Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Oh yes


"What is the music that inspires the dance? The music is the reality of God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ and the gospel.

Sometimes people approach the Christian life as if all that matters is getting the moves right, there are certain steps that you have to learn, there are rules and rituals to master but that is not all that matters, the truth is you cannot dance the dance well unless you are listening to the music.

Faith is receiving the music. Faith is listening to the music, letting its rhythm, beauty and power move you so that you live a life of love.

That’s why faith is so crucial, not just at the beginning of the Christian life but all through the Christian life. Galatians 5:6 says that it is faith, that expresses itself in love.

Faith is listening to the music of the love of God in Christ, and then allowing the response of your whole self to become the dance, the life of love for God and others to which he calls us.

It is God who choreographed the dance we call the Christian life but God also composed the music that inspires the dance. He wants the music of the gospel to inspire and empower us as we live our lives as Christians.

In Ephesians 3:16-19 Paul speaks about this same Christ-centered, or gospel-centered dynamic in the Christian life when he says:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


In all of our living - we need the music and the dance. We need to be deeply receiving the life-giving power of the love of God in the gospel. We also need to be responding to the love of God with our whole selves by dancing the dance of faith-inspired love and obedience for God and others."

1 comment:

Linnea said...

This would be amazing lyrics put to real music and dance; on the outdoor stage at Portland Rose Garden on a summer night. Can there be lightning bugs flitting about too, Can you arrange this oh please!

I'm gathering in much beauty from this writing; most especially that as I listen to the music of his love,my faith response is a dance that he choreographs.

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