Written by: Alexis Dewey
Growing up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, I have always known that certain things distinguish us from other Christian denominations: eating healthily, going to church on Saturday, not working or going out on Sabbath and so on.
It’s no secret we do things differently or, as some like to say, “We’re a peculiar people.”
A majority of my family is not Adventist; in fact, only my immediate family is. The family weddings I had been to as a child all involved some sort of dancing, even if it was just a first dance for the newlyweds.
So, when I went to one of my first Adventist weddings, I thought to myself, “Where’s the dancing?” The absence of any sort of dance at the Adventist wedding took me aback. I asked why no one was dancing, and the other guests seemed confused, almost as if I should have known the answer to that question. That’s when I learned that “Adventists don’t dance.”
“But I want to dance at my own wedding,” young me thought.
I can understand why the church would frown upon the act of dancing provocatively. Going out and dancing just for fun or at a wedding, though? I cannot wrap my head around it.
The Bible mentions dancing at several different points, and they almost always are linked with praise. “Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory.” (Psalms 149:3-4) This verse is explaining that we should praise God with song and dance because we are His chosen people.
I believe that anything that dishonors God is wrong; however, a lot of gray area surrounds this subject. “The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” (Isaiah 29:13).
Just about anything can be done for the glory of God. It all depends on your mindset and the intentions behind the action. For example, playing sports can either dishonor or bring glory to God; it all depends on your intentions. Dancing is no different.
We should aim to have everything we do honor God. The Bible has given us several different verses about dancing as a way of worship. “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord, my God, I will praise you forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12).
Hyperfixating on whether dancing is right or wrong may not be the best use of our time. Instead, maybe we should fix our minds on the intentions behind our actions. That way, we can grow and become stronger Christians.
