A TABERNACLE OF WORSHIP
TROUGHT BODY ART
A few questions to Christine S. Jeanville about the Tabernacle of May
13th
What is a tabernacle of worship through body art?
It is a place, a particular space and a time set apart where we welcome
and enjoy the presence of God. It is a place where we want
Him to feel honored and loved. We want His holiness, His
truth and His life to meet with us freely and intimately, close to our
hearts and minds.. These days, many believers are rediscovering
the meaning of a tabernacle according to the Word of God.
A
tabernacle of worship through body art is a time especially devoted to
rededicating our bodies to God and thanking our Creator for His gift
of creativity.
It has often been erroneously taught that the body was
carnal and that to be spiritual one had to suppress one’s own body. But
God gave us this body even before the Fall. Actually, even
if we reign over the desires of our body, it is the visible reflection
of our inner life and it should show God in our life, in our being and
in our movements. Isn’t our body the receptacle, the
tabernacle of Christ’s presence in us? Thus we want to
take care of it the right way, with respect, joy and thankfulness… we
want to act powerfully on May 13th by coming to present to God our bodies
through our gifts of expression.
Why such a vision?
It is a seed planted in the hearts of many and which took years
to grow… Six months ago, a growing consciousness
began that God was asking for this action: “Give me back your
bodies!” In a society that is completely lost concerning
the meaning of our bodies, we had the courage to stand up and say: “Here
we are!” But we know that we have so much to learn
and that this first tabernacle is going to be a revelation for each
one of us, even if we already have a vague idea what we are about to
experience.
Where and when will it take place?
In
the Lazarus Church in Bussigny (Lausanne). The place is modern, well
lit, with high ceilings and a lot of space…
On May 13th 2006, from 2pm to 10pm, for 8 hours non-stop in the main hall, there
will be times of praise and worship, spontaneous prayer times and prepared times.
Different teams will lead us, musicians, but also presentations by various groups
of different expressions, times of shared intercession, acts of unity…
There will also be other rooms where we will consider the stages necessary to
enter the tabernacle in order to spend some personal time with God.
There will be intercessors and prayer teams present…
There will also be
a small room for babies and hyperactive children (yes, we have even thought of
that!) because we really want the tabernacle itself to be a holy, a very holy
place, where no one will divert the place of honor we want for the Lord … and
that depends on each one of us. Entrance is free, and there will be a possibility
to give an offering during the tabernacle to bless and sow in the realm of body
art, and also to help cover expenses.
Who can come?
If you have a body, then this concerns you (lol)
It can be in artistic dance, in different types of dance, in the joy of movement,
or just walking, raising up your arms, taking position ... body art concerns
us all. We can all come to the Lord and talk about our bodies, which
we have often wrongly understood and badly loved … and let the divine
Designer teach us.
Thus,
for some of us, it will be a first step in daring to get rid of the shackles
and the prejudices we have against ourselves and against others. For
others it will be a need to come and give their artistic gift and to
let it be purified.
There will be no place for self-fulfillment: dancing or body art is not a fashion
show and has no place here. The purpose of this tabernacle is to offer ourselves
to God through dancing when we feel it can no longer be contained from within … but
it is also learning to let our bodies abide in His presence. We know that God
wants to heal our thoughts, our bodies and our minds.
There will also be participants who work in the sports and health area; they
have a specific place here, since their work concerns the body so closely.
We are expecting people of every generation.. There will be times
when children will lead us, then teenagers, and then adults. We desire
grandmothers and grandfathers who also rise to lead us in a dance that defies
the “you’re too old “ clichés. I also see in my heart
handicapped people, in wheelchairs for example, who come to worship the Lord
and proclaim their praises. Anne-Dominique, whom I introduced in
the latest “Dance passionate” DVD, is hemiplegic and nothing can
stop her from dancing and shining! Obeying life more than death,
she blesses us all.
Our body is a wonderful parable of the Body of Christ; each
one of us can take this time to be reconciled with God. In short, everyone is
welcome!
Give us an idea of the different times and “colors” of
this tabernacle...
Different aspects of worship are in preparation, but I can already
give you some ideas of what to expect.
We are expecting ballet dancers, jazz dancers, African dancers, oriental
dancers, hip hop and new style dancers, ballroom dancers, folk dancers,
Israeli dancers, worship teams with banners, prophetic actions, etc…
We will see people from Switzerland and France, from Belgium and Germany, maybe
some people from Korea and Brazil … worship leaders both instrumental
and vocal, instruments that we are not used to seeing in our churches…
I won’t give you any names because that shouldn’t be the reason
for your coming, your motivation should be just one thing … our
honored Guest … our precious Lord!
How many are you expecting?
We
don’t know yet! And we are not really worried about
it for this first-time event. It may well be a dozen or several
hundred, it doesn’t matter. During these eight hours
we are hoping more for quality than quantity ...
What are the main values of this event?
We are very aware that we must discover the values of Christ concerning
creativity and the body. Thus, every wrong notion, inherited from the
Greek way of thinking in our society, such as individualism, competition,
seduction, idolatry, self worship and intellect will have to be vigorously
swept away ... and also, no doubt, with repentance.
We think that these
moments will have a spiritual impact on our different countries. That
is what is motivating us the most because we are thirsty for the truth
of the Kingdom. We want this truth to free us from the shackles that
destroy every artist, every dancer, and every human being!
What future is there for this kind of tabernacle?
Step by step, we are trying to follow the Holy Spirit.
But it seems that
this is a “rendezvous ” that the Lord wants
to perpetuate in the years that come … Let’s see
what happens in 2007 !
Is
there anyone you’d like to thank?
Several!!
Many thanks to the “Danser la Vie” (France) and the “Machol” (Switzerland)
teams, dancers who have been in the breach for many months in prayer, intercession,
and work.
Thanks also to “L’Abri”, my church in France that is helping
us so much, and to the apostolic church in Lausanne, and the Lazarus church,
working with them is a precious gift.
Thanks to our spiritual partners, Psalmodia, YWAM, Mima Vision and many others …
Thanks to everyone for encouraging us…
Thanks to Line who left us too soon but who planted seeds of eternal dancing
in our lives …
Above all, thanks to the Lord, who made us partners in His
wonderful project.
Revelation 21:3 : And I heard a great voice out of the throne
saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them,
and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God
Apocalypse 21:3 Et j’entendis du trône une forte voix
qui disait : Voici le tabernacle de Dieu avec les hommes! Il habitera avec
eux, et ils seront son peuple, et Dieu lui-même sera avec eux.
1 Corinthians 6:19 : Or know ye not that your body is
a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God?
and ye are not your own
NB : Any dance team that would like to join us is welcome. Please
tell us soon if you would like to lead
a time of worship.
Interview : Flowerdance :-)
Translated by : Dancer in the light
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