The early followers of Yeshua were passionate and joyous in their worship, said Robert Heidler in his book, “Messianic Church Arising.” While much of this passion and joy has returned to worship today, first century worship will not be fully restored until ring dancing is added.
Giving Biblical evidence of the early Believers’ jubilant worship practices, Heidler explained how it disappeared as the Greek philosophies of stoicism and asceticism took hold. The result was a religion that saw poverty and suffering as virtues and expressions of passion as evil.
In recent years, the yoke of Greek philosophy has broken off and the joy has been returning to the Body. Followers of Yeshua have broken centuries-old traditions and incorporated joyous praise songs, clapping, lifting hands to the Lord, shouting and sounding shofars into their worship. There have even been individuals who dance spontaneously and dance worship performances by dance groups
The final phase of restoring joyous, passionate worship in the Body will come through ring dancing, which has been a distinct part of Messianic Jewish worship from the beginning of its revival in the 1970s. It is called Davidic Dancing, after King David, who danced with abandon before the Lord as described in 2 Samuel 6. The Bible also refers to dancing as a normal form of worship in Psalms 149, 150, and Exodus 15.
Several of the early Church fathers wrote that participatory ring dances were normal forms of worship for several centuries, according to Heidler. You may have seen trained dance teams perform these joyful and worshipful circle dances during a time of worship.
Davidic dancing becomes a restoration of joy when a congregation transitions from its people observing the dance as a worshipful performance to a significant number of the people participating in the dances. It’s similar to the difference between one listening to a person sing a beautiful worship song to the Lord and one singing a song to the Lord with the rest of the congregation.
When the congregation—young and old, men and women—participates together in a worshipful circle dance, it is a true restoration of joy to the Body. It is also a beautiful prophetic picture of Yeshua’s followers moving together in unity.