As we stood in the pew, the comment muttered to me was”I feel more at ease in a room full of pole dancers at practice, than I do here”. What does she mean by that?
“Why’s that?”
“These people [the other pew dewellers] are judgemental.”
“and pole girls aren’t?”
“the more of your body you revile, the less you can hide.”
Should we therefore drop the Sunday best attire, and replace it with more of an Adam & Eve inspired dress code? I don’t think so, but the idea was interesting.
Last year I attended not one, but two pole dancing competitions. Just like any scored sport, a dancer is given X amount of time to show their skills and to be graded by a panel of judges in numerous categories that someone, once felt they were good guidelines for grading said sport. As part of this process, the dancers submitted a bio of sorts for the MC to read random facts about the upcoming performer as the change over occurred. There was a constant theme to a vast majority of these bios, across both competitions. The essence of what these girls had written was “I found a home and a community that I felt I could belong in” (that wasn’t how any actually worded it, but like I said, the essence).
Isn’t this what people who attend church should be saying? Is it possible that with all the music, worship, pretend smiley faces and “church stuff”, that we miss the point. And instead the pole dancing class down the road, that barely anyone from the church would step foot in is actually better at building community?
Does this mean we should erect pole dancing poles in a church auditorium? If it builds communities, then sure, why not. Although I think that only helps a small group of people. I’m sure similar communities are built in other sports & interest groups.
Once again I don’t have any answerss, just more questions.
However if your in the pole dancing / pole fitness / areal performaning community, I’m interested in hearing your story & collating these into a video project.