A lesson on worship from a child's perspective

I was reminded of a story I need to set down.  Last week, in one of my second grade classes, I had a problem with one student telling another "You're supposed to sing AND dance, not just dance" while we were doing a worship song.  Unfortunately his tone was very demanding and also he was interrupting class for everyone, so I called him out.  Today, the same student made a similar comment (but I guess thought he would get away with it if he just made it a general comment rather than getting in someone's face in particular) and said "I HATE it when people don't sing AND dance!!"

And so I pulled him aside.

I sat him down at a table near the wall.  After I set another song on for the students, and came over to him and asked him a few questions.  "Are you the teacher?"  No.  "Are you supposed to decide how other people act?"  No.  "Why are you interrupting class with mean comments then?"  Tears, and anger.  They're not doing what they're supposed to do.  "Oh, they aren't?  Did I say anything to them?  Did I tell them they were wrong?"  No.  "Why do you think that is?"  Silence.  "When we worship together, the only wrong thing is to not participate.  Were they participating?"  But some of them weren't singing, they were just dancing!  "Ok. . . but who gets to decide if that's right or not?"  Silence.  "Ok. . . so here's paper- I want you to come up with two reasons why it is OK for people to dance to a song but not sing along with it."

I left him alone for a couple minutes, did another activity, and then swept by to see what he had written.

It is NOT ok for them to dance and not sing.

As soon as I walked by, he scribbled it out.  He was still fuming.

I got the kids started on another activity, and then I pulled out my iPad and brought up two Scriptures:  first from 2 Samuel and second from 1 Corinthians (what's cool is that I was all about the LOOK KING DAVID DANCED STOP COMPLAINING but I knew I needed something else, so thanks Holy Spirit).  "Read this."  As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord.  "OK. . . so how was King David responding to God?"  Dancing.  "Does it say he was singing?"  No.  "Look up here. . .we see there was some singing and music playing, but it doesn't mention dancing.  Do we always have to sing and dance together?"  Silence.  "Ok, read this."  I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.   "Do we always have to pray aloud for God to hear us?"  No.  "Ok.  And does this verse say that we should just sing aloud, or that what we are thinking is important too?"  We sing inside and outside.  "I like what you said.  So do you think that some people might just sing inside, and that God can hear them still?"  Silence.  "See, I didn't make these rules up on my own.  I run my classroom by what the Bible says, not just what Mr. Beck decides.  If students are messing around, or if they aren't participating at all, then they get in trouble, don't they?" Nods. "I tell them they are distracting and keeping other people from participating, and that's not fair.  But if they are moving and not singing, or if they are singing and not moving, or if they are doing both, I let them alone, and do you know why?"  Silence.  "Because it is not my job to decide how they worship God best."

I honestly can't say that he got it, but I know he was thinking hard, because he changed from angry and hurt to receptive and, well, after scribbling out the first comment, this is what he wrote:

I know now it is OK if they only want to sing or to dance.  But I'm singing and dancing.

You just can't make that stuff up.  I think there is a grand lesson for all of us in this.