I am shocked and need to share it now...

I spoke to some sisters who are still attending the church I one attended myself 6 years ago.
It is an evangelical, Pentecost kind of church.. All my friends are still going to this church.
And this morning they where telling me about Sumba dancing in church.
And they where all planning to go there. I was totally speechless.
Not only one evening…you can make your choice….it is possible to dance four evenings.
O Lord. Before I spoke to my friends this morning I was crying about the “worldly-state” I see so many dear brothers and sisters in these last day’s. The day’s so close before the coming of Jesus.
There is no longing for prayer and the preachers who are bringing the true words of God are banned out now.
It is the fasted growing church in my town and perhaps in the country. The pastor is young and very popular.
I am totally shocked about this dancing. I needed to share it with somebody. That’s why I am post it now.
O my dear brothers and sisters, stay close to the Word, watch and pray.

With tears,
browny

Dear Browny

You highlight a spiritual truth that has been heavily burdening my spirit. The worldly- state of Christianity today is so painful to watch and my spirit is grieved by it all we can do is pray pray pray pray and pray some more. Let's pray without ceasing and God is faithful and just to keep his true bride pure and Christ will present her faultless with exceeding great joy one day

Love in Christ

hi, if you sub the word arobic exercise instead of dance would it make you feel more comfortable . i forgot that commandment about dancing.

"hi, if you sub the word arobic exercise instead of dance would it make you feel more comfortable . i forgot that commandment about dancing."

No - it doesn't make more comfortable - 99% of it is sensual, and not clothed.....somehow I don't think David dancing in the Bible was sensual and unclothed - doesn't fit with a HOLY GOD....

I am so sorry, Browny! Many of us feel very alone...

Hey Browny-

Just a point of clarification for me.

Are you sure it is "sumba" dancing? There is very little to be found on "sumba" dancing. Although the little I could find showed it to be basically a "ballroom dancing" with Brazilian or South American flavors. We had another thread dissecting that pretty completely recently so I will not comment on it further. I have never watched it, but I suppose the rise in popularity of the "Dancing With The Stars" shows could have created an avenue of interest that a church opened up to. However, from all I can see it is basically ballroom dancing with a Latin flair. Is this what they were going to?

Another thought came to me. Is this actually "Zumba Dancing" rather than "Sumba Dancing"? I know several ladies who use the "Zumba" dancing. It is basically an intense aerobic workout. Rather than jogging, running on a tread mill, or riding a stationary bike they do an an intense aerobic workout in the form of high calorie burning "dances in place",,, more or less. But it is basically a fitness workout at the end of the day. Is it possible that the thing they referred to was "Zumba Dancing" and they are simply meeting some other ladies for a workout time? I know some churches have multi purpose rooms (gyms, fellowship halls, etc.) that groups of ladies will use as a "safe place" for them to work out together 2 or 3 nights a week. They don't want to go to a public gym where there are guys there ogleing (sp?) them constantly with their eyes... so they meet together as a group for an aerobic workout in the multi purpose room, often with a time of fellowship and/or a devotional facilitated by one of the ladies. Is it possible this is what they were referring to, the "Zumba Dance Fitness" program?

Oh yeah..one last question...were these times for females only or were they coed?

Just asking for a little clarification.... not exactly sure what they meant at this point.

Thanks Browny!

Blessings.

YOU ARE RIGHT IT IS Zumba Dancing and it is coed.
And, at least for my friends, it is __not__ to feel more comfortable. They don't have a problem with this...
Sorry if my writing is not correct...I am to upset to find the right words in Englisch at the moment.
You see, I see my friends getting more and more attending the world. And it makes me so sad to see this...
Thank you for your repley Solomon101

Bless you,
Agnes

hi, it is not my job to be a judge of anyone else in the church. itis my job to be the best me in the church and be a witness as i live out my life. obesity is the main physical problem in this country and a church that provides a high intensity aerobic exercise program to help seems to be a good way to make those who succeed in getting in shape with their testimony.jimp there is nothing sensual about zumba.it is fast and and increasingly difficult.

Still I think it would be a better way of exercise to go on your knees and pray, standing up and raise your hands in worship...And I am not judging,,,I am only so sad to see many people attending this and almost nobody showing up for a time of prayer....no time...no energy for praying.

Shalom jimp

browny

Dear Browny

I can totally sympathise with you, it’s very sad and grievous. Much prayer is needed.

Blessings to you

I do not wish to excite debate....I am not judging....it is for the Holy Spirit to convict and guide everyone who belongs to Him....I just have to say that I have never seen aerobics done in loose-flowing/non-form-fitting garments....seems to me it would be next to impossible....I am certainly not against exercise. But if this is done in a coed setting, I would think a boundary has been crossed that certainly can be sensual and potentially arousing lust and potentially causing brothers to stumble. How could you call this worship?

mama27...I do not wish to excite debate....I am not judging....it is for the Holy Spirit to convict and guide everyone who belongs to Him....I just have to say that I have never seen aerobics done in loose-flowing/non-form-fitting garments....seems to me it would be next to impossible....I am certainly not against exercise. But if this is done in a coed setting, I would think a boundary has been crossed that certainly can be sensual and potentially arousing lust and potentially causing brothers to stumble. How could you call this worship?

Mama, I am not going to get into any debates here, I just don't feel led to, but your Wisdom just astonishes me.
God Bless
Mr. Bill

RUN! You said it yourself, don't waste your time. You love God and are pricked in your conscience about that. This is a real prompting of the the Holy Spirit, not legalistic narrowmindedness. Do not marvel when the majority has no issue with that and think you are an oddball.
Countless saints go through the same experience, many here on SI can share similar experiences. I myself left churches, sometimes right in the middle of a service.

MrBillPro,

I am sorry, I cannot tell if you are being serious or facetious...I never get joking within my own family either. Can you tell me which it is?

dear narrowpath, i understand that you are so holy and intolerant to leave a church in the middle of a service but tell me about the many that you have led to the Master as a testimony not your inability to see that help is needed in a fellowship and being there and suuplying strength and council.. this is a matter of offering an exercise program in evenings when the church is not together.if you do not have lust on sunday morning when people are in their sunday finest and best make up,how are you going to be reved up with someone in a sweat suit and no make up and full of sweat.either attend or do not .it isn't a big deal.

"i understand that you are so holy and intolerant to leave a church in the middle of a service but tell me about the many that you have led to the Master as a testimony not your inability to see that help is needed in a fellowship"

Jimp, With all respect, I think this type of comment and response to narrowpath is what breaks down the Spirit of the Lord being able to work in and through this forum. Is it not surely possible that someone IS led by the HOLY SPIRIT to leave a service? How can we who were not there possibly judge that...

Sweaty sweatsuits are not what anyone is talking about....skimpy leotards is what we are talking about among mixed genders. And we are not talking about an exercise class, Browny was talking about what was going on in worship, unless I misunderstood. Surely there is great cause for lust in people's Sunday finest - that is a discussion perhaps for another thread...

by mama27...MrBillPro,I am sorry, I cannot tell if you are being serious or facetious...I never get joking within my own family either. Can you tell me which it is?

O! 101% totally serious!

Let everyones emotions cool a bit. I do want to try and clarify some though.

1. It seems no one has a problem with people exercising and getting into better shape or maintaining it if they are. Correct?

2. No one has a problem with people doing intense aerobic workouts to better increase their health and care for the body God gave them. Correct?

3. I would think no one has a problem with people using a church owned multi purpose room/gymnasium as a place for their members/friends to do that. We are talking about a gymnasium after all.... or large room set aside for such events NOT the sanctuary. Correct?

4. The lone issue seems to be the idea of mixing the males/females with the increased potential of creating ways that guys would certainly have to deal with lust. Correct?

5. It would seem a good idea to have exercise facilities that will allow females to work out with their friends who are also females. This keeps them from going to a gym where other men may be undressing them mentally the entire time they are there. I would want the females in my family to have access to a place they could get a good workout without having to be bothered by the roaming eyes of other guys that might happen to be at a public gym. Correct?

6. As a red blooded American guy myself...it seems ridiculous to say that a room full of leotard clad ladies gyrating, dancing, and moving might not possibly be a temptation. It seems to me anyone who denies that is either naive, untruthful, running low on testosterone, or perhaps wanting to go and check it out themselves as they might not have that area under control. I believe I do have that area under control... but playing with fire will eventually burn you. Correct?

7. If this church... or any fellowship for that matter... will make it females only then wouldn't that solve the problem? There is much good to come from an exercise program... but if it causes spiritual damage then it is a negative overall. It seems to me to be a simple fix. Make it female only. I would also say that I know several females using the Zumba Dance fitness program....but not any guys. Are you sure it is coed? Do you know it for a fact or did you just suspect it? I find it hard to believe a decent church is this unaware. Few men are willing to do this. That is why I wonder if guys are really there.

8. THIS IS KEY- Browny, have you, or any one else, spoken to the church leadership about the issue? Has anyone actually gone to them and discussed their concerns over this being a coed (male and female) group? If not then it is absolutely wrong to be raking them over the coals for it. They may have no idea it is a mixed group... and in fact it may not even be a mixed group... that is hear say so far.

Very, very, very often in tissues like this we should not be posting it or telling others. In fact we may not even need to pray a great deal. We may just simply need to go to the leadership and find out what is happening. Go talk TO them before talking ABOUT them is always good advice.

If it is a coed group then the fix seems easy enough. If the leadership rejects the wisdom of making it females only then that of course does bring it to the level of taking others with a person to share their concerns.

Blessings!