Dancing for Joy: A Biblical Approach to Praise and Worship

by Murray Silberling

Publisher:

Messianic Jewish Publishers

, 1995

Overview

Get up out of your seats and praise the Lord through dance! Worship occurs in many ways. Some people worship God through good works. Others worship the Lord through prayer. Many worship the Almighty through singing songs of praise. But more and more people are worshipping God through dance.

In Dancing for Joy, Murray Silberling, one of the world's foremost experts on worship dance, uncovers fascinating facts about this biblical form of worship. "The dancing rabbi," as he is affectionately known in Messianic Jewish circles, brings years of experience in worship dance and teaching worship dance to this book. He offers encouragement to the klutz—the clumsy person—who doesn't think dancing is for him. He also confronts the fallacy that dancing is only for women. He demonstrates how dance has been used through the ages as a way to worship God. As a theologian, he handles the theology of dance; as a Messianic rabbi, he deals with its ministry value; as a dancer, himself, he shares exactly how to begin. Appendices include definitions for dance steps and sample dances with instructions.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Like prayer, our voices and dances communicate to the very throne of God. As we enter into deep worship, our spirits are humbled in submission to God’s sovereignty, but there is also a passionate response to his love in our hearts. The act of dancing becomes a true expression of giving our bodies as a living sacrifice unto God (Romans 12:1).” (Page 34)

“As you grow from the awkward stages of dance novice, past the stage when you feel like a klutz (a Yiddish term for an uncoordinated person), to the point of being focused on the Lord without being self-conscious, you will find a whole new avenue of worship opening before you.” (Pages 39–40)

“Although David was known to dance after his numerous victories, his psalms reflect a variety of experiences that led him to dance before the Lord. In Psalm 30:2, David recounted an experience of forgiveness that grew into a desire to dance in joy.” (Page 8)

“Another principal use of dance within the ancient Middle Eastern culture was to show hospitality. Families would join with their guests in dancing. Examples of this kind of hospitality appear in Judges 11:34 and Luke 15:25.” (Page 6)

“The 17th century Hasidic Jewish movement employed dance to elicit joy from people whose life was often desperately poor and difficult. It was their way to let dance create spiritual joy out of human misery.” (Page 34)

Product Details

• Title: Dancing for Joy: A Biblical Approach to Praise and Worship
• Author: Murray Silberling
• Publisher: Messianic Jewish Publishers
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 112

About Murray Silberling

Murray Silberling was raised in a Conservative Jewish home. His upbringing was influenced by his Orthodox grandfather. After accepting Messiah and attending Bible college, Murray and his wife were called to Taiwan where he became the Taiwan Director of the Christian Broadcasting Network. Returning to the States, Murray completed his education at Seattle Pacific University, and in 1982 began Congregation Emmaus. In 1987 he started his second Messianic Congregation, Beth Simcha. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Kay, and their two sons, Lonnie and Jordon. He serves as Messianic Rabbi of Congregation Beth Emunah in Agoura Hills.

In 1941, The United States is drawn into World War II. During that same year, Dr. Henry Einspruch publishes his classic book, The Yiddish New Testament, a breakthrough in evangelistic literature for Jewish people. Over the following decades, the publications of Lederer/Messianic Jewish Communications have been widely used to impact thousands of Jewish people with the Good News of Messiah. These books and tracts have been distributed in the Orthodox Jewish community, have been given out to Jews in the former Soviet Union, and have been used by Messianic congregations and Jewish outreaches all over the world. Messianic Jewish Publishers mission is two-pronged: Reaching out to Jewish people with the message of Messiah and teaching the non-Jewish spiritual family about their Jewish roots.