Shall We Dance?

How can we not? Hebrew slaves had just been set free from generations of terrible bondage and the government of Egypt- which ordained throwing innocent Hebrew babies in the Nile. The worn band of ex-slaves are now pursued by an enraged army of sword-wielding Egyptians. Now they are on the shores of the Red Sea with no place to go. They have no weapons, no shields, no hiding place. Nothing they can do to protect themselves from the attack- except rely completely on God. I can imagine them looking around at their defenseless children in helpless despair- crying out for deliverance. All of a sudden, God comes through for them BIGTIME- parts the Red Sea and makes a path for them to cross on dry land. He then sinks the fast-approaching Army- wipes them out! Can you imagine the shock & disbelief the Hebrews must have felt at this manifestation? Then, Miriam strikes up her tambourine and according to the Bible, they sing & dance to celebrate the goodness of God. There were no solemn "Amens" that day. They were laughing, raising their arms, clapping their hands & weeping. How is it we, who have been freed from slavery to sin/death can sit so formally, pray so unemotionally, speak so dispassionately? The Cross of Christ bridged the gap between our souls and Almighty God! Now, I'm not advocating chaos in the sanctuary here, but joy and freedom in worship. When people get up front and go through their ritual with business-like formality, tired eyes & monotone voices, I want to stand up and ask "Does your faith exhaust you so? Do you not know the wonderful God I know? Do you not feel the blessings of His love?" I'm real with God as I laugh, cry, shout & whisper to Him throughout the week. I raise my hands in prayer & worship openly in my home- I don't think I'm the only one who does this. Why then, must we conform to a certain "status quo" of worship behaviors in the name of "reverence"? Who decides what's acceptable? I have been up front singing "Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever, He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood..." while looking out on the congregation wondering if they even have a pulse! Few smile. When invited, few join us in the singing. My heart goes out to those who are so worn by the weight of their failures and the cares of this life that they can no longer celebrate what is good. As for me, I will join the dance as one of the redeemed.