Skip to main content

The Lord of the dance - June 2016 prayer column

If you’re a dancer you may want to kick at the use of this analogy, but we’re reading a book (King’s Cross by Timothy Keller) which likens Christian faith to a dance.  His point is that, whoever we are, we can’t always be at the centre of a dance: we must also circle round others.   And that’s the nature of relationship.  It’s also the nature of God – in three persons, in relationship, like a dance.  A dance into which we are invited, and for which we were created, and in which alone we shall find full joy.  Rebellion, which began in Eden, is insisting on God dancing round us:  I must understand, or have, or do, or be – anything but walk in faith, or trip to the divine.

It made me wonder about prayer.  In prayer we relate to God as we speak, and even more as we listen, and most of all if we trust and obey.  But is our prayer like that – mine or yours?  How much dancing with the Lord is there in our prayers, alone, or in church, or in our prayer meetings?  Are we ever guilty of using prayer as a cover for getting what we want?   Prayer may sound holy, but it isn’t if it’s selfish.  Nor if we just crank the handle of intercession without pausing to ask God how we should pray for those we hold up before him (what we should be asking for) – not to mention listening for his call to move in sync with them as well as him – like helping, or healing, or encouraging, or listening, or praying for (much?) longer.  In faith, with the Lord of the dance. 

Roy LS


A prayer for each week
Lord God, who danced in the morning when the world was begun, please help us to dance in stewardship to the rhythm of your beat.  Amen.

Lord God, who invites all to dance with you, following, following, please help us to abandon hindrance and step wherever you take us.  Amen.

Lord God, whose dance spans all time and every day, with compassion for the lame, please help us to raise them to their feet in your name.  Amen.

Lord God, who danced to the Father’s call even on that bleak Friday, leading to Easter Day gold, please help us also to trust and obey.  Amen.

Your own prayers



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Circuit Talents Challenge

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money ..." Matthew 25:14-30 Why don't you take up the Circuit Talents Challenge by taking a £5 note and making it grow for the Circuit? More details ...

The wind among the trees

I sat among the trees once. And a wind was blowing. Quite a strong wind; I could hear it in the trees –   rushing, rushing. A lovely sound, soothing to my ears. I stopped what I was writing and began to listen. I remembered that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was like   the wind. You could hear it; see its effect. But you couldn’t see the wind itself. You couldn’t see   where it was coming from, nor going to. And I wondered, “Are you showing me something about your Spirit, Lord?” So I sat, and I listened, and I watched. They were big, old trees where I sat. Tall they were, in an ancient wood, well-branched,  shapely. Beech, grey bark against the clear blue of the sky. And leaves: they were leaves that knew the wind;   leaves that let the wind know them. They looked, like beach leaves look in a wind: full of life –   and with a certain beauty all their own. I watched the great crowns of those great trees. I watched the branches sway and the ...

For such times as these! - A good news story from Windhill!

For such times as these! (Esther 14:14) On June 1st James Stannet (from e:merge , a Christian Youth organisation) began his youth work for Christchurch LEP in Windhill. He says, "Well! June has been a really busy but very productive month. On Wednesday, in the park, numbers are climbing week by week, now averaging 25. Good partnerships have been made with local organisations. this has been a blessing: enabling us to deliver varied sport activities and build good relationships.' 'The Hope Revolution, youth event, based at Christchurch LEP was a massive hit. A BIG Thank you is expressed to the Church for the support, encouragement and prayers. 200 people attended the Fun Day. Despite the rainy weather, 100 young people took part in local projects: two house clear-ups, school garden project (Windhill Primary) and running the Fun Day. 10 Christian Organisations working together resulting in several families requesting Christian children's activities.' ...