Undignified Before the Lord


When you see people undignified in worship before the Lord, are you embarrassed for them, or are you encouraged?

I’ve spent years in reverent worship and polite praise, but I was released from the yoke of oppression and now I take every opportunity to worship with my whole body, soul and spirit. This past weekend at a conference, an acquaintance approached me after the conference was over and told me she was encouraged by my worship. She called it undignified before the Lord.

Yep, that describes my worship. Having grown up in a Mennonite culture where dancing ability is bred out of our genes, I don’t have a rhythmic bone in my body but that doesn’t stop me from dancing – and at the front, no less. I’m aware I can’t keep a beat and I have a poor sense of my own body. In a word, it’s uncoordinated.

2 Samuel 6:12-23 describes the scene when David brings the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Jerusalem. It says he removed his kingly ephod and essentially danced in his underwear as the ark was transported. His wife Michal despised him, and took offense at his exuberant display of celebration before the Lord, especially in front of the servant girls.

Later, when the couple talked about it, David proclaimed he would worship and celebrate to the point of humiliating even himself because the favour God had granted him to be king over all of Israel. But the Bible says Michal had no children until her death.

Michal accused David of being dishonoured in the sight of the servant girls but what she spoke prophesied over herself. In that day, a woman’s honour was derived by having children. To the day she died, Michal was dishonoured in the sight of the servant girls by not bearing children (fruit).

I am certain we cannot respond in the same way Michal did because somewhere or other, we will not bear fruit. I don’t know about you, but that scares me. My life’s desire is to bear fruit that remains and bring glory to my Father, my God and my King.

But why wasn’t Michal with David? Why wasn’t she worshipping the Lord? I’d like to suggest her heart was already far from God; she wasn’t impressed by his Presence. She had already decided a course for her life and it didn’t include God, except in the most perfunctory way. The Bible says draw near to God and he will draw near to you. He is ever present and always ready to receive us but he will not force himself. We must come willingly to the King. And who knows you never come empty-handed, but always bring a gift worthy of a King. Our praise and our worship is the gift we bring.

Dignified or not, I will praise and worship and celebrate, will you?

Comments

  1. i was once told by a pastors wife ..that I needed to tone down my dancing for the lord ,,,I got quiet ,,and felt deeply unsettled within my soul ,,,it was like that feeling when you first hear that someone you loved has died ,,when i got to a quiet place alone ,,i found myself all the more grieved but this wasent your typical grieving ,,it was a deep sence of loss ..I now understand what it was I was feeling so intently ,,,my spirit was grieving it was torn broken crushed ,,,all i could do was lay face down upon he floor and weep uncontrollably ,,,,tears were neverending like a river ,,,with no where to flow ,.i couldent shake it ,,,the only thing that had happened was ,,a comment on what was pouring out from me by leadership ...of course i knew my place ,,and i was going to have to submit to the churches leadership ,,,i guess if those comments had come by way of a mere opinion ,,,i could of dealt with the outcome better .but from one above me ,,one in leadership ,,,God how could I tone down what was releised within me when it wasent ,my own ,,to govern altogether ,,when I dance I let my self take a seat and it was not I but the spirit within me dancing ...how could she not see that ,did she think i had a need to take center stage ,,,people whom knew me knew I was shy withdrawn insecure due to years of ritualistic abuse ,,all but a shell was what remained ,,it was God that took this empty shell and filled ,,with his spirit His dance His praise ,,I could not dance if I told God to tone it down ,,?how could I obey God and leadership ,,,tone the spirits work ,,it was grieving ,, the holy spirit ,,at work within me ,,it was dying it was wounded ,,it was crying out ,,,after a week of unbearable inner pain ,,the pastors wife came to me and confessed and asked for my forgiveness ,,,as i was about to ,,lay aside the gift of dance and flag worship God had gave me ,,,I only share this with you here today ,so that you may know that it is indeed real ministry real worship real giftedness ,,,,it is not to be..put to death or hidden under a box or ,,,it is to be embraced ,,it is to be welcomed and ,,it is to be kept alive may we fan the flame ,,within ,,may we release to praise the explosion of worship within ,,become fools if needs be for the sake of Christ ,,,die to self for a greater cause ,,woe unto those that ,grieve the spirit biblical consequence ,were dire ,,as we read on in Davids story ...forgiveness was givin to the offence ,,,but we both learned a valuable lesson ,,i hope ,,for me how to embrace the gift ,,be it dance or flags ,,for me ,,that i should not consider ,,making lukwarm what god wanted hot ,,and for anyone that should grieve the spirit ,,and perhaps cause stumbling ,,,,,God has many forms of ministry ,,of worship ,,,and all can be spirit filled ,,,so my sisters and brother dance unto the Lord ,lwith all abandon ,,let us worship in in one accord ,,with in the spirit ,,for the ultimate praise and glory od God forever more AMEN ,,

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    1. Thanks for sharing; sometimes expression before the Lord is not understood by others but I love the story of forgiveness in yours by the pastor's wife who asked for forgiveness.

      Keep dancing, and be even more undignified before the Lord. He loves it and you are beautiful as you dance and the angels rejoice with you.

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