Dance With Me

What an invitation! To dance with the ‘High King of Heaven’! I love the picture I have used this week for my blog post. It is unusual for me to be so bold about liking my work - but it has deep significance for me. I painted it into the endpapers of my book, ‘Amazing Journey.’ It is how the book started and is how the book ends. Our amazing journey with Jesus. My Christian life, my ‘amazing journey’ - is far from a starchy walk with rules and regulations - it’s a dance!

How have I learned to ‘dance with him?’ Well sadly, as a Christian creative there are very few ‘mothers’ and ‘fathers’ to look up too who champion a dance-filled, ardent and imaginative, Christian life. C.S.Lewis is the ‘sparkling’ trend breaker who remains unchallenged in the innovative expressions of his Christian Faith. Incredibly, the canvas of his artistry is still culturally relevant over 50 years later. We still lustily absorb his work today. Who can compare with his description of Christ in the allegory of Aslan - spoken by the simple hearted but thoroughly convinced Mr Beaver...

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Somehow the voice of my wild, daring, passionate Savior gets drowned out by tired, earth bound religious voices. Relentlessly they call us to conform to a pallid, worn out expression of faith that for me, has become meaningless. I have a tendency towards people pleasing, the danger being that I can become exhausted and despondent through the regular effort of shaking myself free from these authoritative voices.

But Paul prays for us...‘and I pray that he (Jesus) would pour over you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power ( Ephesians 3 - The Message)

Wow! Sounds good to me!

So then, I have had a glimpse of the one who ‘adores’ me with ‘divine might and explosive power.’ He invites me to dance with him and I’ve made up my mind. I want him more than I want to conform to the voices that would stitch me up into a dry and dissatisfying expression of faith without the thrill of the dance.

So I regularly read Song of Songs and listen to the voice of my lover inviting me to leave home and dance with him over the hills and valleys. I have NO idea where we are going. I’ll admit that its scary! But I am reassured by Psalm 23...‘Your beauty and love chase after me everyday of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.’ (The Message). Me and Jesus, we’ll be dancing until dawn!

Check out this beautiful song

and another.and another.and another.Check out this beautiful song

Check out this beautiful song