We embrace expressive worship both personally and corporately. Our desire is to be extravagant in our worship, and to follow Biblical patterns, because He is worthy of all praise.

Worship begins in the heart, but is often expressed physically through many different facets, such as, music, singing, shouting, clapping, lifting of the hands, leaping, and dancing.

During praise and worship, we often life up our hands, which is an act of surrendering control to God. Our hands are communicating an inward thirst for God in an outward expression. Just as little children lift their hands up when they want to be picked up or hugged, we are lifting our hand to our Daddy God.

The Hebrew word ,‘yadah’ translated in the KJV as ‘praise’, literally means to “hold out the hands, to use hands to revere, to worship with extended hands.”

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and Bless the Lord.” Psalm 13:2

“... the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2

Extravagant worship involves our whole being. Throughout the scriptures, joy and rejoicing are expressed through physical actions, most often leaping and dancing. Some of the Hebrew and Greek words translated as ‘rejoice’ in the KJV Bible literally mean ‘to spin around’ and ‘to jump for joy’.

Dance was an integral part of victory celebrations; when the Lord defeated the Egyptians at the Red Sea, Miriam took the tambourine and all the women went out after her dancing with tambourines (Ex 15:20). When the ark returned victoriously to Jerusalem, King David danced before the Lord with all his might (1 Sam. 2:14). We also dance in victory, because Jesus is our victorious Lord, the presence of God is in out midst, and “we are more than conquerors thorough him that loved us” (Rom. 837).

“He has turned my mourning into dancing.” Psalm 30:11

“Praise him with tambourine and dancing.” Psalm 150:4

Flags and banners have been used since ancient times as symbols of tribal or military identity. They are mentioned frequently in the Bible. Psalm 20:5 says, “In the name of our God we will set up* our banners.” *The Hebrew word here is ‘dagal’ which means “to flaunt, raise a flag, be conspicuous with banners”. As this verse declares, we wave, raise up, or dance with colorful flags and banners during praise and worship. It is both extravagant and conspicuous. The church is the glorious bride of Christ, and the Song of Solomon describes the bride as “awesome as an army with banners.”

The flag team in the front will often choose colors that are symbolic to emphasize the words of the worship songs: red signifies the blood of Jesus, purple speaks of His kingship, gold represents His glory, silver reminds us of His redemption, blue symbolizes His presence, green speaks of His everlasting life.

“Lift up a banner on the high mountain.” Isaiah 13:2

“You have given a banner to those that fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” Psalm 60:4

Praise rings, tambourines and streamers are often used by those dancing in worship. Tambourines are used in worship for dance and warfare, as seen above, and in the following scriptures: Isaiah 30:23 states: “Every stroke the Lord lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps...” Jeremiah 31:5 “Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.”

Praise rings are like tambourines, but don’t make sound. They are adorned with fringes and reflect the light as they swirl in the air. They are not holy or sacred in their own right, but are symbolic reminders and instruments of worship. They remind us of the glory and fire of our God.

In times of celebrations and victories, such as weddings, birthdays and sports events, it is common to use streamers, cheers, pompoms, bright decorations etc. We are the victorious bride of Christ, celebrating His victory! We rejoice in Him!

“....behold a throne set in heaven and one who sat on the throne. And he who sat there was like a jasper (diamond) and a sardius stone in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald ... seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne... before the throne was a sea of glass like crystal.” Rev. 4:2-6

“... behold a whirlwind was coming... a great cloud of fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it, and radiating out of its midst... out of the fire went lightening.” Ezekiel 1:4-13