Biblical Pageantry (3of3)

of a great pageant of worship activity. Pageantry prepares us for this throne-room worship of eternity by exposing us to the etiquette of the King's court and by reminding us of the awesome deeds and wonders and character of our Holy God.

In Psalm 68:24, the psalmist declares, "They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary". If they saw it, there must have been something to see! One of the strongholds operating in some parts of the church today is the deception that we can worship God just by our thoughts and heart attitude. This dualistic thinking, Greek in its mindset, seeks to destroy the godly Hebrew concept of the whole, integrated person of spirit, soul and body. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). Love is an action verb! The expression and the demonstration of that love as we present our bodies is our "spiritual service" spoken of in Romans 12:1. As we join our strength and our emotions in the physical expression of our heart of worship, God is glorified in wholeness--the way He has ordained.

What makes pageantry powerful? It is the exchange that happens when we connect with the Holy God by following His rules and patterns for approaching and glorifying Him. In this true worship, adjustments are made to our being as God conforms us to the image of His Son. His Word does not return to Him void, but accomplishes the purpose for which it is sent. When we are faithful to represent His Word in our pageantry, we will see the power of God move in our midst through this public, exuberant expression which brings the gospel and the proclamation of God's sovereignty to the world, the principalities, and to the Church.

This article was published in the April 2000 edition of Sursum Corda, the official publication of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. It helped prepare many of the more than 2,000 who attended the International Convocation of the ICCEC, held in July of 2000 in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Helena was part of the team that prepared the environment and brought pageantry for the three-day event.

Above: Pageantry on the wall in Jerusalem during the
World-Wide March for Jesus in 1995, proclaiming Christ in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

Below: To Him Who sits on the Throne; Flags, banners, and pageantry in worship.