With the resurrection of Jesus and the blessing of the Holy Spirit poured out on the disciples, the new body of Christ that we refer to as the church, is born. In Acts chapter 3, we continue to see what happens when this occurs and apparently, it involves dancing.

I grew up in a faith tradition that frowned upon dancing, which is sad because the result for me was a tall, lanky, uncoordinated man who lacks rhythm. But when I was in college and had the opportunity to attend a concert of one of my favorite Christian bands, I broke free from the shackles of not dancing and jumped right into the middle of what we called in the 90’s a mosh pit.

My group of friends and I spent two hours jumping, raising our hands, and singing our hearts out with the band’s Christ-centered lyrics. We danced with abandon. When I got done, I was so drained I literally had to drink two bottles of Gatorade to restore my lost electrolytes.

Reflecting on the evening in bed that night I realized I finally understood what God meant when He said, “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, NLT)

In Acts 3, Peter and John come across a lame man begging for a handout at the gate to the temple. These gates were often filled with the sick, lame, and poor who weren’t allowed in the temple because of their condition, but who hoped that the people going in would be kind enough to help them out.

The man in the story sees Peter and John and asks for a handout to get him through another day, but Peter and John end up sharing with Him more than he could have ever asked for or imagined. Peter says, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

In moments, the man who has never stood before isn’t just standing, he’s “walking, leaping, and praising God,” as he goes into the temple for the first time in his life. Not only was he healed, he was included, and it changed everything.

This is joy, uncontainable and unstoppable. If you’ve ever seen a couple get engaged, or a parent hold their child for the first time, you’ve seen this kind of joy.

The Greek word for joy is the word “chara” which shares the same root word with the Greek word for grace, “charis.” Scholars have suggested, based on this, that true joy is when grace is recognized.

When we recognize the favor of God, His sacrifice for our redemption, a common response is joy. And in the case of the lame beggar, it was a joy that he physically couldn’t contain.
After the people witness this event and are literally, astounded, Peter see’s the opportunity to introduce them to the source of this man’s joy.

When Jesus is our source, the center and circumference of faith and our lives, we recognize the love and grace He has given us who don’t deserve it. When that happens, we just might start to dance. And if you do, be careful, you just might like it.

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