dancing during Lent

[HelenaZF]

Does your church continue dancing and using pageantry during the Lenten season? What are your thoughts on that?



My church (CEC, a liturgical communion) seems to have different ideas about it on different years, but this year, they want to curtail it except for a solo comtemplative offeratory piece presented on what would be our Celebration Sunday in April. So I will be taking down the banners this week, and our dance team will get the month of April off.



My own personal thoughts on using expressive (or movement arts) worship during the Lenten season have to do with my concept of worship as being an expression of the whole person: spirit, soul, and body. My sense is that if movement is an acceptable and viable expression of worship at other times of the year, it should be also during Lent. However, because Lent is a penetential season....the pieces selected should reflect that character. Humility, seeking God, simplicity, atonement, repentance....all themes that could be appropriately expressed through physical interpretation during the Lenten season.



Working together, the music & movement ministers can present a compelling mix of seasonal introspection and pictures of the themes of Lent. Would that be considered irresponsibly celebrational? Not if done appropriately. Not if you recognize that the offering of the whole man is an integral part of the acceptable sacrifice spoken of in Romans 12.

Romans 12:1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

(That's NIV...some translations say, "--this is your ACCEPTABLE act of worship.")



So, it seems to me, it is always appropriate to "offer our bodies". We do not ask musicians to stop singing during Lent, but we do expect them to choose theme appropriate songs. I believe that should transfer to the ministry of the movement ministers as well.