14 new Streams pics up.  Click over to the right to see them all.

First batch of Streams photos (by Elsbeth McCormick) are up.  Click to the right (under Twitter updates) to see them all.  And more are still to come so be sure to check back.

Dear CCA Students and Teachers,

STREAMS was absolutely beautiful!  I just want to thank all of our talented dance students and teachers for doing such a wonderful, annointed job in leading us in worship through dance!  I honestly can’t think of anything about the evening that I would have changed (and I  can be quite the critic!).  The LORD was faithful beyond faithful in every way and it was an evening I’ll never forget.  I love each one of you way more than you can know.  Thank you for dancing and praising your hearts out!

Love, Ariel

 STREAMS. a worship dance concert.  Friday, May 8.  7pm.  In the Gym at West End Assembly of God. (401 N. Parham Rd, Richmond, VA 23229).  Presented by the faculty and students of the Christian Center for the Arts Dance Department.

We are doing something different for our end of the year “show” at the Christian Center for the Arts this spring.  This Friday (May 8) we will be having a “Worship Dance Concert” called Streams.  The past three years we have done “dance dramas” that tell Biblical stories with current day themes/morals.  This year we are exploring what it looks like to lead our “audience” into a place of worship and communing with God through dance. 

The first half of the concert will be “a story told” where I have edited a retelling of John Eldredge’s “Sea Lion” story (about a Sea Lion who has lost the sea and ended up in a desert and eventually realized that he must move out of his place of complacency and pursue that which he was made for…the sea!) in between different pieces of choreography set to worship songs.  The second half of the evening will be “a response to unfold” – live worship music with dance – both choreographed and improvised – and an ultimate invition for everyone to join in the dance!

Other interesting elements are that it is a 360 “audience” that will be wrapping around the dance area.  We are bringing in bleachers to help with sightline issues.  I also have had a stirring in my spirit that while the title is “Streams” that like the Sea Lion we are actually to go after the Sea [of God's love]…read Ezek 47 for more!

My heart is to see this be a night of fruitfulness.  Our theme verse is Jer 17:7-8 along with Eph 3:17.  It is a call for us to become more deeply rooted in the love of Christ, that we would be as trees planted by the water…that are not anxious in the year of drought and that do not cease to yeild fruit.

I was thinking the other day about how the religious spirit often comes against the incorporation of dance during worship.  I was reminded of David’s extravagant, undignified dancing before the LORD and Michal’s antagonistic response.  I find it interesting that as Michal was operating in a spirit contrary to the freedom and love of God, that the consequence was barreness for the rest of her life.  (“Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” 2 Sam 6:23) 

I have wondered if this was possibly one way that God chose to communicate the extreme unfruitfulness (barreness) that comes from the place of religiosity.  Perhaps the LORD was indeed confirming to David and Michal that He absolutely will use the weak and foolish things to shame the strong and wise things.  And perhaps He was communicating that it is out of that place of extravagant body, soul, mind, and STRENGTH worship – worship uninhibited by the religious spirit – where abundant fruit springs forth.

This does, after all, line up with the message of Jer 17 and Eph 3:17.  As we are rooted in trusting and loving God (body, soul, mind, and STRENGTH) and knowing His love towards us, we indeed won’t be anxious in the season of draught/recession (spirit of adoption replacing spirit of fear as described in Rom 8:15) but will watch and be amazed as extreme fruitfulness comes forth!

Prayer Request: Please be praying that God has His way completely.  Pray for all the details to go smoothly (esp with the seating issue).  Pray for divine wisdom as I lead this event along with the worship during the second half of the evening.  Pray for extravagant worship to release many from that (often subtle) place of a religoius spirit and propel us into a place of fruitfulness – that starts in hearts and then overflows to the rest of life.  Pray that what happens this upcoming Friday, May 8, is of eternal consequence – that whatever work is accomplished, will remain after it’s all said and done 1 Cor 3:12-15.

Thanks for partnering with us in prayer for this event!