Today I danced.
I stripped off my sweater, took off my socks and shoes, and hopped around… an undignified worshipper consumed by a God who has revealed himself to me.
And so I danced.
And then I stretched.
I raised my arms in the air as if I was trying to reach a special treat off of the top shelf. Not because I didn’t just consume one but because I wanted another… and I wanted to reach for it to let the One who gave it to me know I really enjoyed it. I know that sometimes the best way to compliment a cook is to ask for another serving… which is what I did.
As I danced.
And stretched.
And then stood on tiptoe.
This isn’t easy to do, and I don’t know if I’ve ever quite worshipped in this way. Yet there is something about wanting to be picked up by your Father that causes you to tiptoe your way into his arms, as if by that tiptoe you save yourself one quarter of a second that would have otherwise been wasted if he had to dig down deeper to get you and you had to wait for him to do so. It’s hard to stand on your tiptoes very long, let alone for the length of a David Crowder song… and yet I did.
As I danced.
And stretched.
And stood on tiptoe.
And then I wept.
Hot tears of revelation as the song “Amazing Grace” brought to my mind how much I am truly lost without my Jesus. Have you ever wanted to say something but couldn’t because you were crying cleansing waters of joy and broken thankfulness? No voice came out of my mouth, and yet I think it was the loudest I’d worshipped in a while.
As I danced.
And stretched.
And stood on tiptoe.
And wept.
This interestingly enough put me in the right place to grab my soul brother Brian and enjoy the community around me. I know people think they can follow Jesus without the church, but I don’t know how they get to enjoy on the breakthrough moments of community we were intended for. Certainly many “sinful” activities (which you can fill in as you so choose) that we can do with someone lend themselves to a two-dimensional form of community that is based around whatever the transaction of activity is at hand. Ironically, this can seem a whole lot more authentic than anything offered in a rigid self-help church… because churches aren’t supposed to be self-help centers anyway.
But even that form of two-dimensional community that seems so tangible isn’t even close to these pure moments of worship where everything with you and God is pure, allowing everything with those around you to be even purer… creating a taste of heaven that we currently have to labor for but one day will freely enjoy when Jesus “forever fixes” the world.
Man… I don’t know, but I’d be inclined to call that “heaven.”
And so… here is our King. Here is our Love. Here is our God who’s come to bring us back to Him. He is the One… He is Jesus.
Dance with me.
I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. (2 Samuel 6:21b-22a)
7 comments:
Beautiful...
When I read your post, what stood out to me was not the joy, the worship, the grateful heart you had while dancing - it was what you said about community.
I felt envious, jealous, angry, hopeless,sad. I can't find that, and I want it. I desperately want community and I think I need it.
I've been reading a lot about the idea of not going to church (most
recently Jim Palmer's book, Divine Nobodies) and although I can agree with
it in principal, like you, I believe in church and think its an important
part of life as a Christian.
But how do you find a place with real people? People like you, people like
all my blog friends. Why are there no people like that in "REAL LIFE"?
Wonderful, wonderful post!
are you going to write about the convention for the newspaper
the church does not dance enough!
barbara -
Your comments are absolutely appropriate because they come out of your journey. Which, by the way, is where my dancing comes from this week. Sometimes it takes getting shin splints walking the Narrow Road in order to build the muscles needed to dance. I don't mean that to sound like a Christian cliche, but again... that's just my experience.
That doesn't mean the shin splints don't hurt, nor that you won't mistake coveting peace instead of the Peace Maker. Believe me... I know.
On the ride down one of my buddies asked if I would trade the past two years of junk in for two years of happiness if I would. Without even thinking, I said, "No." Granted, I would have loved some different circumstances but I am actually seeing God and life in a healthier way now versus when I had a full-time job and a big house. That doesn't mean I don't at times wonder about those two perks of the American dream, but the perspective of the journey helps you see what is really important versus what is just cake and ice cream.
So I pray that one day all of these trials will show you something, even if yuo didn't wish them upon yourself. Life is often hard, and whether or not circumstances change we can still find hope in God through Jesus Christ.
Friar - no. Just sharing it here for my online sojourners.
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