I Hope You Dance
I heard New Testament scholar Scot McKnight speak at a conference a while back. Then I learned about his book called, The Jesus Creed. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but I did find this quote by Dr. McKnight that I thought was quite powerful:
“Pentecost, the day on which we are indwelt by the Spirit, sweeps us up into the dance of the Trinity. We are summoned to the dance floor, [and] the music is grace and love and holiness and peace… The music is supplied by God, and his people are invited to sing and dance along. Pentecost, my friends, is an invitation to a dance. And it gives us the energy and power to pull it off.” -Dr. Scot McKnight, The Jesus Creed
Ever been invited to dance? I have, and it is a bit awkward, particularly if you don’t have a great deal of confidence in your ability to pull it off without looking totally ridiculous! Perhaps that is why we resist the invitation of the indwelling Spirit of God. We’re too self-conscious! Remember king David’s twirling little dance, wearing what was the equivalent of an apron, and caught the ire of his wife Michal? His response should be our response, “I will celebrate before the Lord.22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.” 2 Samuel 6:21-22
Our summoning to the dance floor is an opportunity for intense joy, peace, and inspiration. Doesn’t matter if you have two left feet, it’s not about how good you are, how talented, or gifted you’ve become. Some of the most talented refuse the invitation, and settle for less than what God wants for them. This invitation is all about submission, and surrender. It is to come under the influence of the Spirit in such a way that the “control freak” in all of us dies.
As many of you gather for worship today and many of you gather tomorrow I hope we can all hear the music of “grace, and love and holiness and peace,” and DANCE!