Don’t worry about it. It’s okay to get a little goofy. We’re on a mission from God!
In early October, our men’s group held its annual retreat at a lovely place in the Catskills. We arrived in the afternoon, when normally the light would have allowed us to take in the beautiful views from on top of the mountain; unfortunately, there was heavy rain and fog that denied us this pleasure. I was not sure what to expect on the first night, other than the expectation that some guys might be tired and not “feeling it.”
When we had gathered in the evening to pray and fellowship, I thought maybe we would have a nice gentle evening and sing a few songs. Somebody started to strum a guitar and sing one of those worship songs that everyone knows. He was quickly joined by another guitar. The voices got louder at this point. Then, with each new song, the volume grew, the voices were more boisterous, the strumming more emphatic, and before you knew it, someone was banging their coffee mug on the table as they sang. It was as if we were at a pub in England or Ireland somewhere. We were all singing and swaying and making a ruckus, but for Jesus.
This would have been an amazingly blessed time if that was it. But there was much more that happened. Finally, when the last bit of reservations were broken, things got more frenzied. Suddenly, some were grabbing silverware and playing spoons, another even grabbed the lids to a chafing dish and marched around the room as if leading a marching band with banging cymbals. Others were dancing. Well, that night set the tenor for the rest of the retreat.
Our time together, and specifically our time in worship, was going to be different. Yes, it might have included a lot of off-key and off-time utterances, but those utterances were done as an act of worship–of playing before our Father. You see, this wild halal worship had all the qualities of play even though there was still intentionality in it. It seems ironic to be phrased this way, but each person, as they became more intentional about worshipping God, their observable actions became more undignified, and nearly playful. Unencumbered by persona and duty, this playful worship was free and it involved simply being present with God and one another other in raising a joyful noise. But this was not chaotic, because there was a beautiful purpose behind it.
Our Father is a creative and playful being. If you doubt His creativity, think about all of the intricacies and interconnectedness of all that surrounds you: your movement and its effects on inanimate things next to you. If you stood up right now, upward movement of your body would produce a gust of wind that will flutter some papers on the other side of the room. There are a near infinite amount of examples of this kind of interplay in creation.
Furthermore, if you doubt His playfulness, try to make sense of the platypus . . . I’ll wait . . . Yes, all of creation is a testament to God’s creative playfulness. We were fashioned in the image of our Father. Across the world, all cultures engage in some sort of play and this play produces creativity. In order for grown Leonardo to paint the Mona Lisa, little Leonardo needed to make stick figures and stain the carpet with different colors. He needed to play with painting before he could get intentional about it. He needed to do the thing, and many times, and probably with a lot of horrible results, before he could make the masterpiece. However, each time he was learning more. Sometimes the lessons were intentional, but many were probably unintentional. Or, happy little accidents.
From an epistemological perspective (that is, the way of knowing and understanding things), play is a type of practice. Initially, the thing being done in play isn’t intentional. It’s not serious. However, over time, if continued, play becomes more intentional. The particular set of skills acquired through play become refined and the player becomes more adept.
From a physiological perspective, our bodies also benefit from play. On one hand there might be increased toning of the muscles. On the other, neurological benefits occur. The hormones of dopamine and serotonin are key to the process of play. Dopamine has been shown to be responsible for our feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation, and it’s known as the reward center. When someone has healthy levels of dopamine, they report feeling good. Likewise, serotonin performs many of the same functions, but has shown to help influence learning, memory, and happiness.
The results of play on the body produce health and well-being. The benefits derived from play reveal that this is something we were designed to do. Furthermore, those same hormones are involved in the creative process. Interestingly, these two hormones are not only part of the processes of play and creativity; they are increased by engaging in such activities. (They can also be increased with diet.) So by doing things that make you feel good, you increase the levels of the hormones that make you feel good. Fascinating. It’s a self-sustaining system that God designed our bodies with.
Earlier I brought up the fact that cultures across the world engage in some sort of play. In most of these cultures play is a pathway to learning a skill. Whether pretend fighting or home-making, such activity develops muscle memory, proper technique, application of forms, and all the things that make up specific skills.
That weekend back in October was a time of play for the men on retreat. Their play was intentional. They had worshipped before, but this was a step in a new direction. There was a boastful freedom as they engaged their Creator. Our chief purpose is to be in relationship and to worship our Father. Isn’t it possible then that we are fashioned in a such a way that our play is the very way we are to worship? If play produces hormones and neurotransmitters that fuel our sense of well-being physically and mentally, than by intentionally engaging in worship (which brings us into alignment with God), we also benefit from increased levels of dopamine and serotonin. This then fuels our creativity and energy to engage in more play. Furthermore, if God designed us this way then it is by being creative and playful that we can in fact worship Him even more!
May you be encouraged to be playful in your worship. Be free to get a little undignified in your life. Get on the floor, finger paint, dance like a fool, get down with your bad self and boogie-woogie as you give praise to the Lord . . . for He is good!! He made you to find health in him.
I trust that all makes sense . . . but if it doesn’t, feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to email and can be reached at mmontalbano@AwakeNJ.com.
Joy to the world and keep on trucking!! (honk-honk)
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Image: AI-Generated Art created by Mic Montalbano: “Playing in the Garden of the King”