“The gifts of God for the people of God”. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we hear these words. At Grace, on Sundays, when sharing the liturgy with Amy, I love to step back and receive her extended invitation. “This is Christ’s table, no matter who you are, (and where you are in your spiritual journey), won’t you come?”
Every week I am in a different place. There’s news in the world to contend with; there’s personal struggles or situations that have come up; there are friends I am thinking about; or people I am missing. And there is the ongoing seeking or yearning for God, and maybe the purpose of things that the divine perspective or presence brings into focus. What do you bring to the table? Jesus always asked those who came to Him, what would you have me do for you? Even when it was quite obvious!
A few of us, starting out with the confirmation and reception preparation group leading up to the Day of Pentecost a week of so ago, are on a “Rowan Williams kick” right now. Rowan Williams served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 – 2012 and combines a profound theological mind and spiritual insightfulness with an ability to connect with a broad range of human capacity. You can get lost and confused in his theological conversations with fellow theologians; and yet find joyful revelations or moments of clarity as he presents the fundamentals of faith and the life of faith. We embraced the former in reading his book “Tokens of Trust” for our preparatory class; and we will be engaging the latter in a new endeavor to read “Being Disciples”, a presentation on the practical outflows of our faith. (That “class” is a kind of farewell offering on three Wednesday evenings, 7:15-8:15 at Grace starting June 25th. It has been suggested that we morph into an online small group in the fall.)
So, what do you seek from those gifts of God for the people of God? On Trinity Sunday, Amy made a great case for a playful and joyful approach to faith modelled on how we experience God as Three in One. She spoke about the dancing nature of the Trinity, and the implication of mutual delight that flows from the Father to the Son through the Spirit. Of course, she encouraged us to accept that the Trinity is a mystery, the nature of God is a mystery, and the invitation is to enter the dance. We grow in knowing through the experiencing was the implication.
Can there be joy amid so much suffering that we can no longer be innocent about? There has to be. Jesus turned the table on what we might consider “Blessed” in his sermon on the Mount. One of his most famous contemporary followers, Mother Teresa, held back her sisters from direct contact with the dying until they knew the gift of joy. It is the human miracle that you cannot wipe God’s smile from our faces, even as God wipes away our tears.
You may be familiar with the song “The Lord of the Dance” by Sydney Carter. Donna, my wife, made it into her signature liturgical dance. It invites us to learn to dance with God too.
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth
Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be; I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be. And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced for the scribes and the pharisees,
But they would not dance, and they would not follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and for John.
They came with me and the dance went on. (Refrain)
I danced on the sabbath, and I healed the lame,
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped me and they hung me high.
They left me there on the cross to die. (Refrain)
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black.
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body, and they thought I had gone,
But I am the dance, and I still go on. (Refrain)
They cut me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that’ll never, never die.
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me.
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
Dance, then, wherever you may be; I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be. And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
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