Physical Expressiveness in Worship, 1 July 4, 2010
I ended lastweek’s column with this question: Are we willing to let the Bible be the basisfor what we do with our bodies on Sunday morning? Most of us respond to God’sworth with our bodies by standing, sitting, singing, listening, eating bread,and drinking grape juice at various times throughout the worship service. Butwhat about the other postures the Bible commands? …things like kneeling,lifting our hands, bowing down, clapping, shouting, and dancing?
It’s easy to begoff at this point with, “But that’s just not my personality.” To which I wouldgently reply, “At what point do personality and culture have to yield to theScriptures? In our relationship with God, should we always act according towhat comes naturally, or should we deliberately practice certain behaviors andbecome more natural in them over time?”
Or someone mightsay, “But our culture just isn’t as emotionally expressive as people in theBible were.” And again, I would push back with, “At what point does ourChristian faith call us to be counter-cultural? Wouldn’t it be reasonable tosuggest that we might start with how we respond to the works and worth of our awesomeGod in the worshiping assembly of His redeemed people?”
Another personmight object: “People might look at me if I raise my hands or clap or kneeldown in the worship service.” Knowing full well this fear, I would tenderlyremind all of us of David’s example. “I will become even more undignified thanthis” were his words to his wife, who held him in derision for his ferventdancing before the Lord (2 Sam 6:14-22). And then I would carefully explainwhat the Bible says about the “fear of man”—a sinful, enslaving condition wherewe are more aware of the eyes of others than the eyes of God.
Finally,someone might just blurt out: “What are you after from us, Josh?” Greatquestion. Here’s my answer: I deliberately want to encourage our worshipingcongregation to respond to God with every part of their being—mind, heart, andbody—because God is worth it and because the Bible recommends it. “Those wholook to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed” (Ps 34:5).