world to save people. He didn't pick and choose whom to love, or which persons would be invited into His kingdom. He came to save anyone who would believe (John 3:16).  As worshipers and followers of Christ, He expects us to treat all people with kindness, even if we don't understand them,  because that is His way. During this season and beyond, this is the time to reflect on our own ways. It's time for many of us to "grow up" in Christ and really learn how to relate to others who are different from us. The harvest is coming... are we ready to receive the ones that come in?

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. ( I Cor. 13:11)

     Be blessed...

Something to Think About...

      I heard a message one Sunday morning entitled: “When It All Falls Apart, What Will You Do?” In light of  recent events, what is really important? The things that happen in one part of our world could happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. The devastation in Japan is one of many that have literally rocked the foundations of unsuspecting people, and no one has the right to say “This is God’s judgment on them because…(fill in the blank)”. In fact, the Word says the opposite:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
 (Luke 13:1-5 NIV)

     No one understands why these things happen but when they do, they affect us all. We are all connected to others in some way, whether it is by blood, friendship, aquaintance or just because we all share the earth as our temporary home to carry out our God-given purpose. This is not the time to make comparisons of how one group of people respond to tragedy vs. another, or to start making doomsday prophecies. It is time to stop, think about the direction that we are going in, and make sure that we are found doing God's will. Let the pettiness go...if you have something that you need to settle with a friend, enemy or family member, do it today! Because when it all falls apart...what will really matter?

     Please enjoy this thought-provoking video of "Homeless" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Sarah McClachlan...

Be Open!

     Have you ever watched dance or mime ministry videos, or attended a dance ministry concert and seen the same songs done over and over again? It seems that the most popular songs are the ones that are chosen to minister, most of the time.  One potential problem with doing this is that the congregation or audience will not even see the message of the dance, but will respond to the familiar song because they know it so well.  As humans, we want to "fit in" and do what is popular or acceptable to the public, but what is God really leading us to do?  There are songs by some of the same artists that are not as well known, that would be very effective as a visual message.  Even older songs, songs that are of a completely different style that what we are familiar with, or traditional hymns in a contemporary version are other choices.  How about even dancing to scripture, poetry, or spoken word?

     Don't get stuck in a box!  Take the time to listen to different styles of worship music in different genres and broaden your horizons.  Ministries that are most effective are the ones who do their homework It's always easy to do what is common, but do you really want to be like everyone else?  God has given everyone a unique assignment, and it doesn't look like anyone else's.   Read what Jocelyn Richard of Visual Praise Ministries in Augusta, GA says about musical choices:

"...The point is, as far as music is concerned, be open. Of itself, music is not good or bad. God created music before the world changed it in directions contrary to His intentions. Therefore, in listening to music, be attentive to be sure the lyrics point to Jesus.  The music can be, Christian contemporary, worship and praise, traditional hymns or jazz"*

     When we change the way we think about music, it will change the way we minister in movement.  If you don't know where to start your search for new music, www.Pandora.com is an internet radio station that allows listeners to create their own radio stations based on their musical tastes.  You can use the service for 40 hours a month free of charge, or have unlimited use for a reasonable price.  Let's make it our goal in 2011 to enlarge our territories and our musical inventories!

       Enjoy this video of SMBC's God's Anointed Vessels Dancing to Be Open by Richard Smallwood...

 *The Praise Dance Life: http://www.thepraisedancelife.com/2010/12/-choosing-music-for-worship-dance-choreography.html