So you would equate Christians dancing as the same as the disco clubs where there is drinking and drugs? I hope you think better than that of the young people and especially those who teach them.
If that is the only thing that comes to your mind when you think of dancing then you haven’t seen many good examples of Christians having fun and discipling others in the same people. You do know the poorest example of Jesus is the average lukewarm believer who never disciples anyone and seldom if ever shares their faith.
How will we as adults relate issues back to scripture such as Eccl. 3 and not avoid them? I have attended a Messianic congregation that has dancing in their worship service. For them it is important. The service was three hours long with a sermon that was about 75 minutes. Those people knew their Bible well. Most of them had not been believers all that long but they were intense about following God and sharing their faith. Many of their Jewish families shunned them because they were now believers in Jesus. But we plead with people and give them prizes asking them, “Won’t you please read your Bible.” Too often we approach the Bible as something we need to read rather than being excited about knowing God through His word. People know the difference. For two summers when I was a young college student I asked a man in the church if I could meet with him regularly. He exuded Jesus. He talked about Jesus with others as though nothing else mattered. When we were working he would sing hymns and listen to tapes. I had never seen anyone like that before. I wanted to be like that. He was a builder. Probably the best in the area too. He was a man people trusted to do the job right and for the price he said he would. Because of him I ended up doing the same thing with the same high ideals and ethics. He taught me to be a person of high moral character and ethical standards. He also taught me to be a person of my word and have integrity. I saw it in him every day in every place and with every person. Even to this day the memories of him go with me. When I face decisions it is like he is still standing there. He even helped me start my own business. That meant I would no longer be his employee. He even recommended me many times to others. He loaned me tools I didn’t have. As a result I developed a thriving business. At his funeral when he died they had to turn people away and to stand outside to listen on a loudspeaker. The local lumberyard shut down for the funeral. The mayor was there. Many others were there whom he had witnessed to.
Everyone should know the difference between things that are fun and good, and things that are fun and bad. If one reads Eccl. 3 and knows that David danced before the Lord how will we help them to understand by word and example what that means?
Scripture does not say dancing is wrong. In fact there are examples of dancing. Another is when Jesus turned the water into wine. Was Jesus, the Son of God wrong in doing that if wine is wrong? We just open the door for distrust by young people if we come up with man-made rules not in agreement with scripture. Why do you think so many see the games their leaders are playing and leave their respective churches? When was the last time you were quiet and listened to young people talk with each other. The last time I heard some young people talk not long ago they were talking about the issue of the death penalty. These were eighth graders. What a great opportunity we have to give ‘em the straight stuff instead of a bunch of religious nonsense.
Is dancing inherently wrong? No. People don’t condemn the internet, but they must instruct their children about the things that are junk and why they are harmful to their mental and spiritual health. Many would not consider taking their child to a meat packing plant for fear it might be too much to see. But they will turn them loose on the internet.
Young people want reasons for their faith in agreement with scripture not a bunch of man-made rules that circumvent the Holy Spirit. Now the question is how will we do that at a time when so many religious answers are hollow and people are looking for the real thing. We are living in a time when people are tired of the cliches and quick answers; they want real answers with conviction not what someone else said. They want answers in accordance with scripture. If we are going to teach and say we believe the Bible is our final authority then we must teach people in accordance with scripture showing them it as our final authority too.