Jesus Can Dance
This is a story of the Gospel message like you’ve never heard or seen before. Get those dancing shoes on, learn a few funky moves, and get yourself out on the dance floor, because you’re going to find out sooner or later that Jesus can dance!
Characters: Jesus, Pharisees, Sadducees, God, Group of Dancers, Narrator
Props & Setup: You can turn the entire stage into a scene from a 50’s dance floor complete with banners, a DJ spinning records, dance music, a strobe light, lemonade stand, chaperones, and chairs along the wall of the gymnasium. But most importantly of all, learn to dance, especially Jesus. The rest is cake, just act things out as the narrator tells the story.
The Skit: Awhile back, I can’t remember how long ago, but it’s a sad tale to tell, how the people had lost the ability to dance. Now, they had bad dance instructors called pharisees and sadducees who taught them dances, but those dances just didn’t groove, they just didn’t move like the people knew they could move. Yeah, the pharisees taught the people a dance called the “pharisee dance” which was a random array of quirky, jerky, very bad dance moves all thrown together, sorta like berry carrot chicken chunk pie. (the people twitch and sway) And worse yet, the sadducees taught the people a dance called the “sadducee dance” which resembled dead zombies swaying back and forth with their heads and arms hanging down sort of like the motions made by a limp kelp plant stuck to the bottom of the ocean. (the people twitch and sway)
Now this was not cool at all, and the people cried out to God. (People cry out) And God, the King of Swing, the Lord of the Dance Floor, heard their cries for help, and God saw their lack of dancing style. And God said, “Man, those grooves just don’t move!” And God had to turn away, but only for a second, because God had something up his sleave, it was his only Son, Jesus Christ, the best dancer in the whole universe! And God sent Jesus right on over to teach the people how to dance again, and show them some funky new moves that nobody had ever seen before! Just watch this! (Jesus boogies, twists, turns and moonwalks across the stage.) And that Jesus, he was “bad!” He chased those pharisees and sadducees right off the dance floor, and cut loose in one incredibly, amazing, like “Wow, I can’t believe he just did that” kind of dance that knocked everyones socks clean off. (Socks go flying up in the air and everyone gasps and stares as Jesus goes nuts out on the dance floor) And the people went nuts for his stuff! (They break into wild applause) Because Jesus knew how to swing, and boogie, and foxtrot, and breakdance, and disco, and waltz, and even do a mean two step. And best of all, Jesus taught them how to dance again. He taught the people how to do the dance of life, and love, the dance of joy and happiness, the dance of peace and justice, and the dance of truth and righteousness. (Jesus leads the group in dance moves while they copy his every move in a line behind him on the stage.) And everyone was happy again, dancing again, loving again, and praising God again with the dance of life. And God saw that it was very good! And God said, “Man, those moves are sweet!”
But the pharisees and sadducees weren’t digging the new moves Jesus was putting on. Yeah, Jesus could dance, no question about it, but they weren’t gonna let him steal the show. No, that Jesus had to go. So they marched right out onto the dance floor and grabbed Jesus by the neck, beat him up, and threw him out the back door and into a dumpster in the alley along with all the thieves and robbers and folks who couldn’t dance at all. And those fun-killing pharisees and sadducees made the people forget the new moves Jesus was puttin on and made them do the old quirky jerky, chicken chunk pie dances like before. (the people twitch and sway) And everybody thought Jesus was a goner and they cried out to God. (People cry out) And God the King of Swing, the Lord of the Dance Floor, heard the cries of the people and saw those aweful dance moves one more time. And God said, “Don’t worry all you little dancing dudes, the Lord of the Dance is a’coming back! Check it out! Here he comes right now!”
And sure enough, there he was, Jesus Christ, the best dancer in the whole universe, dancing right through the front doors of the dance hall, his feet a moving and a grooving, his shoes a tappin and a slapping the floor, his body swaying and playing to the music. And he was dancing so fast his feet were on fire, and his shoes were smoking and the place started rocking, and a whole new dance thing started happening right then and there, and God’s Spirit jumped right into everybody’s shoes and they all went nuts! Some were dancing the foxtrot, and some were dancing the two step, and others were doing the boogie, and others were just jumping around and banging into each other doing some dance nobody had ever seen before! It was pretty strange, I must say, but that place was a’rockin’, what a riot! They were all cutting loose and praising God with the dance like never before! And they were so happy and carefee they danced out into the streets and shared their new dance moves with the thieves and robbers, the poor and the hungry, the outcast and the downtrodden, even plain folks who couldn’t dance to tie a shoe. And I tell you, nothing, nothing has ever been the same since.
Well, there you go. That’s the story of how Jesus, the Lord of the Dance, rocked the socks off the dance floor and got the people to dancing again. There’s people still doing it today, you can see it for youself, just get on down to where the music’s playing and the people’s praising God with no holds barred. And you’ll see some serious dancing my friend.
And remember, there’s no stopping the dance. There’s no stopping the dance, because, that Jesus, man, that Jesus can dance!
The End
Biblical Emphasis: The Kings banquet, come ready to party! Matthew 22:1-14. Jesus does and says some unexpected things to his followers. We are called to follow him into the unknown, the uncomfortable, the unfamiliar. We are called to get up and dance!
Discussion Starters:
1. What are some things about the call of Christ that make you uncomfortable?
2. How can we break out of our pharisee-isms and live and dance before God unhindered?
3. How can we help each other to share our faith openly, freely, unashamedly?
4. Pray asking God for help in dancing your faith before others.
“Jesus Can Dance” Copyright 2005 Cross the Sky Ministries
Permission granted for local use.
www.crossthesky.com