People who enjoy dancing can use it for God’s glory, as a means of celebration and worship and to serve the body of Christ.2 It is important to remember that if God put a desire in your heart to dance, sing or create another form of art, you were made to use your talents to glorify God.
Culture may tell the faith community that dancing for God can only look like praise dancing, but deep down, a relationship with God is personal and individual. If He has put a flame in your heart to praise and worship dance for Him, seek out opportunities to do so. Our God is abundantly good, gracious and overflowing with love. Through your creative talents, you can glorify and praise His name.
There are plenty of instances of dancing in the Bible. In the Bible, Psalm 149:3 says, “Let them praise his name with dancing…Praise him with tambourine and dance…”3 In 2 Samuel 6:14–22, David dances before the Lord with all his might, providing us with a wonderful example of what it truly means to surrender to God in worship.
The Christian faithful are encouraged to dance for the Creator, no matter which style of dance or form the art takes, and to do everything possible to celebrate and praise His glory. Honor your desire to dance and do it for Jesus.
All in all, combining worship and dance is a beautiful way to glorify God. No matter your background, your affiliation or your generation, you can dance for God and use movement as a way to praise Him. Dance is a universal expression of emotion, and it can be a beautiful way to express your joy and gratitude for the One who gave you those gifts and talents.
Integrating creative movements into worship services at churches and parachurch settings can be an impactful way to communicate your faith and strengthen your relationship with God. Through dance, worshippers can participate mind, body and soul in the worship of God.
When integrating dance and worship in church settings, you might consider the following contexts:
- Prayer: Praise dancing may help worshippers achieve a heightened state of engagement as they are led in prayer by the pastor.
- Scripture: Dancing may sometimes accompany scriptural readings, perhaps serving to illustrate or to aid the interpretation of a scripture passage. Dance is, after all, a form of artistic communication, and so it can be appropriate to use it to convey the message of God’s Word.
- Faith affirmation: Through dance, the audience and the dancers themselves can affirm their faith and grow closer to God.
- Faith celebration: The Christian faith can be joyous, and dance at church can be used to celebrate the congregation’s faith while glorifying God.
When dance is incorporated into worship services, there are a number of factors to consider beyond the context. Dance may be improvised — a heartfelt expression of spontaneous joy — or it may be choreographed and planned in advance. It may be a group activity or a solo endeavor, and it can adhere to any number of dance styles.
