Today's Scripture Reading (February 3, 2021): 1 Thessalonians 1 & 2
Friedrich Nietzsche said that “We should consider every day lost on which we have not
danced at least once.” Maybe it is just the need for a natural expression of
the heart that makes dancing important, even if it is just a dance that is only
revealed in our sway to the music. Or maybe it is our connection with others,
because even if we are dancing alone, it doesn’t seem to take long for others
to see us, and want to join us in the dance.
Paul preached about a risen Christ,
but what is even more important is that he lived it. He danced the dance of
Christianity, and others were always invited to join him in the dance. Paul’s
invited them into the community of the redeemed, and they became imitators of
Paul, as Paul imitated Christ. Paul proclaims that some of the ones he had welcomed
into the dance were in the midst of severe suffering, but they still found a joy
in the dance that was given to them by the Holy Spirit.
Paul had never been shy at inviting
others into sharing the dance with him. And he was always willing to take the
lead. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul chastises the Corinthian
church over the divisions that had developed within the body that were making
the dance impossible.
My
brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that
there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you
says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I
follow Cephas [Peter]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Is
Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of
Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of
you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can
say that you were baptized in my name (1 Corinthians 1:11-15).
The dance in the church was being defined by the dance
partner. And Paul had evidently had enough. This was not what God had intended
for his church. He had designed a dance that we could share with each other, overflowing
with the joy that he had placed in our hearts.
Later in his letter, Paul simply summed up his
position like this; “Follow
my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Come
and dance with me, and I will lead you as I follow in the steps of Jesus.
It is still the call of the church. Christianity
should never be summed up with a list of rules. It is an invitation into a
dance that our hearts, filled with joy, are aching to perform. It is something
that we share, as we follow each other, knowing that the others are trying to
follow the steps of Christ as he dances with us.
The Christian invitation is always
into the dance. So, come and dance with me.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3 &
4
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