Decades ago there was a distinct difference between the music you heard in the Christian church and what was used in the dance club. One caused you to reflect upon the spiritual and the other made you shake your groove thing. In those days, you could easily use the old adage of "Never the twain shall meet." That day, however, is over. dance music is now popular in Christianity and invading many ministries, and the mixing of the Holy with the profane can cause confusion regarding what one is actually experiencing.
High energy does not equal the Holy Spirit
A popular term used today within the secular as well as spiritual circles is "feel the energy." According to the article "Wait upon the drop" in Christianity Today, a number of churches are using dance music to elevate their praise and worship services. They find that younger believers like to jump to the beat of high-octane music. Shaking your rump to the funk and enjoying a high energy atmosphere is secular and can be confusing in the church.
Dance music can elicit gyrating that can be interpreted as sexual. When the Spirit of the Lord moves upon your heart, this is spiritual. There is supposed to be a difference between what you feel in a dance club and what you experience in the church.
There is a danger today that Mixing the Holy and the profane will cause young people to not know the difference between the two.
Mixing the Holy and the profane is confusing
"Silent Night" is a song about the birth of Christ and is sung at Christmas. The lyrics explain what took place on the silent Holy night He was born. In the late 1980's my husband and I witnessed people slow dancing to The Temptations' version of "Silent Night." Men and women who had been drinking alcoholic beverages were all over each other on the dance floor.
Some were kissing and others had their hands on each other's back sides. More than likely their minds were not on anything related to the church or the Spirit of the Lord.
I recently visited a local campus of Elevation Church. I found the atmosphere to be highly charged and full of energy. There was a band on stage, flashing strobe lights, and smoke.
Every song was about the love of Jesus and the young people were jumping and enjoying themselves. I, however, was slightly uncomfortable. I found that my spirit wanted to experience the presence of The Lord but my body wanted to dance in a worldly manner.
The high energy in the building, in my opinion, was causing the presence of the Lord to short circuit. It felt more like I had gone to a club or a rock concert instead of a church. The lighting, smoke, and live band brought back memories of secular concerts I had attended. I left the church feeling a bit confused and trying to understand what I had just experienced. It was very different from a setting where you know without a doubt you are in a church and should be thinking about The Lord.
