The Messianic Church: Discovering Our Lost Inheritance

I am currently reading a book that my friend Carolyn gave to me, and I must tell you that it is truly blowing me away. The book is entitled, "The Messianic Church: Discovering Our Lost Inheritance" by Robert D. Heidler, Th.M. and is so fascinating. It is a small spiral-bound book but is truly packed with so much. I am amazed at how the Body of Christ has come so far away from our Root, which is Biblical Judaism. I will post next time more on the pagan influences which have infiltrated our churches over the centuries. But, for tonight, I will post an excerpt that many will find very exciting, and some may find a bit surprising. This is an excerpt of a part of the book where he is describing what a first century "church" service would have looked like.

"As we walk through the door (of a house church), you look across the entrance into the large open courtyard of the home. There appears to be some kind of party going on. Some of the people are playing flutes, lyres, and tambourines, while others are singing, dancing, and clapping their hands.

You immediately look around you to make sure you came into the right house! As you listen to the words, however, you realize that this is the right place, for the words of the songs are the words of praise to Jesus! These people are overflowing with joy because they have come to know the living God.

What you are witnessing is the way the early church praised God. This type of worship is foreign to much of the church today, but from the biblical and historical records, this is what the worship in the early church was like. It was a free and joyful celebration, with a great deal of singing and dancing.
Most church services would begin with the people getting in a ring (or several concentric rings) and dancing Jewish-style ring dances (like the Hora).

Here's how some early Christian writers described their worship. Clement of Alexandria (writing about A.D. 215), pictures worship on earth as "joining in" to the heavenly worship. He describes heavenly worship this way: "Then shalt thou dance in a ring dance, together with the angels around Him who is without beginning or end."

Ambrose of Milan, the man who led Augustine to the Lord, writing in A.D. 390 exhorted his people to worship with these words: "Let us dance as David did. Let us not be ashamed to show adoration of God. Dance uplifts the body above the earth into the heavenlies. Dance bound up with faith is a testimony to the living grace of God. He who dances as David danced, dances in grace."
St. Basil (4th century) wrote, "Could ther be anything more blessed than to imitate on earth the ring dance of the angels!"

This picture of the church rejoicing before the Lord in dance comes as a surprise to many people. Many people have thought of the early church's worship as somber, quiet, and almost mournful. That concept of church worship, however, did not become prevalent in the church until after the fourth century when the church was overrun by the asceticism of pagan philosophy."

I am both saddened and excited to read this book. I am overwhelmed at how far we have come and how anti-semitic we have been as Christians down through the centuries. Although I do attend a fellowship in which we can freely worship the Lord with praise, dancing, clapping and singing and are encouraged to do so, it has not been until recently that the Lord is truly pouring out a heart like David's into me, to dance as He danced for the Lord, both in my home and with other believers as we worship Him. I am finding a refreshing new freedom to express my praise to the Lord, and I am so excited and thankful! Praise to the Messiah!