On July 17 the John Street United Methodist Church was scheduled to worship in the gazebo at Merry Springs Nature Center in Camden.  Foul weather drenched that plan, so the congregation gathered informally in a circle for an indoor service in the sanctuary on John Street.  In this setting the worshipers prayed, sang and shared scripture.  The congregation provided the morning message by raising up blessings they had experienced during the past year, bringing laughter and tears as they shared their personal stories.

One particular woman expressed her gratitude for the support the congregation gave her she when she underwent complicated orthopedic leg surgery this past winter.   She mentioned in her thanks a particular senior member of the congregation whose well-wishes included a pledge to dance with her once she was strong enough.  Her response had been laughter, since she had never danced.  On this day she commented that she had not yet danced.  Upon hearing the story, another member of the congregation asked, “How about now?

The rest is history:  he escorted her to the center of the circle, began to sing and lead her in her first dance and it was beautiful!  Dancing in sanctuaries is not always appropriate, but in this instance it was a spontaneous act praising God.

The “audience” experienced tears as it witnessed this ‘Dance of Joy!’