Glory Dancers
Last week we received an advertisement asking us to “Call and let us make arrangements to have a Glory Dancer
Seminar at your church.” The instructions would be given by a local lady who has taught children and adults for more than 25 years. Her “pastor” Karl Strader encouraged her to “create the Children’s Worship Dance Team.” She “had been involved in the worship dance for years, had attended ballet classes from a highly regarded professional dance teacher, and felt very comfortable using her teaching talent for the Lord.”
When I read this, I thought about the argument that some make in defense of instrumental music in worship - ”it is a use of my talents.” An article from Ministry (a magazine by Seventh Day Adventists), the author told about a New England church that “had been offered an organ in 1713 by the treasurer of Harvard University, but turned it down. The general opinion was that ‘if organs were permitted, other instruments would soon follow, and then there would come dancing.!’”
Why is that true? First, the same reasoning that justifies an organ will justify any other mechanical instrument. Second, it is based on human reasoning, therefore if a person believes that his talent is in dancing, that must be accepted along with the instruments.
An article in The Ledger (2-3-01) told about churches that are dividing over contemporary songs versus traditional hymns. The Neptune Road Baptist Church in Kissimmee “tried to bridge the musical gap between traditional hymns and upbeat, contemporary Christian songs by creating a mixture of both. The effort Failed, and the group favoring more modern music with drums, keyboards and electric guitars broke off last summer…” The article said that “many critics believe the move away from traditional church music is harmful and anti-Christian.” A Seventh–day Adventist said that “some contemporary music made him feel as if he had landed ‘in a night club and not at a place of worship.’ The rock beat, he wrote, stimulates people ‘physically rather than elevating them spiritually.’”
The “Glory Dancers” teach that “movement is one of the means to worship God...Each class session combines expressive dance with movements of worship and praise (both choreographed and free movement) with modern and classical Christian music, biblical teachings, prayer, and Christian fellowship. Our goal is to develop worshippers, not just dancers.” Did you notice that word “fellowship”? If you call it fellowship, some of our brethren think that makes it Scriptural. Well, I suppose there would be as much “fellowship” in dancing as there is in playing ball, eating a social meal, etc.!
An article in The Tennessean (5-23-99) told about a church of Christ In Hendersonville, Tn., that “worked some recorded instrumental music into the Easter Sunday service last month.” The article continued: “It’s a line no Church of Christ in good standing crossed. The reason is the churches’ 19th century ancestors found no evidence of instrumental music in the New Testament early church.” The elders “announced to the congregation that the music question is not a ‘salvation’ issue, so it’s not important if the church adds instrumental music on occasion. There are more pressing concerns in the Christian life than the instrumental music debate, they suggested.”
Would anyone like to “prophesy” whether this thinking will also permit dancing in worship? When men decide that they do not need Biblical authority for what they do in worshipping God, the only limitation is their own wisdom.
Seminar at your church.” The instructions would be given by a local lady who has taught children and adults for more than 25 years. Her “pastor” Karl Strader encouraged her to “create the Children’s Worship Dance Team.” She “had been involved in the worship dance for years, had attended ballet classes from a highly regarded professional dance teacher, and felt very comfortable using her teaching talent for the Lord.”
When I read this, I thought about the argument that some make in defense of instrumental music in worship - ”it is a use of my talents.” An article from Ministry (a magazine by Seventh Day Adventists), the author told about a New England church that “had been offered an organ in 1713 by the treasurer of Harvard University, but turned it down. The general opinion was that ‘if organs were permitted, other instruments would soon follow, and then there would come dancing.!’”
Why is that true? First, the same reasoning that justifies an organ will justify any other mechanical instrument. Second, it is based on human reasoning, therefore if a person believes that his talent is in dancing, that must be accepted along with the instruments.
An article in The Ledger (2-3-01) told about churches that are dividing over contemporary songs versus traditional hymns. The Neptune Road Baptist Church in Kissimmee “tried to bridge the musical gap between traditional hymns and upbeat, contemporary Christian songs by creating a mixture of both. The effort Failed, and the group favoring more modern music with drums, keyboards and electric guitars broke off last summer…” The article said that “many critics believe the move away from traditional church music is harmful and anti-Christian.” A Seventh–day Adventist said that “some contemporary music made him feel as if he had landed ‘in a night club and not at a place of worship.’ The rock beat, he wrote, stimulates people ‘physically rather than elevating them spiritually.’”
The “Glory Dancers” teach that “movement is one of the means to worship God...Each class session combines expressive dance with movements of worship and praise (both choreographed and free movement) with modern and classical Christian music, biblical teachings, prayer, and Christian fellowship. Our goal is to develop worshippers, not just dancers.” Did you notice that word “fellowship”? If you call it fellowship, some of our brethren think that makes it Scriptural. Well, I suppose there would be as much “fellowship” in dancing as there is in playing ball, eating a social meal, etc.!
An article in The Tennessean (5-23-99) told about a church of Christ In Hendersonville, Tn., that “worked some recorded instrumental music into the Easter Sunday service last month.” The article continued: “It’s a line no Church of Christ in good standing crossed. The reason is the churches’ 19th century ancestors found no evidence of instrumental music in the New Testament early church.” The elders “announced to the congregation that the music question is not a ‘salvation’ issue, so it’s not important if the church adds instrumental music on occasion. There are more pressing concerns in the Christian life than the instrumental music debate, they suggested.”
Would anyone like to “prophesy” whether this thinking will also permit dancing in worship? When men decide that they do not need Biblical authority for what they do in worshipping God, the only limitation is their own wisdom.