If I haven't learned anything throughout my years of dancing for local assemblies, I have learned how to listen to the voice of God. I found my love for dance in the presence and under the anointing of God by meeting a void. I sat in a service as a visitor of a church. The praise and worship was high, the presence of God had fallen and the stage was set for an awesome word of God to fall on an assembly that was eagerly waiting to be spiritually fed.
image from http://mywordshismessage.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/an-attitude-of-praise/
The man of God came in and explained that he was so moved by the service and the anointing that had fallen that he believed that God wanted him to share a song that fit the what he was ministering and continue setting the atmosphere. I sat intently waiting for the cd to be played and the song to play. They fumbled with the music so long that it became more of a distraction than an enhancement to our worship service. Finally after the sound man and technical sound person walked back and forth fumbling with the music, it played. But the atmosphere had changed. The shift in the service was so obvious and so disturbing but we struggled through trying to hear God's hand in the song.
I shifted in my seat feeling uncomfortable as I watched the sanctuary bow there head and the minister entering into what seemed to be his own personal worship. The song was awesome but there was something missing. He had entered into another level of worship but had left the rest of us looking out on the outskirts. The song had already ministered to him in his personal time but was introduced to the service but after all the distractions it shifted the service and left me feeling incomplete.
I continued to watch and I couldn't figure out if it was his personal worship that he had entered or the awkwardness of listening to music with nothing in front of me that unction me to dance. Something in me (the Holy Spirit) gently told me that "the transition was missing someone to interpret the song". I agreed because as the song played I visualized each part being eloquently danced out in a way that even a deaf person would understand. I wrestled even deeper trying to figure out why it was even an annoyance that no one was dancing.
I myself had just recently been introduced to Christian dance so how could this thing be so disturbing now. Then a still small voice told me to get up and move. It didn't say dance it just said get up. I laughed it off from within and continued to "appear" to stay in worship. This voice grew louder and louder. I gave a reluctant stand followed by an abrupt sitting back down. "See I moved nothing happened" I barely stood long enough to call it a "move". I rebuked the voice rationing that it had to be the enemy trying to embarrass me. After all I was a guest at another congregation and had never danced before, not even at my own home fellowship.
By services end, the voice was still there almost gently assuring me that it was indeed God's voice. God in His infinite wisdom had me over hear the Minister say "I wish we had a dance ministry here it was almost like this song needed to be ministered on a deeper level". That day was the day I was sure of what God wanted me to do. I enjoyed singing, the ministry of helps and even teaching, but no other call on my life burden me so great as my first unction of the Holy Spirit to dance. I never had such a fire inside of me to do something so unorthodox for me at that point in time. I now know that any passion that burns within you so great is your call. When you see the children struggling to comprehend the message in service, it is your call. When you cringe at the alto's singing the soprano's part its your call. When no one is welcoming and thanking the guest that came to service today it is your call.
Looking back I never had any formal dance lessons. I had the normal recreational novice classes that would last for a month or so but nothing formal. That moment I was more intrigued by God requesting me to Dance than the fact that I wasn't even skilled. I was surprised that out of the entire congregation I was the only one that He asked. I want you to know that I have never been the best but that day He believed I was. I don't know what my obedience would have done or how it would have changed the service but from that day I have learned never to second guest the unction of the Holy spirit in that way again. It was the beginning chapter of how God would later use me to join Him in the dance.
image from http://mywordshismessage.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/an-attitude-of-praise/
The man of God came in and explained that he was so moved by the service and the anointing that had fallen that he believed that God wanted him to share a song that fit the what he was ministering and continue setting the atmosphere. I sat intently waiting for the cd to be played and the song to play. They fumbled with the music so long that it became more of a distraction than an enhancement to our worship service. Finally after the sound man and technical sound person walked back and forth fumbling with the music, it played. But the atmosphere had changed. The shift in the service was so obvious and so disturbing but we struggled through trying to hear God's hand in the song.
I shifted in my seat feeling uncomfortable as I watched the sanctuary bow there head and the minister entering into what seemed to be his own personal worship. The song was awesome but there was something missing. He had entered into another level of worship but had left the rest of us looking out on the outskirts. The song had already ministered to him in his personal time but was introduced to the service but after all the distractions it shifted the service and left me feeling incomplete.
I continued to watch and I couldn't figure out if it was his personal worship that he had entered or the awkwardness of listening to music with nothing in front of me that unction me to dance. Something in me (the Holy Spirit) gently told me that "the transition was missing someone to interpret the song". I agreed because as the song played I visualized each part being eloquently danced out in a way that even a deaf person would understand. I wrestled even deeper trying to figure out why it was even an annoyance that no one was dancing.
I myself had just recently been introduced to Christian dance so how could this thing be so disturbing now. Then a still small voice told me to get up and move. It didn't say dance it just said get up. I laughed it off from within and continued to "appear" to stay in worship. This voice grew louder and louder. I gave a reluctant stand followed by an abrupt sitting back down. "See I moved nothing happened" I barely stood long enough to call it a "move". I rebuked the voice rationing that it had to be the enemy trying to embarrass me. After all I was a guest at another congregation and had never danced before, not even at my own home fellowship.
By services end, the voice was still there almost gently assuring me that it was indeed God's voice. God in His infinite wisdom had me over hear the Minister say "I wish we had a dance ministry here it was almost like this song needed to be ministered on a deeper level". That day was the day I was sure of what God wanted me to do. I enjoyed singing, the ministry of helps and even teaching, but no other call on my life burden me so great as my first unction of the Holy Spirit to dance. I never had such a fire inside of me to do something so unorthodox for me at that point in time. I now know that any passion that burns within you so great is your call. When you see the children struggling to comprehend the message in service, it is your call. When you cringe at the alto's singing the soprano's part its your call. When no one is welcoming and thanking the guest that came to service today it is your call.
Looking back I never had any formal dance lessons. I had the normal recreational novice classes that would last for a month or so but nothing formal. That moment I was more intrigued by God requesting me to Dance than the fact that I wasn't even skilled. I was surprised that out of the entire congregation I was the only one that He asked. I want you to know that I have never been the best but that day He believed I was. I don't know what my obedience would have done or how it would have changed the service but from that day I have learned never to second guest the unction of the Holy spirit in that way again. It was the beginning chapter of how God would later use me to join Him in the dance.
