There are many things in life I am willing to try spontaneously and without much hesitation. But if you had asked me to make a list of activities I would never participate in, creative movement or liturgical dance would have been near the top.
Never.
So when the Gathering small-group descriptions came out, I read the following invitation, and I was surprised that I paused.
Praise in Motion
Leader: Carin
Kids welcome!
What if, within our church, we viewed dance as another form of communicating praise and worship to God? If you have an interest in joining a group of diverse members in giving this a try at Eastern, this is the group for you. Young and not-so-young are invited to gather together to create a unique non-spoken expression of worship. The song we will be using is “Where Can I Go?” by Ellie Holcomb — the lyrics lend themselves to beautiful and gentle movements.
Why did I pause when I already “knew” I would never do something like this?
Perhaps it is because I so deeply admire how Carin moves through the world with gentleness, authenticity, and courage.
Perhaps it is because Molly, Pearl, and Sam have become some of my heroes in living authentically, and the invitation to experience something alongside them felt safe and kind.
Perhaps it is because Eastern has become a space where trying something new does not feel performative or pressured, but simply welcomed.
Or perhaps it is because somewhere along the way, I have begun to believe that worship involves more than words alone.
Carin chose a song connected to Psalm 139 because movement helps her children engage more deeply with the passage. Memorization can be difficult for them, but pairing motion with the words opened a pathway for learning, connection, and expression.
And honestly, there is something profoundly beautiful about that.
Psalm 139 is not simply something to be understood intellectually. It is something to be experienced in the body and soul:
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
Perhaps movement helps us remember what our minds sometimes struggle to hold — that we are fully known, fully seen, and never abandoned by God.
And perhaps worship is not about getting the motions “right,” but about being willing to respond to the invitation and enter in!