A Dismissal Dance

A dismissal dance helps to emphasize and energize the closing words of a worship service. Included in this article are creative suggestions for sending worshipers into the world with a strong sense of God's presence.

During the final hymn, choir members moved down the aisles, and each stopped at the end of a different pew to sing the words directly to the people in that pew: "Go tell it on the mountain / Over the hills and everywhere / Go, tell it on the mountain / That Jesus Christ is born!" In another church, all the people were directed to face others around them while singing the benediction "God Be With You Till We Meet Again." And in a third church, the people processed out singing the final hymn: "Forth In Thy Name, O Lord, We Go." As we see in these three examples, dismissals and benedictions should give us a strong personal sense of God's presence and direction to send us forth. By contrast, we know of churches where the people begin leaving before the dismissal is spoken. In some congregations, the dismissal is spoken so indirectly that many are not aware they are being addressed. To make dismissals more meaningful, embody the direction suggested in the words of the closing hymn. When the words speak of our interaction, direct the people to face each other. When the words speak of spreading the good news and God's activity beyond the church, direct the people to sing those words while they move out beyond the church building. Some people cannot envision the presence of God outside the place of worship. One such example occurred when a worship service concluded with all the people processing out of the church singing "God of Grace and God of Glory" as the benediction. One person complained that the moving disturbed his sense of God's presence, for he could not imagine God moving with us outside the church. I responded that the benediction and/or dismissal should stress that God leads us outside the church to the rest of the world throughout the week. Unfortunately, always saying and hearing benedictions and prayers in a static position has made it difficult for our people to sense God moving in the world; we need more moving dismissals to help our people sense God in world events as well as in our lives outside the church building. Directions for simple movement to dozens of hymns are given in my book Dancing Christmas Carols; many of these are appropriate as moving dismissals not only in Advent, but also in the first months of the new year. As outlined in that book, certain theological guidelines emerge from biblical and historical studies to aid the worship leader in designing contemporary worship with dance. Most important, the processional march is the paradigmatic form of dance in both Jewish and Christian worship. The theological significance of the march is best seen when contrasted with the circle dance. In both forms of dance the individual is incorporated into the community. In the circle dance, the community is oriented inwardly upon itself. God transcends the group, yet is envisioned at its center, focusing attention with the group. In the march, the community is oriented beyond itself. God again transcends the group, but is envisioned as leading the people out into the world beyond themselves. The circle dance leads the worshiper over and over the same ground, cultivating a cyclical view of events; the march leads the people out of cyclical or static world views into a forward movement more in keeping with a faith that makes history meaningful. Although the circle dance is more congenial with some Eastern religions and the march with Western religions, both Judaism and Christianity may utilize circle dances at times. But the march is appropriately the most frequent dance in Christian worship. A most effective closing to worship combines a meaningful gesture of benediction within the context of a processional march using the historic tripudium step in which one takes three steps forward and one step backwards, three steps forward and one step backwards, etc. (See "Triumph and Tripudium," pages 58–59, in Eileen Freeman's The Holy Week Book for a historic use of the tripudium step appropriate for Lent and Holy Thursday dismissals.) Through this dance step in a processional march, the people sense a heightening of community, repentance, rejoicing, and rededication. An illustration of the use of this march was at Washington Cathedral when we used this pattern as a moving dismissal. The choir began by repeatedly singing "Alleluia," and the congregation joined in the singing. Then the choir began moving with the tripudium step around and around the Communion table as they continued singing. They did not move in single file nor in rows of two or three abreast with arms linked; instead they moved as a massed group with each person having a hand placed on a shoulder of one person ahead. After they have moved around the altar in that way a few times, they invited others from the congregation to join them as they continued to move in that pattern. After a few more times around the altar, they continued singing "Alleluia" and moved in a massed group (with many of the congregation joining in) through the cathedral hall and outside into the city.