You Have Turned My Mourning Into Dancing
TUE Ev Prayer Reflection 032321 (Jeremiah 25: 8-17; Romans 10:1-13; John 9:18-41)
After reading today’s scriptures, I couldn’t help it but think of the way we tend to act within our relationship with God. When two people are dancing together, we usually expect one person to take the lead. When both dancers try to lead at the same time, things don’t turn out well because one goes to the left as the other tries to go the right: Disaster: someone’s feet get trampled on! In the same way, we should let God lead in our relationship with Him. We can’t both lead! I can see this scenario in what Jesus said: ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ If we think we see (and begin to lead) in our relationship with God, then we have no idea that we are truly blind. But if we let God lead in the relationship, that’s when we will truly begin to see (and find Salvation). Scripture tells us further that Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.’ If we want to lead in our relationship with God, then we are saying to God that we are not blind and indeed we are, because we cannot see!
I am shocked to learn that the prophet Jeremiah warns us of the same thing: we love the popular piety of all times that tends to worship a God who comforts and guides and loves but who never rules and disciplines or judges; a God who never calls into question people’s actions, and whose purpose is only to bless people. Jeremiah kept testifying to the majesty of God who has an eternal purpose, and demands that we live in accordance with that purpose. In other words, we are to let God lead in our relationship with him. We need to understand the true nature of our God. God can’t be manipulated into being the way we want him to be. We certainly can not make God subservient to our purposes and goals. Unfortunately, that is the perfect example of us leading in our dance with God: There are many examples of this: If we are honest with ourselves, reviewing the list of our petitions to God, we would find that seldom we ask for the will of God to be done, either by omission or ignorance but rather we present often what we want without carefully assessing if what we want really align with the purpose and will of God.
Could it be that by advancing our own agendas and wants, we may be telling God that we are interested in getting his collaboration on what we have decided? That’s why I think that in this case we are leading in our relationship with God instead of God leading. The prophet Jeremiah was interested in showing us the real profile of our God, just so we don’t make a mistake of thinking our God is passive in this relationship. This particular chapter tells of actual consequences: Because you have not obeyed my words, says the Lord: “This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon for seventy years… I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.” Their feet got trampled on because they also wanted to lead when they decided to go their own ways and disobey God’s words.
We all get in this category one way of the other! It requires a thorough examination of our conscience everyday/ every moment, so we can repent and turn back to God moment by moment! Paul tells the Romans that he is praying for them so that they may be saved: “I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.” In Paul’s view, the Romans are at a good place, however, there are still many things they need to understand (For their zeal for God to be enlightened); that they may learn about God’s righteousness rather than their own. How foolish of us to keep choosing our own ways therefore leading instead of letting God be the one to lead in this relationship!
God help us all!
Dancing With God POEM[1]
(Source Unknown via email)
When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw "G" I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God," "u" and "i" dance." God, you and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God’s blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and every day.
May you abide in God as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.
"You changed my mourning into dancing…"
Ps 30:11 (NRSV)
Comments
Post a Comment