I was saved into a pretty conservative, pretty low key, church system. While the praise was heartfelt, it was also very bodily still. Voices were raised with gusto, but hands stayed by the side. And dancing? Wasn’t even in the vocabulary. I remember when one of my daughters was young responding to her request that we enroll her in dance lessons by saying, “Why? You can’t use that for the Lord.” Then we enrolled our girls in a Christian school . . . led by those of a different ecclesiastical practice than we were used to. The first school assembly of the year began with worship (that’s what we wanted from the Christian school) . . . and part of that worship were some “interpretive dancers” (that’s what we didn’t expect from the Christian school) . . . and my daughter returned home that day from school saying, “Dad . . . remember you said you couldn’t use dancing for the Lord? Wrong!!!” (that’s what I love about my girls).

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre!   (Psalm 149:1-3 ESV)

Praise the LORD? I’m in! Sing out the new song He’s given me? Absolutely! Assemble with His saints . . . be glad in the Maker . . . rejoice in the King . . . make melody to Him with instruments of praise? You bet! . . . I’m there! Praise His name with dancing . . . uh, can I just tap my toe?

Now don’t worry . . . I don’t think I’m being called this morning to embrace a ministry of dancing. But there is something in hovering over this verse this morning that speaks of times when the wonder of God propels you to be all in when it comes to offering up the sacrifice of praise . . . that says there are times when the soul’s desire to worship God will result in the body’s response.

I get that there times when the worship is manifest in the “be still and know that I am God” mode . . . and facedown, still before God praise needs to experienced more, as well. But too often I fear that our “be still” praise is more like “play possum” praise. Lifeless. Unresponsive. And I’m not talking that there needs to be dancing . . . but in this possum approach to praise there’s nothing . . . no connection with the God of heaven . . . no response to our God in the midst.

Shouldn’t there be some manner of emotional expression when “the godly exult in glory” (149:5) . . . when the “high praises of God be in their throats” (149:6) . . . I’m thinkin’ . . .

I get that we’re not all going to be comfortable raising our hands . . . or moving our feet . . . but shouldn’t at least our eyes be dancing? How do we sing to the Lord a new song . . . how do we praise Him in the assembly of the godly . . . without some expression of joy . . . and, regardless, of what that expression is, how can it not be seen in the eyes?

When we come before the God who takes pleasure in His people . . . when we gather to sing together to Him adorns us with salvation . . . how can we not, at least sometimes, end up dancing . . . if but only on the inside?

God is worthy of our praise . . . He delights in and inhabits our worship . . . oh that He might set our feet to dancing . . . or at least our toes to tapping . . . or at least our eyes to smiling . . .

For our joy . . . for His glory . . .