Martin Luther wrote, "As long as we live there is never enough singing.”
I am neither a singer nor a dancer. Almost anyone is better at these two exercises than I am. That's just the way it is!
When I was in kindergarten I lived through the worse "academic" challenge of my career in learning and education. I have a "disability" and it was at screaming alert when I was 5.
Here's the deal: I am not very coordinated. Simply put, "grace" is NOT my middle name. Therefore I have never learned to skip - to dance with that hitched step and little bounce.
That's when the REAL trouble started! The teacher counted skipping at the top of "academic" achievement for kindergarten. So I was sunk!
I spent part of almost every day sitting on the steps to the upstairs in the teacher's house so I could contemplate my skipping and learn how to skip "better" or at all. It was a traumatic, terrible time!
I still can't skip all these many decades later! I'm okay with that! I'm also convinced that skipping (or not) can contribut absolutely NOTHING of relevance to my life! "To [skip] or not to [skip] is not the question." What really counts for time and eternity is not skipping! What counts is "faith expressing itself in love"! (Gal. 5:6) What counts is whether my heart can sing and dance AND skip as my faith expresses itself in love!
Lord Jesus, help me to live this day skipping, dancing and singing as I express my faith in love!
Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
A Dancing Heart!
Wish I had written this but I'm glad I follow Scotty on Twitter so I got to read this:
About Scotty Smith
Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition. More… Scotty Smith5:01 am CT
A Prayer for a Dancing Heart, and Feet
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. Ps. 30:11-12
Lord Jesus, was there ever a king more into dancing than King David? His victory over Goliath was the inspiration for singing and dancing by many in Israel (1 Sam. 21:11). When the ark was returned to Jerusalem, he danced before the Lord with all his might, and very little modesty (2 Sam. 6:14). It’s obvious he wrote this psalm as a dancer for other dancers, whose joy at the dedication of the temple was simply uncontainable.
But Jesus, you’re the real Lord of the Dance. Though King David didn’t realize it, his work and joy point to yours. You’re the only monarch who can turn the wails of our sin and brokenness into the dance of hope and joy. You’re the only ruler merciful and mighty enough to replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. By your cross, you’ve removed the filthy garments of unrighteousness that we might be clothed us with the white robe of your own righteousness. Astounding . . . astonishing . . . and so very true.
How can we not sing and make music to you in our hearts? How can we possibly remain silent and still, in response to who you are and everything you’ve done for us, Jesus? Forgive us when we, like the elder brother, remain smugly on the outside of the house of redemption—off the dance floor of your reconciling love (Luke 15:25).Cause us to hear the Father speaking to us right now: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31).
Indeed, Lord, forgive us for confusing reverence with rigor mortis. Forgive us for giving you ardor-less order when we worship you. Forgive us for living more by our temperament tests, Myers-Briggs profiles, and personality types than by the lyric, music, and dance of the gospel. Free us from giving you a measured response to a measureless gospel.
One day, King Jesus, we will give thanks to you with all our might. All personal inhibitions, cultural limitations, and ecclesiastical prohibitions will be gone. May that great day of liberation have much greater impact on this day’s celebration. So very Amen we pray in your grace-filled and gladsome name.
About Scotty Smith
Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition. More… Scotty Smith5:01 am CT
A Prayer for a Dancing Heart, and Feet
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. Ps. 30:11-12
Lord Jesus, was there ever a king more into dancing than King David? His victory over Goliath was the inspiration for singing and dancing by many in Israel (1 Sam. 21:11). When the ark was returned to Jerusalem, he danced before the Lord with all his might, and very little modesty (2 Sam. 6:14). It’s obvious he wrote this psalm as a dancer for other dancers, whose joy at the dedication of the temple was simply uncontainable.
But Jesus, you’re the real Lord of the Dance. Though King David didn’t realize it, his work and joy point to yours. You’re the only monarch who can turn the wails of our sin and brokenness into the dance of hope and joy. You’re the only ruler merciful and mighty enough to replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. By your cross, you’ve removed the filthy garments of unrighteousness that we might be clothed us with the white robe of your own righteousness. Astounding . . . astonishing . . . and so very true.
How can we not sing and make music to you in our hearts? How can we possibly remain silent and still, in response to who you are and everything you’ve done for us, Jesus? Forgive us when we, like the elder brother, remain smugly on the outside of the house of redemption—off the dance floor of your reconciling love (Luke 15:25).Cause us to hear the Father speaking to us right now: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31).
Indeed, Lord, forgive us for confusing reverence with rigor mortis. Forgive us for giving you ardor-less order when we worship you. Forgive us for living more by our temperament tests, Myers-Briggs profiles, and personality types than by the lyric, music, and dance of the gospel. Free us from giving you a measured response to a measureless gospel.
One day, King Jesus, we will give thanks to you with all our might. All personal inhibitions, cultural limitations, and ecclesiastical prohibitions will be gone. May that great day of liberation have much greater impact on this day’s celebration. So very Amen we pray in your grace-filled and gladsome name.
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