White men can't dance.

Since no one else will, I'm just gonna say it:

Hey crazy flag lady, you're disrupting worship. Seriously. 

I'm trying to assume the best about you here but its hard when I have to duck during 'how great is our God' cause your flag is about to poke my eyes about. 

I'm not against flags.
I just don't know how in the world I’m supposed to explain crazy flag lady to my friend who is visiting for the first time...  

And even if I do and somehow we both avoid getting a concussion from being hit by your giant stick, how am I supposed to concentrate on worship? 

Couldn't you at least get one of those little flags like on 4th of July?
Yea, there's an idea. What do you say you shrink your flag size say about 50 times. 

And how about you wave those things in the back row where NO ONE can see you. Wait, while you're back there, why don't you just go in the lobby? 

Actually, scratch that. There are visitors there and we don't want to 'freak' them out. But since you're already in the lobby, you might as well go sit in your car during worship and wave your flag there. 

And while crazy flag lady is out there, the rest of your charismatic ‘disrupting’ worshippers can join her. Yea, you know who you are. 

'Crazy pogo jumping lady'. 
'Aisle running back and forth dude'. 
'Synchronized dancing woman'. 
'Super loud bad voice singing family'. 
'Awkward hand motions during worship boy'.

Yes, all of you who worship in a way that makes me uncomfortable, go in the parking lot. 

There I said it. 

I know I sound like a jerk right now but don't lie, how many times have you looked at someone and thought, 'hey I love God and all but for crying out loud tone it down a little'. 

Even the most charismatic of us have been there. 

The problem is, the bible is filled with such awkward worshippers.

In 2 Samuel 6,16
“David...danced before the Lord with all his might while he and he entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and sound of trumpets...King David leaping and dancing before the Lord”

Dancing? With all his might? Leaping?

Thats awkward. I hope no one invited a guest to ‘church’ that day.

In Luke 7, some whore wet Jesus’s feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissing them and pouring perfume on them.

Just when I thought no one could out-crazy flag lady.

Wait. Jesus is defending her. He claims the reason she loves much is because she realizes how much she has been forgiven.

In other words, her worship is in response to how much she gets grace.

If that’s true, then we have to flip the tables.

Since no one else will, I’m just gonna say it:

Hey Christian person who never shows any emotion during worship, you don’t get it.
You don’t.

I’m not saying you gotta swing a flag or dance with all your might. I’m just saying you can’t really tell me you believe what you say you believe without doing something a little uncomfortable.

And don’t give me that ‘cultural differences’ bull either.
Worship is not a black thing. Or a charismatic thing.

Its a human thing.

Which is why 50 year old ‘conservative’ white men who make 7 figures will paint their faces, wear the same outfit as thousands, scream their heads off and dance rather awkwardly cause their favorite team scored a TD.

Yes, even white men can dance.

And old men. Black men. Chinese men. Poor men. Rich men. Everybody can dance for Jesus.

Its easy to pick on crazy flag lady.

Maybe she is disrupting worship a little. And yes she is a little awkward.
And it IS hard explaining the leaping and dancing to your friends.

But you know what I think is harder?

Explaining to your friends how you can believe what you’re singing [how great is our God] while also standing there with a stoic dumb look on your face because honestly awkward dancing dude's response makes a little more sense.

I'm really dying to hear some thoughts on this so please share.
On a scale of 'stoic no emotion guy' to 'crazy flag lady', where do you stand and why?

Why do you think we go nuts to YMCA at a wedding reception [and champion crazy dancers] but once we get to church we suddenly become super reserved [and frown upon crazy dancers]?

Do we need to draw a line between expressive worship and over the top worship? If so, what is it?

[So, I started a facebook page. Please check it out and 'like' it. Thanks. Also please continue to hit that share button if you're encouraged by what you read]