Apart from a bit of ballroom dancing when I was a student, I've never been much of a dancer, and I've never been to a ballet or dance class in my life.
However, on the night of the Inspire Praise & Worship Celebration back in October last year I was inspired to dance. Yes dance! Not just jump up and down like I normally do in church during the worship, but really dance, with every fibre of my being.
The Praise event was the climactic point of our INSPIRE Festival. Held at Al Raja School, this event was the coming together of a number of different worship teams from churches across Bahrain in an evening of music to glorify our awesome God.
The hall was very hot, with air conditioning at the bare minimum and yet this did not dampen the energy of this evening's worshippers who celebrated the work of God in their lives and in this region for around three hours of non stop music.
I started with what can only be described as enthusiastic jumping which continued in the faster numbers until halfway through the evening when I suddenly felt inspired to pick up one of the beautiful praise flags with it's wonderful colourful long wavy banner provided by the praise dance queen of NEC's English Language Congregation, Beth Harrison.
As I began to wave the flag in time with the music I felt a surge of power run through my body, like electricity coursing through my veins. Without thinking I started to dance in a way that I would never even have dreamed of. I suddenly developed an incredible sense of balance and co-ordination, waving flags and leaping and twirling from one side of the room to the other.
As I flew through the air I felt I had thrown off the bonds of conformity. Not that I really had ever conformed very much to anything, but I had always felt intimidated by dancing as I wasn't the most graceful or elegant person and was much more at home flying through the air on a horse rather than from my own power. But here I was, flying through the air, not by my own power but by that of the Holy Spirit.
For the past year, since giving my life to Christ, I have been plagued by problems with my voice. On three occasions my voice miraculously returned and I would be able to soar to great heights with operatic arias as if there had never been any problem. Then, suddenly, just when I needed my voice most it would be snatched from me. After seeing a couple of specialists they reported that I just had mild laryngitis from teaching and that there was no real cause for my loss of vocal quality. One claim was that my voice problems were due to stress. I have never felt less stressed in my life, the only thing that was stressing me was my lack of voice.
As a singer who wanted nothing more than to praise God with the voice He gave me and sing of His Glory it was devastating. That is why it was even more poignant when God put it in my heart to worship Him through dancing. It really challenged me as I have always been quite a perfectionist when it comes to any kind of expressive art form, be it music or drama, and the thought of attempting to dance before God was most definitely out of my comfort zone. But God likes to do that. There's not much that can challenge my wild, out of the box attitude, but dancing was certainly it.
Some people I know feel that dancing can lack decorum in a church setting and that we need to show more modesty and humility. Dancing in church could be seen as a very arrogant and prideful act and there is always the danger that we could fall into the trap of putting on a show for people rather than for God. However, dancing is a wonderful act of worship which is illustrated by King David who was considered by God to be "a man after my own heart" Acts 13:22
"Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod." 2 Samuel 6:14
David dancing in his undergarments before God was seen as disgraceful behaviour by his wife Michal who ridiculed him for doing so. However, David's response silenced her and for me refocused the position of dancing as a truly humbling act of worship.
"I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." 2 Samuel 6:21-22
Now, whenever I can, at home with my son, late at night before bed, and of course in church, I dance in praise of our awesome God. All inhibitions gone forever! Thank you David, thank you Holy Spirit!!
Dear Father,
I thank You for the gift of my voice which I know You will restore so that I can praise you with every fibre of my being. I surrender my voice along with all the wonderful talents and abilities that you have bestowed upon me, that You will send Your Holy Spirit to lead and guide me as to how I can honour and glorify your Holy Name through these gifts that you have so freely given.
Lord, I come against the attacks of the enemy who is now trying to vex me at every turn in my mission to worship You and I ask that You restore my left knee and bring into alignment the cartilage and ligaments which are making it difficult to dance. I thank you for giving me such a heart for worship and such a beautiful little boy with whom to worship with who fills me with such joy when I see his love for You.
Thank you Lord for entrusting me with so much in such a short space of time. Though I am not worthy I Praise Your Holy Name for sanctifying me for Your purpose and cleansing me with Your precious blood.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
As I flew through the air I felt I had thrown off the bonds of conformity. Not that I really had ever conformed very much to anything, but I had always felt intimidated by dancing as I wasn't the most graceful or elegant person and was much more at home flying through the air on a horse rather than from my own power. But here I was, flying through the air, not by my own power but by that of the Holy Spirit.
For the past year, since giving my life to Christ, I have been plagued by problems with my voice. On three occasions my voice miraculously returned and I would be able to soar to great heights with operatic arias as if there had never been any problem. Then, suddenly, just when I needed my voice most it would be snatched from me. After seeing a couple of specialists they reported that I just had mild laryngitis from teaching and that there was no real cause for my loss of vocal quality. One claim was that my voice problems were due to stress. I have never felt less stressed in my life, the only thing that was stressing me was my lack of voice.
As a singer who wanted nothing more than to praise God with the voice He gave me and sing of His Glory it was devastating. That is why it was even more poignant when God put it in my heart to worship Him through dancing. It really challenged me as I have always been quite a perfectionist when it comes to any kind of expressive art form, be it music or drama, and the thought of attempting to dance before God was most definitely out of my comfort zone. But God likes to do that. There's not much that can challenge my wild, out of the box attitude, but dancing was certainly it.
Some people I know feel that dancing can lack decorum in a church setting and that we need to show more modesty and humility. Dancing in church could be seen as a very arrogant and prideful act and there is always the danger that we could fall into the trap of putting on a show for people rather than for God. However, dancing is a wonderful act of worship which is illustrated by King David who was considered by God to be "a man after my own heart" Acts 13:22
"Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod." 2 Samuel 6:14
David dancing in his undergarments before God was seen as disgraceful behaviour by his wife Michal who ridiculed him for doing so. However, David's response silenced her and for me refocused the position of dancing as a truly humbling act of worship.
"I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." 2 Samuel 6:21-22
Now, whenever I can, at home with my son, late at night before bed, and of course in church, I dance in praise of our awesome God. All inhibitions gone forever! Thank you David, thank you Holy Spirit!!
Dear Father,
I thank You for the gift of my voice which I know You will restore so that I can praise you with every fibre of my being. I surrender my voice along with all the wonderful talents and abilities that you have bestowed upon me, that You will send Your Holy Spirit to lead and guide me as to how I can honour and glorify your Holy Name through these gifts that you have so freely given.
Lord, I come against the attacks of the enemy who is now trying to vex me at every turn in my mission to worship You and I ask that You restore my left knee and bring into alignment the cartilage and ligaments which are making it difficult to dance. I thank you for giving me such a heart for worship and such a beautiful little boy with whom to worship with who fills me with such joy when I see his love for You.
Thank you Lord for entrusting me with so much in such a short space of time. Though I am not worthy I Praise Your Holy Name for sanctifying me for Your purpose and cleansing me with Your precious blood.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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