Shall We Dance?

Oh, let’s!
I’m serious.
And while we’re at it, could we just get over ourselves about this whole topic?
Last week I attended the funeral of an amazing woman. She was just 61 years old, but the stories and photographs of her life let you know three things: She loved the Lord, she loved her family, and she loved to dance. The scripture on the front of the program gave her hope as she faced the last days of her life, Psalm 30:11“You have turned my mourning into dancing…O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”
I remember when our son Matt came home from a middle school dance. He was puzzled about something. One of his friends couldn’t go to the dance because their church said it was a sin. “How dumb is that?” he declared.
I knew this day was coming.
“Well, as a matter of fact, growing up I was pretty much told that if I danced, I’d get pregnant and go to hell.”
Matt’s mouth fell open. “I’m a goner.”
For me, explaining some of these church issues is kind of like explaining an eccentric old relative. Until they die, they’re going to show up every now and then. So we treat them with respect and try to understand why they are the way they are, without letting them control our lives. I went on to say how we wanted him to have a healthy view of dancing, and that there are appropriate songs, dances, clothes and behaviors that he and Scott would have to learn for themselves. “Just like we’ve tried to teach you about swimming.”
“SWIMMING? YOU MEAN SWIMMING IS A SIN, TOO?”
“I mean swimming isn’t a sin, either. It has to do with your attitude and behavior, and since those are things that usually involve boys and girls together; you just need to be aware.” I felt like saying, ‘Go get my teeth out of the jar and I’ll tell you how things were at church when I was growing up.’ By now Scott was in the room and I entertained them with tales of former forbidden activities. No dancing, no ‘mixed bathing’, no shorts, no card games, no praise teams, no kitchens in the church buildings, no church songs for piano recitals, no garage sales for missionaries, women couldn’t wear long pants to church, men had no business with a ponytail, no polka dots for girls or patent leather shoes for boys…
There was a long pause before Scott asked, “So what could you do with your church friends?”
“Oh, we did lots of things. Bowling, roller skating, miniature golf…did I mention bowling? Um, let’s see. Eating. We did lots and lots of eating. I think that’s pretty much it.”
“Didn’t you go to your prom?”
“My boyfriend and I went to the prom, but since we couldn’t dance, we left early and went parking.”
“What’s parking?”
“Forget I said that. Anyway, the important thing is that your dad and I want you to know that dancing was a big part of the way people in Bible times celebrated God’s goodness. I’m sure there were people who turned it into something ugly. And somewhere along the way, well meaning people decided it was better not do it all than to take a chance on it causing someone to think sinful thoughts…and then the tradition began to die. But that was man’s idea, not God’s. Maybe some day, I’ll dance at your wedding”, I said as I did my best interpretation of the twist. (Never mind that the only thing I can do is the Hokey Pokey.)
A few years ago I tested the RE waters about having dance lessons in the CLC. I discovered a few things:
Most of our kids dance.
Many of you have taken lessons and didn’t call me.
The biggest objection the elders at that time had was that their wives would make them go.
Psalm 149: 1-4 “Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints…Let them praise His name with dancing…For the Lord takes delight in His people.”
So, here’s what I’m thinking. If you want to come, let me know by phone or e-mail. Once the date is set, I’ll send an invitation for you and one for your neighbors. Singles, couples, no age limit, just no children. At this point in our learning curve, they would probably get stepped on. We can have line dances for those of you who don’t want to touch anybody. And surely some of our kids can teach us to Two-step. I have one request. If you disapprove, it’s okay to tell me, but please don’t come and spoil the mood. After all, I am in the process of embracing my inner dancing queen and I don’t need the negativity.
The song leader at our church in Austin used to encourage us to sing by saying, “We’ll be singing in heaven for all eternity. We need to practice!” I’ve got news for you. There will be dancing in heaven, too. And we are way behind the Methodists!
Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 4 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,…”
Dress is casual. You can even wear polka dots and patent leather shoes.
It’s time to dance. I hope you’ll come.
I’m serious.