The Hymn Teach me to dance transported me back to my early teens when the local school encouraged all their children to dance. We did waltzes, a bit of jazz, tap, Scottish dancing, etc. We had a wonderful time. I loved moving around the floor in time to the music, whether this was with a partner, or as part of a group in a Scottish reel. Dancing was much better than algebra and Latin conjugation. Sadly, a handful of my classmates did not take to this form of exercise as they thought it was old-fashioned and boring.
Sadly, elders at my local church elders did not encourage dancing as their services were traditional. I admired their dedication, devotion, and duty to the Lord, but I just wanted to move a bit. So, I lost my enthusiasm for dancing, in all its forms and that keenness never returned. However, I encourage all of you who feel led to praise the Lord through the medium of dance, and those who just fancy moving, to move your bodies.
Now, (Teach me to dance) by Graham Kendrick goes beyond moving your body to a musical beat to actions which embrace all aspects of our lives. The chorus includes a series of requests to our Lord, where we ask the Lord to teach us to dance, move, walk, love, trust, and hope. It is easy to sing this song as a jolly upbeat clappy chorus, but the words and sentiments go way beyond that practice. And reading the words used in hymns is one of the few positives that come from Covid. We moved away from just repeating hymns to reading each hymn and reflecting on what we were singing. That is a big plus because many of the hymns had become little more than vane repetitions. You may not be able to dance, move or walk but I pray you still want to learn more about love, trust, and hope. As Graham Kendrick concludes this song,
Let all my movements express
A heart that loves to say 'yes'
A will that leaps to obey you
Let all my energy blaze
To see the joy in your face
Let my whole being praise you
Praise you.
Prayer – From Psalm 30:10-12(NIV)
LORD, hear and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.” 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. Amen
Michael Rolton
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