Tag Archives: dancing

I Will Rejoice

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This is a great prayer:

Psalm 30

(A psalm by David for the dedication of the temple.)

A Prayer of Thanks

30 I will praise you, Lord!
    You saved me from the grave
    and kept my enemies
    from celebrating my death.
2 I prayed to you, Lord God,
    and you healed me,
3     saving me from death
    and the grave.

4 Your faithful people, Lord,
will praise you with songs
    and honor your holy name.
5 Your anger lasts a little while,
    but your kindness lasts
    for a lifetime.
At night we may cry,
    but when morning comes
    we will celebrate.

6 I was carefree and thought,
    “I’ll never be shaken!”
7 You, Lord, were my friend,
    and you made me strong
    as a mighty mountain.
But when you hid your face,
    I was crushed.

8 I prayed to you, Lord,
    and in my prayer I said,
9     “What good will it do you
    if I am in the grave?
Once I have turned to dust,
    how can I praise you
or tell how loyal you are?
10     Have pity, Lord! Help!”

11 You have turned my sorrow
    into joyful dancing.
    No longer am I sad
    and wearing sackcloth.
12 I thank you from my heart,
    and I will never stop
    singing your praises,
    my Lord and my God.

Backwards and Forwards – Christmas Day 2

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There’s something about the Christmas break that gives you chance to take stock.  Being out of the regular routine and the turning of another new year cause us to think back – and forward.  Where have we been, and where would we like to go?

John Thorn [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

I don’t know about you, but I like to have a route all planned out – especially a route through life.  What’s going to happen, when and how – and I get quite fidgety (ok grumpy!) if it’s not working out.

Henri Nouwen talks about surrendering ourselves to the future, not as a loss of autonomy, but as an act of openness and maturity.  For if you are dead set on one path, who knows what you may miss if you don’t take a different way that opens up.

I guess we all get to a point when we think the best days of our lives are over and it’s downhill all the way.  Nouwen reminds us,

The most important part of our lives may still be ahead of us

So, do we live our lives looking for what God is going to do with us, where he’s going to lead us?  Are we open to what he’s going to do?

I’m disappointed I can’t find a video of the song I wanted to add to this, so I’ll give you the link to listen http://music.hopeandsocial.com/album/all-our-dancing-days, track 8, All our Dancing Days – when you think your dancing days are over – they’re not!

Are we still willing to dance with God?  To join in the steps he leads us?

I can’t dance in reality, but I pray I can still dance to the tune God leads me in.

And the prayer from the book:

Lord,

wherever you lead,

let us follow.

Wherever we are taken,

let us go willingly.

Let us firmly believe

that the paths you point out to us

are the ones we must take.

Let us be eagerly on the road with you

This year for Advent, some friends and I are using Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen.   You’re welcome to join us on this journey.  Feel free to comment here, or on Twitter using #adventbookclub

Also blogging on the #adventbookclub are:

http://www.likeasthehart.me.uk/

http://drbexl.co.uk/

http://clairemaxim1.wordpress.com/

http://runninglife.wordpress.com/

http://dorothy726blog.wordpress.com/

Who’s tune are you dancing to?

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We all have things in life that influence us.  It may be family traditions, peer group behaviour, things we read and hear in the media, local customs, people we look up to, or any number of things – or a combination.

Paul appeals to the Romans,

Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.

It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, it should be done in God’s ways, we are called to please him.  It matters not what our neighbours, our friends, even people at church think of what we do – what really matters is what God thinks.

Who’s tune are you dancing to?

Lord,

may I only look at you,

and not at others.

May I worry only what you think,

and not what others think.

May all I do

be to glorify you –

not me.