DANCING FOR THE LORD JESUS!

When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw 'G: I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'.
'God, 'u' and 'i' dance.'
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God as God
abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.

Not every dance worshiper do or can have formal dance training (eg: Ballet, jazz). But some are just naturally gifted with the dance poise and elegance even without training. For the majority out there who are without the natural talent & poise, I would like to post these questions.....

How important is a dancer's posture/ poise to you? Would you invest in resources or dance classes to improve your flexibility / dance poise?


Learning a dance choreography & improving one's technical dance skill (dance posture) are both important in portraying a dance worship piece. As dance worship is a moving form of worship depicting the splendour of the Lord, each dancer should in all their capacity dance with all their might and GRACEFULNESS to the glory of the Lord. Without the dance poise or dance technical skills, choreography becomes limited & stale. Audience might be distracted too with the lack of gracefulness or dance poise of a dancer. Furthermore, the dancer herself gets self conscious and loose focus in worship. So it is imperative, that every dancer should try their best to improve their technical skills to the glory of the Lord.



We can improve our dance technical skills or poise by attending ballet/ jazz/ other structured dance training classes. Dance & creative arts workshops organized by the church or CDFM are also great opportunity for non dancers to learn. There are also a lot of resources in the internet giving tips on how to improve our dance posture. Here are some:

Dance Posture Exercise


How to get Perfect Posture - Now!


By the way, I just had a talk with the people from Shachah ministries. They are releasing a structured christian dance syllabus for non dancers who are keen to learn dance from scratch. Currently Aunty Magrate Yap and team are filming the new instructional videos (on basic dance techniques, with demo and music and also prayer warm-ups or dance devotional pieces) in Singapore and these videos hopefully would be ready by the end of August. I am totally excited about this as I do plan to buy the videos for my church to bless & train our dancers. So, I will keep you all posted on this! Here are some of the previous dance instructional videos they have in the store (all are without music, but do wait for the new ones to come. those come with music and demo)

Dance Instruction in Worship Workshop - Level 1
(Description: If you have never had instruction in dance and have always desired to worship the Lord in dance, these videos will assist you to develop the skills necessary to worship the Lord in this area of the creative arts. Our videos will instruct you in warm-up exercises, combination steps, center work, Hebraic steps, etc.)

Happy learning!! Improve thyself!

Let's talk about the difference between dance ministry and dance performance.

This seams to be a difficult transition to make, especially if you grew up with years of secular dance training.I found that the Holy Spirit has to consistently purge us of the “Feeling” that we need to “Perform” for people.

We are called to “Minister to People.” We are called to “Win the Lost” As dance ministries, we are Not called to dance strictly for “Entertainment” But, when we can disconnect ourselves from the feeling that we need to “Show people what we can do” - we are truly set free through the Power of Praise; and, the Healing Power of Worship. When we are free from “The need to perform for people” God empowers us with an anointing that sets people free.

Remember, it is all about God....keep him at the forefront and seek Him every step of the way! A dance ministry is not something to be entered into lightly...too many times people start off well intentioned because it "looks cool and innovative"...but it should be taken seriously. Leaders and dance ministers need to have a prayer life and a relationship with the Lord. If you have no relationship with the Lord you are just exercising!

Lakita
Paneh Praise and Mime Ministry

In preparing oneself for the ministry of dance, we must first realize that our first call is to Jesus Himself. We first draw close to Him, seek to know Him: seek His face, seek His heart. Our ministry will then be a result of the overflow of having spent time with Him. Only then can we truly answer the call to ministry. He must always be our first love.

The Scriptures tell us that God is seeking worshippers, not dancers. Although ability is necessary, the Scripture does not exhort us to “praise Him in the dance if you have been to ballet class”. Those who will worship in Spirit and in truth are those who God calls.

Because there is no scriptural reference that tells us to “sit and watch while others dance”, our dance must truly be a priestly ministry, bringing Christ to the people, and/ or the people to Christ. We are never to be the focus. Because dance is such a visible ministry, it is imperative for us to endeavor to lay self on the altar and seek to “BE YE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY” 1 Peter 1:16.

God is looking for people who will make time to meet with Him daily. Let us spend time with God until our dances come from Him. God wants dances that are Spirit to spirit: Dances that will bring change in the lives of others. God has dances from His heart and dances from His throne that He wants to pour out through us. Therefore, we must learn to be visual demonstrations of what God is saying and doing in the Sprit. We must empty our own dances and make room for His. We must learn to express the truths of God’s heart.

We must become transparent in our worship. There are no short cuts. We must allow God to break us in worship so we can begin to learn true expression. Let’s yearn for that which is authentic. You cannot fake the anointing. The anointing is not just for your gift – it is for your whole life. Ministry must come from the overflow.

Worshippers who are consumed with a fiery passion for Jesus will win the end time harvest. The ultimate in our worship is not the expression of the worship - it is the knowledge of His presence. Let’s not reduce our expressions of worship to mere fleshly activities. His presence and His anointing are the only things that validate our expressions of worship, not our skill or expressive ability. Let’s learn to hear from God – learn to know what the Spirit is saying to the church.

I challenge you to begin your day with God. If you do not already have a daily time set aside for seeking His face, make it a priority to begin immediately. Each morning, rise earlier than normal. Go into your prayer closet – a place where there will be no distractions. Have a time of worship, bible study and prayer. It is vital for the dancer to minister to God before ministering for God. Then and only then will we truly be a vessel prepared for the Master’s use.

Rev Dr Pamela Rutherford (CDFUSA)

For many Christians, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise, and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. However, the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

The word "yoga" means "union," and the goal is to unite one's transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of "God." This "God" is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos. This view is called "pantheism," the belief that everything is God, and that reality consists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga philosophy makes no distinction between man and God.

Hatha yoga is the aspect of yoga which focuses on the physical body through special postures, breathing exercises, and concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for the spiritual exercises, with less obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment. The practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is little more than self-worship disguised as a high level of spirituality.

The question becomes, is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it? I don't believe so. Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy, and that philosophy has not changed.

It teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life's difficult questions within their own conscience instead of in the Word of God. It also leaves one open to deception from God's enemy, who searches for victims that he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).

Whatever we do should be done for God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we would be wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul: "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8, NLT).

Taken from http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-yoga.html

another great reading is at http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2001/sepoct/3.50.html
(someone's personal testimony)

A few ways to recognize you’re called to the ministry of dance. God speaks to us through:

1) Dreams- Do you see dances in your dreams at night?
2) Visions - When you turn on music, do you see choreography? Did God give you a vision of owning a dance school or teaching dance? Do you drive past abandon buildings and say to yourself, "I wonder what it would be like to have a dance studio there?"
3) An Unction or a Strong Passion -Do you have a passion for dancing for the Lord? For teaching children or for teaching dance? DO YOU FEEL GOD'S PLEASURE ON YOU WHEN YOU DANCE FOR HIM?

4) A Spoken Word from the Holy Spirit - Did you hear the Holy Spirit's audible voice concerning this? Listen, He speaks in more then one way! Don't limit your self to just this.
5) The confirmation of other believers- Are other people confirming that you have a natural gift for what you are doing?
5) Natural Gifts & Talents the match your hearts desires - Can you dance? Do you have natural rhythm& body placement? Do you take dance classes to improve yourself? Can you teach? Are you a good administrator? Do you get along easily with people? Are you a problem solver & a leader?

God put those dreams, passions, gifts & talents inside of you!

God doesn't have a problem with communicating His will to you!
He wrote His will on the tables of your heart when you where born!
Follow it!

ROMANS 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship.Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will!"

Ever wondered what are the hebrew words for Praise and worship?

HALAL - (#1984 to praise, to celebrate hilariously, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to boast, to make a show, to shine forth. Root word in "Halleluyah" (literally means "Praise Yah").
"Praise the L-rd!" Ps. 149:1; 150:1-6
"Whosoever offereth praise glorifieth Me." Ps. 50:23
"Great is the L-rd, and greatly to be praised." I Chr. 16:25
"And the people said Amen, and praised the L-rd." I Chr. 16:36

Have you halal to the Lord today??

GUWL - (1523) to spin around under the influence of strong emotion; to spin like a top; to rejoice and be glad. Most often translated "rejoice".

"Let the daughters of Judah rejoice." Ps 48:11
"Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation". Isa 25:9
"Let the earth be glad and let the sea rejoice". Ps 96:11
"Be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness". Isa 65:18-19
"The Lord Thy G-d in the midst of thee is mighty...He will joy over thee with singing". Zeph 3:17

ALAZ - (5937) to rejoice, to exult, to jump for joy. Most often translated "exult" or "rejoice".
"Let the G-dly ones exult in glory". Ps149:5
"Let the field exult and all that is in it". Ps 96:11

PAZAZ - (6339) to leap, to spring, as if separating the limbs.
"King David, leaping before the L-rd". II Sam 6:16

RAQAD - (7540) to leap, to stamp, to spring about wildly with joy.
"King David leaping and making merry". II Chr. 15:29

KARAR - (3769) to dance and whirl about.
"David was dancing before the L-rd with all his might". II Sam 6:14

MACHOWL - (4234) a round dance (Chowl; whirling particles, as sand).
"Praise His name in the dance". Ps 149:3
"Praise Him with timbrel and dance". Ps 150:4
"The virgin shall rejoice in the dance". Jer 31:13
"All the women with timbrels and dancing". Ex 15:20
"The women came out with singing and dancing to meet Saul". I Sam. 18:6
"He will turn my mourning into dancing". Ps 30:11

MACHOWLAH - (4246) a dance:-company dances.
"Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing." Ex 15:20
"Isn't he the one they sing abut in their dances." ISam 21:11
"Isn't this the David they sang abut in their dances." ISam 29:5
"The women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes." ISam 18: 6

HALIJKAH - (1979) a procession or march, a caravan: -company.
"Procession of my G-d my King, into the sanctuary". Ps 68:24

CHAGAG - (2287) to celebrate, to observe festival, to march in sacred procession, to be giddy, to move in a circle, to dance, to reel to and fro.
"You shall celebrate the feast to the Lord". Lev. 23:41
"I used to lead them in procession to the house of G-d, with joy". Ps. 42:4

RUWA - (7321) to shout; to split the ears with sound; to blow an alarm (associated with trumpets).
"Shout unto G-d with the voice of triumph". PS. 47:1
"Shout in triumph, O Israel". Zep. 3:14
"All the people shall shout with a great shout and the wall of the city will fall down flat". Josh. 6:5

SHABACH - (7623) to praise, to address in a loud voice, as in triumph.
"My lips shall praise Thee". Ps. 63:3
"Praise ("halal" the L-rd, all nations;) praise Him all peoples"! Ps. 117:1


"QUIET" WORDS FOR WORSHIP

YADAH - (3034) (Translated: "to give thanks; or to praise") to worship with extended, uplifted hands; to praise; to give thanks.
"It is good thing to give thanks to the L-rd". Ps 92:2
"At midnight I will rise up to give thanks". Ps 119:2
"Surely the righteous will give thanks to Thy Name". Ps 140:13

TOWDAH - (8426) (Translated: "thanksgiving".) Extension of the hands in a thank offering, a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
"Offer to G-d a sacrifice of thanksgiving". Ps 95:6
"Come before His presence with thanksgiving". Ps 95:2
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving". Ps 100:4

BARAK - (1288) to kneel in adoration; to bless.
"Let us kneel before the L-rd our Maker". Ps 95:6
"Sing unto the L-rd and bless His name". Ps 99:5
"I will bless you and I will bless those that bless you". Gen 12:2-3

SHACHAH - (7812) (Translated: "worship") to prostrate in homage or worship.
"Let us worship and bow down." Ps 95:6
"Worship at His footstool; holy is He". Ps 99:5
"Bring an offering and come before Him; worship the L-rd in the splendor of holiness." I Chr 16:29
"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the L-rd; and all the families of the nations will worship before Him". Ps 22:27

Its time to dance with the King
Engaged to never part
Embrace Him closely, face to face,
And dance now, heart to heart

Its time to dance with the King
And never look away
In love forever, with a love
That's gaze will never stray

We've danced with the world
And stepped to it's tune
But no one else can love like Him
And cause our heart to swoon

Guard your heart from all but Him
His love is all complete
Dance in His everlasting arms
And let Him guide your feet

Allow His Love to light your path
And lead you in your ways
For only He knows of the road
To lead you from your maze

I see Him reaching out to you
His scepter for this dance
As He says, "Will you dance with me
Inside each circumstance?"

"I'll teach to you the steps and moves
And give you favor, sure,
And promise MY love will not leave
But evermore endure."

"So will you let me take your hand?
Let me, your life, embrace?
Let me, the lifter of your head,
Make all your pain erase?"

"Just follow close now, let ME lead -
Just rest secure from harm
And from this desert I'll lead you
As you lean on My Arm."

"I'll take away the heavy load
That you cannot endure
As I sweep you from evil's grasp
Into My arms, secure."
It's time to dance now, with your King -

The King and Lord of all
Reach out and take His hand today,
Responding to His call.
Its time to dance now with the King
Engaged to never part
Embrace Him closely, face to face,

Dance with Him, heart to heart
Its time to dance with the King
And never look away
In love forever, with a love
fdThat's never more will stray

- Joni Faith Ames -